THE DETACHMENT OF OUR INTELLECTUALS FROM THE COMMUNITY IS A PAINFUL FACT

There are some scholars in our 2 community too. The definition of intellectuals and scholars varies in every society and every circle. Somewhere research doctors are considered scholars and somewhere medical doctors. Somewhere the president of a department of a college or university is called an intellectual and somewhere the writer or author of a few books. Even today, our youth are the ones who say that tomorrow when they become truly capable, when they worry about the community, then they will prove to be an asset to the nation in the true sense. Therefore, we are not talking about the so-called or ‘official’ intellectuals here who sometimes light a poem by giving a huge amount of money and sometimes they appear to launch that book by promising to buy 100 books or they appear to preside over an ‘All India’ conference organized by themselves. Well, the fortress of such intellectuals is opened, of course, now the question is what is the condition of our real scholars? Those who have degrees, certificates and gold medals, but also real knowledge, influence and status. They are fully aware of all the principles and rules of psychology, sociology 3 and the constitution of life, but when the time comes to fulfill their social and national responsibilities, they turn their eyes away, knowingly or unknowingly. Knowingly because they consider themselves to be so high and exalted that no one has reached their level, let alone can imagine reaching it. After all, those whom we consider wise, intelligent and that they are a valuable asset to the community. How can those scholars be selfish? These highranking personalities turn their eyes away from the community unknowingly because they know what trials the nation is going through. They do not even understand that a large section of the community is ignorant because they are poor and poor because they are victims of ignorance. They do not want to help or guide the people who are suffering from poverty and destitution by lowering their ‘standards’. The question arises that how did this class system come to us? It was prevalent among the upper castes of this country. To end it, first Raja Ram Mohan Roy and then Dr. Ambedkar launched an effective movement through which the behavior and attitude of the upper castes of 4 the sect were successfully challenged. Of course, the question is where did this classism come from in our society. The manifesto of our life is the Farewell Pilgrimage sermon (Khutba-eHajjatul Vidah), in which, apart from many principles of life, the Prophet of Islam declared that no Arab has any superiority over a nonArab, nor a non-Arab over an Arab, nor is a black superior to a white, nor is a white superior to a black. Yes, if there is a standard of greatness and excellence, it is piety. So it turns out that instead of degrees, post-graduations and doctorates, there is only one standard of human greatness here and that is: fear of God. Our intellectuals have a bright history, which we are proud of, but it is not enough. Of course, in these eight decades of independence, a large majority of our intellectuals have remained completely indifferent to the community and consider it a disgrace to mingle with the common people and share their pain and suffering. Their degrees, their achievements and their statuses get on their nerves. If it is told to them that there are a dozen children in their township or neighborhood who need educational guidance, if 5 they bother to guide those children…. on hearing this, they will get nervous and say, “Should I guide the children of the street and neighborhood? Do you know who you are addressing? A research scholar who is the author of half a dozen books. Hey, two dozen of my articles have been published in world-class journals and have received great appreciation. I am also a double PhD…. “Since independence, this attitude of our intellectuals and scholars has been a major obstacle in the progress of our community. Our intellectuals are not even ready to give their knowledge, degrees, and achievements as charity.” More than 75 years of independence have passed in this manner. Now, while planning for the same period in the future, should we think of establishing such an institution or institute in which our intellectuals and scholars can be trained in