The Arabic edition of Great Minds on India by Salil Gewali was officially launched on October 4, 2024, at a literary event organized by Anjuman Muhibban-E-Urdu-Hind in Doha. The event took place at Hotel Treffen House and brought together scholars from Qatar, Pakistan, Nepal, and India.
Among the notable attendees were Prof. Ainul Hasan, Vice Chancellor of Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad; Asif Azmi, Chairman of the Pen Foundation; Nadeem Mahir, President of Anjuman Muhibban-E-Urdu-Hind; celebrated writer Ashraf Siddiqui; and Tarique Faridy, Editor of Salaam TV India. The gathering also included esteemed social activists and scholars such as Dr. Bahauddin, Manikanta AP, Abdurahiman EP, KC Abdul Latheef, Faisal AI Hudawi, Mrs. Shalini Verma, Lutfi Kakar, prominent social worker Sanjeev Sharma, and Mrs. Vandana. The presence of Abdul Lathef, Principal of Shantiniketan Indian School, and Yassar, President of Savitribai Phule Pune University, Doha, further elevated the significance of the event.
The Arabic edition of Great Minds on India was meticulously translated by Prof. Mohammed Ramzan Ali Miya, a renowned scholar and legal consultant at the National Human Rights Commission in Doha. Prof. Miya, the author of 38 books and President of the International Human Rights Organization, Qatar Chapter, brought his expertise to the translation, while Hamdan Bin Rashid from Madrid, Spain, served as the editor. The book was published by the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Foundation, Kolkata, West Bengal.
Two months prior, the Arabic edition was informally launched in Dubai by Dr. Bu Abdullah, a prominent business mogul and philanthropist who owns 270 multinational companies across the Arabian and European regions. At the Dubai release, Dr. Abdullah praised the book, remarking, “Great Minds on India was a revelation to me. It highlighted how modern scientists like Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, and Erwin Schrödinger, as well as philosophers like Voltaire, Schopenhauer, and Goethe, drew intellectual inspiration from ancient Indian texts.”
Great Minds on India is the product of over two decades of research by Salil Gewali, who compiled the thoughts and admiration of world-renowned intellectuals regarding India’s ancient literary and scientific contributions. The book highlights how influential figures such as Albert Einstein, Voltaire, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Ralph Waldo Emerson, T. S. Eliot, and W. B. Yeats revered India’s profound contributions to science, mathematics, and spirituality.
Following its translations into fifteen languages and global recognition, the Arabic edition aims to introduce readers in the Arab world to India’s rich intellectual heritage. This release is expected to strengthen cultural ties and promote a deeper understanding of India’s ancient knowledge in the Arabic-speaking regions.
Prof. Ramzan Ali Miya also plans to organize a major event in Dubai, where he will host an interactive discussion on Great Minds on India, exploring the book’s portrayal of how celebrated poets and thinkers have lauded India’s ancient wisdom.
