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AIS History
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Tuesday, Feb 16, 2010
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AIS history by By Honorable Ram Jethmalani.
By Honorable Ram Jethmalani
American Institute of Sindhulogy (A.I.S) was inaugurated in Chicago on August 6, 2000, by Mr. Ram Jethmalani former Minister of Law and Justice and India’s foremost Constitutional Attorney, in presence of a large gathering of American, Canadian, Sindhi and Indian dignitaries including Mr. K. R Malkani (Author of "The Sindh Story"), Mr. Suresh Keswani (Member of Parliament and President of Sindh Council in India) and Bhagwan S. Gidwani (Author of "The Sword of Tipu Sultan", " Omar Khayyam & I" and "Returns of the Aryans".) The opening address at this inauguration ceremony was delivered by Jordan Jay Hillman, Emeritus Professor of Law at Northwestern University. Gist of Observations by Jordan Jay Hillman: Jordan Jay Hillman, Emeritus Professor of Law at Northwestern University, complimented Dial Gidwani's vision and purpose in establishing the American Institute of Sindhulogy (A.I.S). Outlining geographical data and historical developments, he explained that the name of Sindh derives from the great Sindhu River (known also as Indus River), which flows through it. The land of Sindh exists today as the Southeastern province of Pakistan. To its South and west lies the Arabian sea (known earlier as the Sindhu sea). Sindhi language is also spoken outside Sindh by some 2.5 million persons of Sindhi origion or descent who are in India, North America and other lands throughout the world. The history of Sindh is central to the Institute's goals. Its known history extends back to more than 5,000 years, certainly to the metropolis of MOEN-JO-DARO, whose ancient ruins give evidence of advanced urban planning. Since then, over the years, the land of Sindh came to be occupied, developed and governed by a variety of peoples, cultures, religions and nations. And over this long span of years its character was shaped by important Indian cultural contributions, Buddhist, Persian, Greek and many others --to say nothing of the impact of British rule during the 19th and 20th centuries, ending in 1947. Dominant, or prominent, among its religions have been Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam indeed, over long centuries of its colorful h istory, this hospitable land of Sindh, in the past, has provided sanctuary and sustenance to many other faiths as well. To me, this rich, but often turbulent, mixture of ethnicities and religions in Sindh goes to the heart of the great human vision that guides Dial Gidwani, his wife Lakshmi and his fellow founders of the Institute. They seek no less than to engage all Sindhis, of whatever ethnic origin or religious belief, in a common effort to perpetuate all elements of the culture and civilization of their common land--and also, to acquaint others with these human riches. In this way they hope as well to demonstrate and celebrate how the Love of a land can unify, rather than divide all of, its varied peoples. We can all take pride and pleasure that our presence here this evening helps to mark the birth of this most worthy undertaking -The American Institute of Sindhulogy. It may not be too much to hope that in some distant day, this Institute might be revered as a forerunner of a new Institute in its image, perhaps with a name such as the Global Institute of Human logy—in which all people will celebrate their common Love of their earthly abode and all of its varied human cultural and social riches. But however great the odds, we are off to a good start this evening.
GIST OF OBSERVATIONS BY RAM JETHMALANI
The invitation from Dial Gidwani to inaugurate the American Institute of Sindhulogy took me by surprise. Dial has been my friend for over forty years. I have known all along that he is an expert in the field of marketing, administration and airline management but little did I realize that that he has a strong sense of cultural awareness of Sindh and its people, so much so that he should come to regard it as his mission to inform the American public and everyone else of the glowing heritage of Sindh. None of you will therefore find fault with my suspicion that the inspiration for all this might have come from his wife Lakshmi who, I know, has always been interested in social and cultural heritage of Sindh. Be that as it may, I congratulate Dial Gidwani for this initiative to establish the American Institute of Sindhulogy, and for me it is a real pleasure to inaugurate this Institute. Sindh, through its own unique contribution, has a profound message for world culture. The history of Sindh and Sindhis right from the dawn of civilization will show how the people of Sindh remained free from religious, communal and caste tensions. Sindhi society was based on tolerance, mutual respect and human rights. With the Partition of India in 1947 when Sindh was merged as a province of Pakistan, hundreds of thousands of Sindhis left their land of Sindh for India and other countries, to find sanctuary, employment and business. They have succeeded brilliantly in India and every other part of the world, thanks to their skill and enterprise. Yet, I hope they will not remain forgetful of the roots of their civilization along with its message of peace, prosperity and goodwill amongst all peoples and nations of the world. My request, therefore, to Dial Gidwani and his colleagues will be that while progressing the work of the Institute in North America, he and his colleagues should also see to it that awareness of Sindhis – wherever they are, be it in America, India, Pakistan or elsewhere – of their roots remains alive. I would regard it as a tragedy if our sense of ‘Sindhyat’ is lost. Ram Jethmalani referred also to the deep gaps in the knowledge of Sindhis themselves about the history and heritage of Sindh. He hoped that the Institute would devote special attention to this so that all Sindhis may come to share in the pride of their Sindhyat. Outlining the development of the age-old civilization and culture of Sindh, Ram Jethmalani added, "we are the proud descendents of a civilization that is ten thousand years old, with its glorious heritage, and it is a matter of joy that you, ladies and gentlemen of the Institute, have taken on the task of promoting awareness, everywhere, of the Indus Valley, Saraswati and associated civilizations."
Gist of observations by Gul Agha:
Professor Gul Agha, a Computer Scientist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a founding member of the Institute, spoke on behalf of the Institute. Professor Agha thanked Mr. Ram Jethmalani for agreeing to inaugurate the Institute and for delivering a rousing speech on this occasion. The speech, he said, inspires us all to redouble our efforts to keep the message of Sindhyat alive. Professor Agha then referred to some initiatives which the Institute planned to undertake and assured Mr. Jethmalani that the Institute would be guided by the vision of Sindhi poets, philosophers, scholars and scientists. The Institute's mission is being undertaken with the certain conviction that the preservation and propagation of Sindhyat will advance the cause of universal human rights; promote harmony between people, and help in the struggle to preserve the planet.
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