New Delhi: The think-tank of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is mulling to form soon an Expert Committee to select an eminent person to the newly setup Bahadur Shah Zafar Chair.

The committee will also select a director to head the Indira Gandhi Centre for Freedom Struggle Studies (CFSS), as formal approval for transforming the centre into a unit of the university has recently been completed.

The chair on Bahadur Shah at the varsity was recently inaugurated by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) with a release from the Ministry of Culture of a supportive seed money of Rs.2 crores to the university for both the Chair and the centre.

As on date, the university will be able to utilize only the interest component of the seed money and would conform to terms and conditions set by the Ministry.

Vice Chancellor of the university Dr. V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai said that an understanding has been reached with the Institute of Socialist Education to implement various activities which would be taken by the centre.

This year, the centre honoured over 450 freedom fighters who, directly and indirectly, were involved in the freedom struggle.

Asked what is likely to be gained from the centre in today's India, the current head of the centre, Prof. Ramanujam said, "There are two types of leaders. Those who serve only people, form one type. They are few and rare. The other type comprises those who use people on the pretext of service. Such leaders are plenty. The centre aims to let people know the message of the country's freedom struggle, where the heroes and heroines served people unsung and unrewarded. Their services were vibrant but today those are locked in academic departments and museums. Nothing can be more tragic than turning the real heroes and heroines into harmless icons and idols of worship. Their present imprisonment is ironical. We want to let people learn from them and through them safeguard our freedom from the global colonialism and avoid the burden of repeating the tragedies of past centuries in new forms in future."

Currently, the centre is working on three specific agendas - development of the centre, finalization on Chair and futuristic moves.