LAHORE: speakers at a seminar on renowned Indian Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar’s vision of empowerment through education have stressed the need to empower the oppressed people through education.
The seminar was organised by Punjab University Centre for South Asian Studies (CSAS) and Ambedkar Society for South Asia (ASSA) at the university here on Thursday.
Punjab Human Rights and Minorities Affairs Minister Ijaz Alam Augustine, PU CSAS Director Prof Dr Umbreen Javed, ASSA Director Shaheen Hasan, scholars and activists from India, including Manjula Pradeep, Dr Kaushal Panwar, Dr Parmod Kumar, Ms Manisha Mashaal, Satyndra Kumar, Archana VAidya, and a large number of students were present. Ijaz Alam Augustine emphasised on the idea of Ambedkar’s vision of empowerment through education. The Indian speakers shared their personal experiences of facing discrimination as Dalit community members in educational institutions and overall in society in India. They paid tribute to Ambedkar for making the scheduled caste able to get education and recognition in deeply stratified Indian society. They said that around one billion people of both countries were facing various challenges like poverty, lack of education and health facilities, etc and most of them were living in a miserable condition. They said that both governments must avoid conflict, enhance bilateral relations and focus on reducing the problems being faced by their people.
Prof Dr Umbreen Javiad said that equal rights and opportunities must be provided to every citizen of a country so that there were no feelings of deprivation in the people. She said that the centre held the international seminar every year.
Syed Shaheen Hassan greeted all the guest speakers from India and the participants. He appreciated Prof Dr Umbreen Javaid for her efforts for organising the seminars on such an important topic. Later, souvenirs were presented to the speakers.
new tax: Pakistan Chest Society (PCS) has appreciated government’s proposal to levy “sin tax” on sale of cigarettes, which is enforced in many countries including Philippines and Saudi Arabia.
“The cigarette smoking is one of the major causes of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and asthma and therefore smoking needs to be taken away from people’s access through imposition of taxes,” said leading pulmonologists while speaking at a press briefing arranged by Pakistan Chest Society to create awareness among public here at a local hotel on Thursday.
President Pakistan Chest Society Punjab Prof Khalid Waheed, Prof Ashraf Jamal, HOD Pulmonology Jinnah Hospital and other seasoned pulmonologists and members of PCS informed that changes in weather have triggered suffering of asthma and COPD patients which can be controlled by creating awareness, right management and long-term treatment. Patients must ensure compliance and adherence to prescribed medication.
They said, “Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) are two of the most common respiratory diseases in Pakistan, posing a serious challenge.”
Highlighting disease burden, they said that according to WHO estimates, 235 million people suffer from asthma worldwide while COPD is affecting 210 million people worldwide.
