HYDERABAD: The intellectual footprint of Allama I.I. Kazi is set for a digital-age revival as the University of Sindh (SU) launches a sweeping campaign to preserve the legacy of its founding father.

From the restoration of the Old Campus’s hallowed lecture halls to the digitisation of long-lost sermons, the university is moving beyond mere “ceremonial” tributes to ensure Kazi’s philosophy survives the 21st century.

Speaking at a Founder’s Week seminar on Monday, Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Fateh Mohammad Marri revealed that the university’s archives at Sindhology now hold precious audio recordings of Kazi’s sermons. These recordings, painstakingly compiled by Dr Abdul Ghaffar Soomro, represent a “living” link to the scholar’s literature and philosophy.

He announced a dedicated budget for the university’s academic chairs in the coming financial year. The centrepiece of this heritage drive is the planned renovation of the Old Campus hall, the very site where Allama Kazi once delivered his most influential lectures.

“We must move beyond symbols,” Dr Marri urged, calling for modern translations of the works of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai and other national icons. He noted that the university had already made strides by publishing the speeches of Benazir Bhutto in Sindhi.

The sentiment was echoed by Professor Dr Mohammad Khan Sangi, Dean of Arts, who warned that society must stop treating such anniversaries as simple rituals. “The present era demands intellectual personalities, not just ceremonies,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, Dr Sher Mahrani, chairman of the Sindhi Language Authority, painted a vivid picture of the scholar’s mind, likening Kazi to a “honeybee” that gathered wisdom from across the globe to produce a uniquely Sindhi intellectual “honey”.

The seminar also shed light on the university’s more practical hurdles. Dr Makhmoor Bukhari, director of the Allama I.I. Kazi Chair, highlighted the scholar’s pioneering role in establishing Pakistan’s first Comparative Religion Department.

However, he pointed out a significant administrative snag: The I.I. Kazi Memorial Society, which currently holds an inactive fund of Rs3m, has been dormant since 2001. Dr Bukhari proposed the society’s immediate revival to provide the financial “teeth” needed for the chair’s new projects.

The day concluded with a traditional floral tribute at the Allama’s mausoleum, led by the vice-chancellor and a cohort of the region’s leading scholars and writers.

Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2026