India Islamic Cultural Centre (IICC), visualized, conceptualized and founded by the then Vice President and former Chief Justice of India, Justice Mohammed Hidayatullah in 1980 on the occasion of celebrations of completion of 14 00 years (Hijri) of the advent of Islam, and its founder president the great Abdul Hakim, one of the builders of modern India, has made strides since 2004 under the continuing stewardship of its current president Sirajuddin Quraishi. For the first time, IICC has become profitable with over rupees six crore. Surely, enterprising ability, business acumen and foresight of Mr.Quraishi in carrying all sections of people together have been the trigger.
Currently, General Elections of President, Vice President, Board of Trustees and Executive Committee are in motion from November 1, 2018 to January 2019, for polling to be held on January 6, 2019 and results on January 7, 2019 for a five year term of 2019-2024.
Inaugurated by the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi in 2006 the IICC building bears the insignia of Indo-Islamic architectural marvel. Foundation of the IICC building was laid by the then Prime Minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi on August 24, 1984 at Lodi Road, New Delhi. Since its commencement, IICC has emerged as a nerve centre for promoting inter-faith mutual understanding, communal harmony and amity amongst people of India. It has also become a forum for projecting true face of Islam as a most tolerant, liberal, progressive, rational and forward looking religion based on cardinal principles of human values irrespective of religions, castes, creeds, colours and sexes.
Sirajuddin Quraishi has been working hard to make IICC a global institution, devoted as he is to social interaction and social bonding. Working as a melting pot of all religious groups of India, IICC has been propagating justice, equality and fraternity for people of the nation through its cultural interactions that has been postulated by the Constitution of India for preserving, protecting and propagating the core values of the idea of India that are oneness of India and oneness of its people amidst their diversity of religions, culture, tolerance, amity and peaceful coexistence. As a result, IICC has been celebrating festivals of all religious groups with equanimity and gusto, giving out the message of unity of our people, peace and harmony amidst their cultural plurality and coexistence.
After failure of two frantic efforts to contact Mr. Sirajuddin, one who briefed this columnist was Mohammed Nausherawan, a management personnel, who spoke high of the IICC President in true PR style. It was revealed that the IICC has resolved to expand abroad by opening its foreign chapters. To begin with, a chapter abroad has been set up in Saudi Arabia for a better bonding with the Arab world and the people of Persian Gulf with which India has time tested age old cultural and economic ties. Similarly, it is learnt that IICC Chapter is also to be opened in South East Asia. On home front, IICC has decided to expand across India. It has already approached the State Governments of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for allocation of land for opening its chapter at Lucknow and Patna with a solemn resolve to expand all over the country in all major cities.
Memberships of IICC spans all sections of society like academics, intellectuals, diplomats, political class, business men & women, different professionals, media professionals, elites and commoners. It is not elitist as the other two cultural centres, India International Centre and India Habitat Centre, in the surroundings. In fact, IICC has overtaken other cultural centres in popularity and public perception, especially the world famous restaurateurs and caterers, the Karim’s, whose delicacies serve as delight to connoisseurs standing in queue for their turn to come. It is open to both king and commoner, equally and alike. Besides, it has opened free-of-cost coaching centre for students of poorer strata for Union Public Service Commission recruited jobs and Staff Selection Commission recruited services in the Central Government as also private sector jobs. According to official information from IICC, so far more than 10,000 people have been imparted training with a majority of so trained having competed for various jobs in the Government and corporate sector.
With its good steps so far, IICC has the potential to soar higher as a platform for mingling of our people from various social, cultural and religious streams for the greater good of the Oneness of India with Oneness of its diverse People!