| View Blog
|
|
|
|
| Interview of Prof Raees Ahmed Khanzada |
|
Interview of Prof Raees Ahmed Khanzada
By Nida Khan
Prof: Raees Ahmed was born on 10th December 1948 in Hyderabad. He received his primary education from Govt. Primary School Chakiwara, Karachi, did his matriculation from C.M.SS Secondary High School Saddar, Karachi, HSC and B.sc from Govt. College Hyderabad, M.sc in Zoology from University of Sindh in 1973. He is also LLB and has studied Homeopathy from D.H.M.S Sindh Homeopathic Medical College, Hyderabad.
Among his research works Fiddler Crab UCA Lacteal at Institute of Marine Biology Karachi University, research work symmetry of UCA Lacteal and research on fossils are worth mention. He is also author of some scholarly articles published in magazines of international repute.
He has also background of a sportsman; he has been a selector of Cricket teams of B.I.S.E Hyderabad and the College Directorate Cricket team. Interestingly, he is collecting coins, drawing, cooking and fossil collection as hobby.
Q: Your subject is Zoology, how you developed interest in Archeology?
A: Yes, basically I am a teacher of zoology and we study in zoology about structure and kinds of bones of animals so I have all that knowledge from zoology. In 1990, Muhammad Ali Sheikh who was the commissioner of Dadu, He was also brother of Dr. Din Muhammad Sheikh, chairman of Physiology department. Muhammad Ali Sheikh arranged a trip of National Park Khirthar, there was a forest, I saw different kinds of animal with the help of game warden of wildlife and I found and collected fossils of wood and shells, so my interest developed in archeology and collection of fossils after this trip.
Q: How many fossils you have collected ?
A: I have found many kinds of fossils but among them 15 o 20 fossils are more important such as: snakes, Brain mammals, Fish Heart, Mammal Heart, Shell fossils, Wood fossils, Mammal tooth, Sacrum and the most precious “Foot of Dinosaur.”
Q: How you found foot of Dinosaur?
A: In 1990, I found “foot of Dinosaur” from area of Agha Khan Hospital at Hyderabad, and still I have this fossil.
Q: What do you think how old are these fossils?
A: they are of ancient times such as Brain mammal is approximately 10,000 years old and it is of a species of monkey, dinosaur fossil is approximately 30 to 36 hundred thousand year old, likewise all these fossils are very old. We can date them by looking the chart of creation of earth.
Q: Why have you preferred to keep these fossils in your possession?
A: For common people they are mere pieces of stone, which have no value but for me they are precious, I thought to show these fossils publicly at beginning I got a response but the government didn’t show any interest.
Q: Why did not you give these precious fossils to any government institution?
A: Well I tried that some 3-4 years back and I brought the “Foot of Dinosaur” to the Department of Geology which now is a government institute. I met with the head of the department (do not want to mention his name) at that time, seeing the foot he said: “Don’t waste my time.” At that time the foot was in good condition and a nail of one toe was seen clearly, but now it is loosing its shape because I am not relevant person to preserve it.
Q: Then how you maintained have these pieces till today?
A: That is all because of Mr. Aslam Dana of Botany Department, he guided me a lot and I must also mention the name of Mr. Khurshid Mustafa these two helped me a lot.
Q: Did you ever thought of exhibition of these fossils?
A: O yes, actually some four years back I brought these fossils for an auction at University of Sindh. the vice chancellor Mr. Mazharul Haq Siddiqui also visited the auction and a team of Geological Survey of Pakistan was also there, they asked me to work with them.
Q: Any last words regarding these fossils?
A: It is my desire to bring these fossils to people and I should get association with some institute to carry further research on these fossils, people who are experts may give the exact date, and make my work more valuable.
This interview was taken by a student as her part of practical work, and was published in laboratory publication of of the department Roshni
|
|
Posted by Roshni_com on 2009-09-21 12:00:06 | Rating: | Views: 9
|
|
| |
|
|
Email This to a Friend 