Chandigarh, November 23
‘Phoenix'07’, the annual IT fest of GGDSD College, Sector 32, was organised on the college premises today. Prof C.M. Behl, former director of the computer applications department of PU and managing director of Rayat Group, was the chief guest. Various events like ‘info-mania’ (on-the-spot software development), ‘crack the nut’ and ‘brain teaser’ (IT quiz), ‘IT caricaturing’ (collage making), ‘picturesque’ (poster making), ‘spider art’ (on-the-spot web designing), ‘debugging’, ‘fusion dance’ and ‘ad-mad show’ were organised. The fest got an overwhelming response as students from at least 15 colleges of Chandigarh and surrounding areas participated.

CONTEST: The department of economics, in association with the Consumer Club of Government College-11, organised a paper-presentation contest on ‘Consumer Rights in India’ today. Twelve students presented papers. Kanta Singhania, department of history, and S.P. Sukhija, department of economics, were the judges. Ashish Malhotra of BA II was declared the best presenter while Shalender Singh Negi of BCom II and Atul Raheja of BA III stood second and third, respectively.

Chandigarh, November 23
As director of the Iran Culture House, Abdolhamid Ziaei has overseen the establishment of 45 seats of Persian learning in Indian universities. “The interest is growing by the day and we are planning many more seats. This is just one of our many projects to improve the 3,500 years-old India, Iran cultural ties,” said Hamid, who is in town to attend the Haryana Urdu Akademi’s international seminar on Maulana Jalaludin Rumi.

A philosopher with four important publications to his credit, Hamid remains a deep admirer of Rumi, whose spiritual philosophy centres on attainability of God. “While most world religions talk about God as unattainable, Rumi’s speculations are centred on His attainability. In this year, when the world, through UNESCO, is celebrating 800 years of Rumi’s birth, we have published a special issue spanning his life and works,” Hamid told The Tribune today.

The publication, titled ‘Rah-e-Islam’ (The Path of Islam), features research articles on Rumi. “Under the aegis of the Iran Culture House, we have also started a tradition of dialogues between Islam and other world religions, mainly those that have flourished in India,” said Hamid.

Recently, he guided a dialogue between Islam and Hinduism. “We are now planning a dialogue between Islam and Buddhism,” said Hamid, a philosopher, whose book ‘In the absence of God’ explores atheism in the western philosophy. Another of his books ‘Dialogue among civilizations’ deals with Islam and Hinduism.

Besides, Hamid has worked extensively on Rumi, whose influences he has also found in the style of Sufi saints Nizamuddin Aulia and Mohiuddin Chisti. Today, Hamid shared part of his knowledge with the 20 Persian scholars who were here to deliberate on Rumi and his works.

“This seminar offers an exciting space for exchange of ideas. I hope the scholars bring to life Rumi and his spiritual influences that have inspired generations to seek out God. Rumi believed God never forgets man. It is the man who refuses, rejects and denies God,” said the philosopher on the peace mission.