Naseeruddin Shah: Life beyond films... real and special!

THE HINDU
Monday, Mar 24, 2003


Naseeruddin Shah has said goodbye to masala films and is busy doing meaningful theatre in a big way. Along the way, he has found time and space for disabled children. In New Delhi this past week to help children with special needs, he shares special things with RANA A. SIDDIQUI about his career, his joys, his disappointments... .

Naseeruddin Shah... no more "Encounter", time now for meaningful theatre. Photos: Anu Pushkarna.
NASEERUDDIN SHAH is visibly upset. He is not facing the camera, nor giving sound bytes to scribes. Dressed in arrogance to go with his purple shirt and grey jeans, his demeanour is akin to that of an Army-man. "I wanted this affair to be less high-profile," he reveals the reason for the creases on his forehead. He is in New Delhi to celebrate the silver jubilee of Aadi, Action for Ability Development and Inclusion, formerly The Spastic Society of Northern India. The organisation is holding painting and theatre workshops for children with disabled artists of repute. Naseeruddin Shah is now the brand ambassador for Aadi "for an absolute giving" which has opened "a significant chapter" in his life.

To begin with, he is making a contribution along with his wife Ratna Pathak Shah and daughter Heeba Shah in the form of three stage productions. "Ismat Aapa ke Naam", his repeat plays based on three women-oriented stories by famed Urdu writer Ismat Chugtai and `Manto, Ismat Hazir Hain" based on five stories of Saadat Hasan Manto that includes Manto's "Kali Shalwar" for the first time. "These plays have brought tremendous response, more than other plays put together in my lifetime," Naseer reveals. They will be will staged at FICCI auditorium this Monday to raise funds for Aadi.

"I wanted to spend some time with children here rather than giving interviews and boasting of what I have just begun to do. I wonder just because I am here today to contribute a bit to this segment of society, cameramen are overactive. Nobody bothered to write about Aadi who have been silently making significant changes in their lives for last 25 years!"

After venting his uncomfortable feelings, he seems to be calm. "I am here to make friends with disabled kids. Share their experience and then know what they need from us. Though for me disability is not an absolutely alien subject as one of uncles at home was blind. And during my school days in Aligarh Muslim University I had a few blind students in my class. I always used to be amazed at their fascinating behaviour. But I could only observe them closely later during the making of `Sparsh'." And we all know, this film of early 1980s, had established him as a class performer.

"It is not difficult to be motivated by a personal tragedy but it is definitely difficult to be motivated only for the sake of it," he philosophies.

"It is not a secret anymore that actors are more for entertainment, over-paid, over-privileged. But one can always do best in the area he is in. What bothers me is very little interest that we show towards hard work," Naseer is getting absolutely overwhelmed by the alarming ratio of disabled in India out of which only 45 per cent have access to education while 2000 organisations are working for them across the country.

He is here to make a tangible difference "not through entering into politics, never," he warns those who are trying to read between the lines.

So does it mean goodbye to films? "Yes! The kind of commercial cinema that is being made these days, I will never work in it. I am fed up of masala films. The very thought of working and watching those films makes me puke," Naseer minces no words, hides no disgust and contempt.
Is this the reason that he has not been seen on the big screen after his last film "Encounter"? "Yes."

So what is his next move? "Theatre. Meaningful theatre which is proving to be more satisfying for me as an actor as well as a human being," he emphasises.

So what is he doing in theatre that has quenched his thirst of artistic pursuit? "I have started taking our classical writers for plays. Ismat and Manto to begin with. I teach theatre to small children in Mumbai. I take theatre classes for some young and aspiring students of the National School of Drama for which I come from Mumbai very often."

What does he aim to do with that? "If as an actor, I make some contribution in the field of acting, I will feel I have done something significant."

How does being a brand ambassador of Aadi help? Hasn't the thought come a little late in his life? "Yes, but came, which is more significant. Better late than never. But I alone will not be make a difference. I feel sorry for talking about my being here before glaring camera flashes. I never craved for space in print. I have just begun today. And they are doing it for 25 years! My salute to them," he is emotionally charged.

His contribution to theatre through classical writers has opened a new chapter in this realm. But how far is he satisfied with what others are doing in this realm? "Lot of work is being done and it is a must because it is only out of the lot that the best can be picked up."

Mumbai breathes theatre. What about Delhi? "In Mumbai also people are making third-rate bedroom farces but the fact goes that theatre is more vibrating here."

In Delhi, it is Naseer's name that draws crowd. People are just not watching others. "Is it my fault", he shoots back.

Would he do stage on all stories of Manto? "I intend to. God willing."

Would he do something substantial for spastic children in future? "Inshallah!"

"Hello Uncle", a wheelchair-bound little girl touches him. Naseer turns back. "Oh! Hi. Sorry, I forgot your name."

"I want your autograph. My papa loves you very much. He has sent his hello to you," the child has clear speech, though she takes some time in articulating. "Definitely," he signs an autograph and returns her father's greeting. He ruffles her hair, moves to other children. He wishes to spend time with them, not media.

Majaz Luckhnawi : Nazr e Aligarh

This is the complete nazm of Majaz titled “nazr-e-aligarh” written in 1936. It was later abridged and adopted as the lyrics of A.M.U. Tarana.

ye meraa chaman hai meraa chaman, maiN apne chaman kaa bulbul huuN
sarshaar-e-nigaah-e-nargis huuN, paa-bastaa-e-gesuu-sumbul huuN

(chaman : garden; bulbul : nightingale; sarshaar : overflowing, soaked; nigaah : sight; nargis :flower, Narcissus; paa-bastaa : embedded; gesuu : tresses; sumbul : a plant of sweet odor)

har aan yahaaN sehbaa-e-kuhan ek saaGhar-e-nau meN dhaltii hai
kalioN se husn tapaktaa hai, phuuloN se javaanii ubaltii hai

(sehbaa-e-kuhan : old wine; saaGhar-e-nau : new goblet)

jo taaq-e-haram meN roshan hai, vo shamaa yahaaN bhii jaltii hai
is dasht ke goshe-goshe se, ek juu-e-hayaat ubaltii hai

(taaq-e-haram : vault in the sacred territory of Mecca; roshan : glowing; shamaa : flame; dasht : wilderness, desert; goshaa : corner; juu-e-hayaat : stream of life)

Islam ke is but-Khaane meN asnaam bhii haiN aur Aazaar bhii
tahziib ke is mai-Khaane meN shamshiir bhii hai aur saaGhar bhii

(but-Khaanaa : temple; asnaam : idols; Aazaar : Abraham’s father, an idol-worshipper; tahziib : culture; shamshiir : sword; saaGhar : wine goblet)

yaaN husn kii barq chamaktii hai, yaaN nuur kii baarish hotii hai
har aah yahaaN ek naGhmaa hai, har ashk yahaaN ek motii hai

(barq : lightening; nuur : light)

har shaam hai shaam-e-Misr yahaaN, har shab hai shab-e-Sheeraz yahaaN
hai saare jahaaN kaa soz yahaaN aur saare jahaaN kaa saaz yahaaN

(shaam-e-Misr : evenings of Egpyt; shab-e-Sheeraz : nights of Sheeraz, a famous city of Iran; soz : pain)

ye dasht-e-junuuN diivaanoN kaa, ye bazm-e-vafaa parvaanoN kii
ye shahr-e-tarab ruumaanoN kaa, ye Khuld-e-bariiN armaanoN kii

(dasht : desert, wilderness; junuuN : frenzy; bazm : gathering; vafaa : faithfulness; shahr-e-tarab : city of mirth; Khuld-e-bariiN : sublime paradise; armaan : hope)

fitrat ne sikhaii hai ham ko, uftaad yahaaN parvaaz yahaaN
gaaye haiN vafaa ke giit yahaaN, chheRaa hai junuuN kaa saaz yahaaN

(fitrat : nature; uftaad : beginning of life; parvaaz : flight; saaz : song on an instrument)

is farsh se hamne uR uR kar aflaak ke taare toRe haiN
nahiid se kii hai sargoshi, parviin se rishte joRe hain

(farsh : base; aflaak : heavens; nahiid : Venus; parviin : Pleiades)

is bazm meN teGheN khenchiiN haiN, is bazm meN saGhar toRe haiN
is bazm meN aanKh bichaa’ii hai, is bazm meN dil tak joRe haiN

(teGh : swords; saGhar : goblet)

is bazm meN neze khenche haiN, is bazm meN Khanjar chuume haiN
is bazm meN gir-gir taRpe haiN, is bazm meN pii kar jhuume haiN

(neze : spears; Khanjar : dagger; bazm : gathering)

aa aa kar hazaaroN baar yahaaN Khud aag bhii hamne lagaayii hai
phir saare jahaaN ne dekhaa hai ye aag hamiin ne bujha’ii hai

yahaaN ham ne kamandeN daalii haiN, yahaaN hamne shab-Khuun maare haiN
yahaaN ham ne qabaayeN nochii haiN, yahaaN hamne taaj utaare haiN

(kamand : a noose; shab-KhuuN : night raids; qabaayeN : flight)
har aah hai Khud taasiir yahaaN, har Khvaab hai Khud taabiir yahaaN
tadbiir ke paa-e-sangiiN per jhuk jaati hai taqdiir yahaaN

(aah : sigh; taasiir : effect; taabiir : interpretation; tadbiir : forethought; paa-e-sangiiN : firm footing; taqdiir : destiny)

zarraat kaa bosaa lene ko, sau baar jhukaa aakaash yahaaN
Khud aankh se ham ne dekhii hai, baatil kii shikast-e-faash yahaaN

(zarraat : dust; bosaa : kiss; baatil : evil; shikast-e-faash: clear defeat)

is gul-kadah paariinaa meN phir aag bhaRakne vaali hai
phir abr garajne vaale haiN, phir barq kaRakne vaali hai

(gul-kadah : garden; pariinaa : ancient; abr : cloud; barq : lightening)
jo abr yahaaN se uThThega, vo saare jahaaN par barsegaa
har juu-e-ravaan par barsegaa, har koh-e-garaaN par barsegaa

(abr : cloud; juu-e-ravaan : flowing streams; koh-e-garaaN : big mountains)

har sard-o-saman par barsegaa, har dasht-o-daman par barsegaa
Khud apne chaman par barsegaa, GhairoN ke chaman par barsegaa

(sard-o-saman : open and shelter; dasht-o-daman : wild and subdued; qasr-e-tarab : citadel of joy)

har shahr-e-tarab par garjegaa, har qasr-e-tarab par kaRkegaa
ye abr hameshaa barsaa hai, ye abr hameshaa barsegaa

(shahr-e-tarab : city of joy; qasr-e-tarab : citadel of joy)

Majaz Lucknawi

AMUSU: Its Glorious Past, Period of Decline and Uncertain Future

Aligarh Muslim University Student's Union has a long history, which is replete with instances of excellence as well as of chaos and it has often been a center of controversy. The genesis of all these characterizations would take volumes to enumerate. After partition, members of the faculty and students left the university in large numbers, creating a void. The new cultural ethos and social milieu that took over after independence had very different attitudinal values and perception objectives. The background from where students came also differed a lot from the past. Aligarh Muslim University student body was once considered to be the trendsetter in the cultural, educational and social movements of Muslims and rightly became a great institution of learning, which is not true anymore. Regrettably, it is now a difficult and nearly impossible task to refurbish and restore the values and ethos of Student's Union at Aligarh. AMU Student's Union was an extremely progressive, forward thinking and innovative institution for generations. Reform movements, progressive ideas, and dynamic thoughts pertaining to our national identity and existence, were initiated and accomplished in this institution.

We hope that this brief account of AMU Student's Union will enable the alumni living abroad as well as the new generation of students to understand and appreciate its significance in the context of the present situation. Many of us, who have studied at AMU in the 50s and 60s, must have long-lasting impressions and memories of the role of AMU Student's Union on our lives during that time.

Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Student's Union Club was established on August 26, 1884, and named after Mr. Henry Siddons (the first Principal of the M.A.O. College). Theodore Morrison, the 3rd Principal of the M.A.O.College, laid the foundation stone of the Union Building on February 22, 1905, and the building was completed in 1911. Through the AMU Act passed on December 1, 1920, Siddon's Union Club was renamed as AMU Student's Union. It was formed exclusively to edify students in the aptitude for and elegance in public speaking, civilized argument, energetic debate, and to systematize their pragmatic and scholarly activities. AMU Student's Union was principally an educational and cultural center of Aligarh. It created among its members, astuteness of thinking and enlightenment through competitive educational, political, social, economic and religious forces. For the longest time, the AMU Student's Union carried out these tasks with great distinction, playing an important role in Muslim politics before and until short of two decades after independence. It allowed students to debate on all issues in a civilized manner and produced some leading personalities in India.

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan inaugurated and presided over the Siddons club's first public debate held on November 13, 1884; the debated in the Union Club was “The spread of female education is to be desired by home tuition, not through schools and colleges."

The first recipient of Siddon's Union Club award was Sahibzada Aftab Ahmad Khan in 1888. Other prominent recipients were Ghulamus Saqlain (1892)Shaukat Ali (1896) and Shaikh Abdullah (1898). The Metson Assay Oxford Prize, and Cambridge Speaking Prize, instituted by Prof. Herald Cox(professor of Mathematics and Political Economy) were introduced in 1914.The first topic debated was "Whether the existence of parties in a state was or was not favorable to good government."

In 1921, both Cambridge and Metson Oxford Prized were merged. Khawaja Ghulam-us-Saiydain was the first recipient of the combined club prize of AMU Student's Union. The last recipient of the medal was Syed Shabihul Hasan Naunaharvi in 1945. The club remained suspended since then and finally was abolished in 1961.

Along with Aligarh Muslim University Student's Union, there was an Intermediate Student's Society, which elected office bearers. The Intermediate Student's Union was abolished in 1957, with the introduction fore-university course. This society was working as a sub-body of the Student’s Union.

Until 1952, the Vice-Chancellor was always the President of AMU Student's Union, whereas, the student body elected the Vice President, Librarian and Hon. Secretary, with 10 cabinet members. Afterwards, the Vice Chancellor became the Patron; the position of Librarian was abolished in 1958 and replaced by that of the Vice-President. The first President was Ahmad Seed(Anda) in 1952. An Honorary Treasurer used to be a staff member elected by the Executive Committee of the Union.

A nominal monthly membership fee of the Union was charged from each student. Dr. Abidullah Ghazi was a pioneer in founding the Rafi Relief Society Funding 1958. Its purpose was to provide financial help to extremely needy students. Funds were generated through annual contributions from AMU students. Though the funds were awarded by the Union office bearers to maintain transparency, a representative from each Hall of Residence was also included in the award committee.

One interesting and very important triumph of 1950s was the establishment of the Union School for the wards of class-4 employees of the university. President Amin Bulbulia, a citizen of South Africa started the school in a small building near the mosque. It was fully funded and managed by donations from students. In 1967, after exhaustive efforts of President Mohsin Raza, the Union School was renamed after professor Abdul Basir Khan, Head, Zoology Department and MLA from Aligarh, who was arrested on April 25, 1965 on charge of inciting students during the murky reign of Ali Yawar Jung. This Union School progressed at a very fast pace. Now, a few thousand boys and girls are enrolled and housed in a brand new building. This indeed is a great contribution of the Student's Union to the university employees and has no match in any other of the hundreds of universities in the country.

At the installation ceremony of AMU Student's Union in 1954, Dr. Zakir Hussain Khan, the then Vice-Chancellor of AMU said, "It seems to me that AMU Student's Union has a role of great significance to play in the development of India's national life."

In fact, it was the direction and training from the AMU Student's Union, which primed the early generation of Muslims in playing a pivotal and leading role in India's struggle for freedom. Maulana Mohamamd Ali, Hasrat Mohani, Zafar Ali Khan, Dr. Zakir Hussain, Shaikh Abdullah, Rafi Ahmad Kidwai, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, Sardar Jafri, Majaz, and Ansar Harvani (a devoted follower of Subhash Chandra Bose) where all influenced by and participated in union activities. AMU produced 43 active freedom fighters many of whom were active in the Student's Union.

Three gold medals were introduced in 1952:

a) Saifi Imad Ali Medal for the best English Speaker: Mohammad Ahmad Saeed (ANDA) was the first winner in 1952. Mohammad Ameen Bulbulia from South Africa (1953); Syed Ziaul Hasan Hashmi (1957); S. K. Malohotra (1958);Syed Shahid Mehdi (1960) and Afsar Akhtar Hussain (1961) also received the medals at the convocation.
b) Saifi Burhanuddin Medal for the best Essayist was awarded to a prominent and prolific writer and the winner was Ishtiaq Hussain Abidi in1958-59.

c) Saif Fida Hussain Medal for the best Urdu Speaker was also instituted and the first winner was again Mr. Mohammad Ahmad Saeed (1953-54); Abidullah Ghazi (1954-1955); Mohammad Sagheer (1959-1960) and Basir Ahmad Khan, Founder, Muslim League in U.P. (1960-1961).

The School of Public Speaking and Parliamentary Practices was started in 1955-56. Veteran parliamentarians were regularly invited to deliver lectures on various topics of parliamentary practices. Few prominent visitors were Anant Shannam Ayanger (Lok Sabha Speaker, 1958); V. K. Krishna Menon (Foreign Minister, 1959); Pundit Anand Narayan Mulla (1962), Jai Parkash Narain (1968); Justice Hidaytullah (1971); G. S. Dhillon (Lok Sabha Speaker,1972); Piloo Mody (1974); Dev Raj Urs (1976); Tarkeshwari Sinha (1978); and H. B. Bahuguna (1979).

During a little over a decade following independence, a period with which this article is primarily concerned, the union did not see a dramatic change from its workings compared to earlier eras. In fact, it was at the peak of its power and influence. Some of the most eloquent student leaders, who also excelled at their studies, were actively involved with the union activities, as we shall discuss below.

One of such students was Jafar Mehdi Tabaan, President of AMU Student's Union and a distinguished Urdu poet:

Julwon mein nahata hai ek Taj Mahal bun ker
Jub hud se guzarta hai mahboob ka ghum saqi

He was closely associated with the leftist student group and with the administration, except that he bitterly opposed Zakir Sahib's action in reducing the Moharram holidays from 10 to only 2 days. Jafar Mehdi Taban was among those who fasted in front of the V.C. lodge. He also wrote a poem, which was printed and distributed through out the university. The title of the poem was:

Zakir Hussain roke hai zikr-e-Hussain se

Shah Hasan Ata, a prolific writer and speaker in Urdu, English, Arabic and Persian was the Vice-President of the AMU Students Union in 1948-49, which was the highest elected position in those years. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the Education Minister of India, came to address the annual convocation in February 1949. He made an "I-told-you-so" type of speech, which was his usual style in those years. It was very similar to a more famous speech, which he delivered in the Jama Masjid of Delhi before that. Moreover, Maulana Azad criticized Sir Syed Ahmad Khan on this occasion, which did not sit well at all with the AMU community. (Courtesy: Dr. Khalid Omar Siddiqui, California).

There was a reception for Maulana Azad in the Student's Union later in the evening, according to a long established tradition. Shah Hasan Ata took Maulana to task in his welcoming speech delivered without a written text. Heanswered each and every point raised by the Maulana in his convocation address earlier in the day and severely condemned his attack on the founder of the Aligarh Muslim University. When the Maulana got a chance to speak, his only response was,

Mein yahan kuchh kehne ke liye aaya tha.

Mujhe m'aloom naheen tha ke mujhe kuchh sunna bhi paRe gaShah Hasan Ata was also a good Urdu poet. When he visited Aligarh in 1957 on the golden Jubilee of Student's Union, he recited the following:
Muddat ke baad teri ziyarat hui naseeb

Mera salaam mere Aligarh qubul kar

In those days, union elections were contested with great enthusiasm and zest and the student body took part in them and in other union activities most energetically. Dr. Abidullah Ghazi, a former secretary and later president of the union has provided an absolutely fascinating and riveting glimpse into union politics in the fifties through his articles which have appeared serially in this "Sir Syed Day Magazine' of previous years, later to be part of his forthcoming autobiography. However, in the context of the history of AMU Student's Union, some of this information has to be included in this article as well with particular reference to four noteworthy elections of that era; Shah Inayat Aftab vs. Ahmed Saeed Anda (1951), Ameen Bulbulia vs. Saeed Anda, (1952), Mohammed Shafi vs. Ameen Bulbulia (1953) and Abidullah Ghazi vs. Mobashir Mohammed Khan. (1955)

The period immediately following independence was of great uncertainty and rapidly changing attitudes of the university community. The perception was widespread that the communists were being officially favored by the university administration as an antidote to the deep-rooted sympathies towards Pakistan that a significant section of the AMU community still harbored. In contrast to union elections of other Indian universities, the national or regional political parties were not involved or influenced the elections of the AMU Student's Union. Essentially two groups, the religious Jamat-e-Islami and the communists controlled the election. Student's Federation (S.F.) a communist front organization of the students controlled by the leftists of AMU was structured during the 50's, and was vigorously opposed by the religious group. The S. F. had a strong network supported by some senior teachers and often allegedly by the administration also. The rightists of AMU branded them as "Nayee Tahzeeb Waley". The communist group included such stalwarts as the Niazi brothers, Obaid Siddiqi and Ameen Bulbulia whereas the charismatic, mercurial and spellbinding orator Saeed Anda was the undisputed leader of the anti-communist block. The communists and members of Jamat-e-Islami had very clear-cut ideology whereas the anti-communist group comprised of an odd collection of former Muslim leaguers, Congressites such as the youth Congress of which the late Hashim Kidwai was a leader and others ideologically opposed to the communists. No party member of the Jamat-e-Islam ever made it to the presidency until 1962,but their support sometimes proved to be pivotal in close elections especially when the specter of "Islam is in danger' was strategically raised to roil up the student community and gain political advantage. An example of such power was the commotion that followed the assassination in 1951 of Mr. Liaqat Ali Khan, prime Minister of Pakistan. Sahabzada Liaqat Ali Khan was an illustrious old boy of the university of whom most of the university community was proud and those with strong sympathies towards Pakistan especially so. It was a custom at that time that the university siren used to be activated at 8:00 p.m. every night and also when some important person passed away, although the executive council had prohibited the latter practice in a recent decision. The news of the assassination gripped the entire university community with a deep sense of loss, grief and apprehension. The students led by Saeed Anda demanded the blowing of the siren and one day holiday, which despite the objections of Dr. Zakir Husain, was enthusiastically endorsed and carried out by the students after a stormy meeting arranged by the president of the union, Shasbih-ul-Hasan Nonaharvi to discuss this matter.

In the Union elections, according to the prevailing tradition, the aspiring candidates, dressed in black Sherwani and Jinnah cap would attend a ‘declaration party ' arranged by the all powerful "seniors" at which the supporters of the candidates would make a case for them. The same evening, the candidates would distribute a list of their qualifications and a “manifesto" through their volunteers who used to go from room to room of all residential halls. The candidates for particularly the office of the president would make arrangements with printing presses to be available for printing campaign materials almost round the clock. Each camp had at its disposal the services of volunteers adept at composing, witty and hard hitting pamphlets, anti, and anti-anti pamphlets within a matter of hours. As soon as a pamphlet hit the residence halls, an anti-pamphlet would appear within a very short time sometimes carrying an eye-catching heading such as

"Aap bhi sharmsaar ho mujh ko bhi sharmsaar kar"

distributed to mock one candidate's meager qualifications. Another pivotal strategy used to be to remove the opponent's literature before the students to whom it was delivered had a chance to read it. Here the strength and size of the volunteer force played a pivotal role. Candidates for cabinet and positions other than the president and secretary had more modest but often highly imaginative means to convey their message. In the 1955election, a candidate, Nawab Raza, bought camels for the students to ride on, which were decorated with banners urging students to vote for him; apparently the ride was not enjoyable enough because he lost badly. In1959, on the morning of the elections, resident students of all halls were panic stricken to find a telegram at their doors, which read "Vote for Shareef-Ur-Rehman Khan- your candidate". The innovative strategy paid off and propelled the candidate to victory. Another candidate named Masoodi had his supporters distribute a card, which read:

C

B 4 U

Vote

Who is who?

Elect Masoodi

Aligarh had a great propensity to falling for fads. At one time, a student with the Takhallus "Shola" was all the rage in the Mushairas and functions of a general nature. Not content with this notoriety, he turned his attention to politics and ran unsuccessfully for a cabinet position several times. His card contained a couplet in which the word vote had been substituted for an Urdu word for kiss.

Manga jo unsay vote tow kahnay lagay who yeh
Shola teray taqazay hain yeh baar baar kay

On the Election Day, the success or failure of the time honored "get the vote" strategy, which determines the outcome of the national elections even in the U.S was crucial in carrying a candidate to victory or to a humiliating loss. This in turn was dictated by the resources at the disposal of the candidate to attract greater number of volunteers.

As a result of his role in the campaign for a holiday and for ringing of the siren on Sahibzada Liaqat Ali Khan's assassination, Saeed Anda's name became identified with standing up to the forces which were disdainful of Aligarh's Muslim identity and had wrapped themselves in the flag of ultra-nationalism. He was immensely popular and was desirous of contesting the presidency. However, he committed a serious blunder by not seeking the blessings of the seniors who were the true kingmakers, and were miffed by his indifference and selected Shah Inayat Aftab as their candidate. Shah Sahib was no match for the oratorical skills of Saeed Anda but had total support of the "nationalist" seniors of every religion, which led to his unexpected victory over Saeed Anda. Another tradition of the union politics was the ritual of "Janazaa" in which seniors from the victor's camp went to the residence of several of the seniors of the defeated candidate's camp and recited mock elegies to lament their defeat. Only seniors of both sides were allowed to participate in this activity, juniors were not allowed to even come near the Janazaa ceremony. In case of Saeed Anda's defeat, the principal target was Peerji, the husband of Saeed Anda's niece who lived in Jubilee Hostel, V.M. Hall. One of the couplets in his Marsiya was:

Shikast au fatah tau Qismet say hai walay a pir
Muqabla teray Mamian susar nay khoom kiya

Dispirited but not eliminated from politics, Saeed Anda ran the next year carrying the banner of Islam against the firebrand card carrying communist from East Africa, Mohammed Amin Bulbulia. The communist block had scarcely600 solid votes but they received support from non-Muslim students, secular Muslims and sometimes from the nationalist group, which vacillated in its support; depending upon the circumstances and in this election chose to support Saeed Anda. The communist supporters of Bulbulia were fiercely committed to his victory and campaigned with a zeal that in retrospect reminds one of the passion of Pasha in Dr. Zhivago played so adroitly by Tom Courteny. This time Saeed Anda won the presidency, but because of the extreme bitterness generated during the elections, when seniors from Saeed Anda's camp went for "Janazaa Pitai" to Bulbulia's headquarters, they were beaten with sticks. Thus this tradition was ended and an element of violence in the conduct of elections was injected.

Mohammed Ameen Bulbulia contested the election the following year with even a more driven and motivated coterie of ideologues as volunteers. Pamphlets and anti-pamphlets from both camps were distributed with extraordinary efficiency and within a short response time with couplets like the following from the opposite camp:

Main Bulbul-e-Ghamgeen hoon ek ujray Gulistan kaa
Aur vote ka talib hoon mohtaj ko data dai
Roosi mera naghma hai aur thaat hain ungraizi etc.

After another hard fought and bitter election, Bulbulia emerged victorious and his supporters went wild with glee, dancing on the lawns of residence halls all night long celebrating his victory with shouts of "Sadar banaahai Bulbulia", "Raaj Karay Ga Bulbulia"

Sahabzada Nayyar Qadar was elected on S. F. support, in 1954 but Mobashir Mohammad Khan defeated Abidullah Ghazi the following year in another tough election in which the battle cry of 'Islam Khatray main hai' was once again raised and Ghazi sahib was accused of being a communist.( The communists for their part also falsely accused their opponents of being anti-nationalist or communalists). He lost the election partly because of this propaganda and partly because he was an undergraduate and although highly accomplished at public speaking in Urdu was not as adept at giving a speech in English as Mobashir Mohammed was.

Tariq Ghazi Sahib, the younger brother of Abdullah Ghazi Sahib and an accomplished orator and polished writer himself relates an interesting story, which underscores the fact that in those days the Student's Union was basically a debating society which groomed and produced some of the finest orators and debaters rather than professional politicians. During Mobashir Mohammed Khan's presidency, a set debate on the resolution "Aligarh Movement na-kaam ho gayee" was arranged at which Abidullah Ghazi Sahib was the only one slated to speak for the motion. Nobody else was prepared to speak for the motion and to declare Aligarh a failure, for fear of being booed by the audience. Abidullah Sahib was reluctant, but at the urging of Mubashir Khan, opened the debate for which the allotted time was eight minutes. However, when he began speaking, the president "forgot" to ring the first buzzer at six minutes and the final buzzer at eight minutes and Ghazi Sahib kept speaking for twenty-five minutes. When the speaker for the opposition came after Ghazi Sahib had finished his speech, his first sentence was: "Jistehreek nay Abidullah Ghazi jaisay muqarrir paida kiye hon ussay hargiz nakaam nahin kaha ja sakta".

In the 1957 student's election, between Sultan Ali Shaida and Ziaul Hasan Hashmi, the battle of pamphlets and anti-pamphlets was also waged fiercely. One anti pamphlet secretly distributed at night had the caption:

Utha ker pheink do bahar galee mein
Nayee tahzeeb key yeh andey hein gandey

As stated before, the Student's Federation was a formidable political power in union election in those days. When it did not have a clear candidate from within the party, it threw its support to someone who was not from the religious right. Therefore, in 1958, Abidullah Ghazi was elected unopposed as was Ishtiaq Abidi two years later, with the support of the S.F. and the administration. Likewise, Ms. Afsar Rasheed a vibrant S.F. member became an acting President for many months, when duly elected President Mr. Mobashir Mohammad Khan (a nephew of Prof. Abrar Mustafa Khan, strongly supported by the religious group) was expelled on some questionable charges from the university, though he was later permitted to appear in his M. A. Final Political Science and Law Examinations. In fact, only three people from the anti-communist group were elected to the top position of the Student's Union in the entire nineteen fifties and only one, Ahmad Saeed (Anda), completed his term, though in 1957, he was also rusticated from the university on some charges, considered to be flimsy by his partisans. The other two; Mubashir Mohammad Khan and Asif Ahmad (Saeed Anda's nephew), had to resign before finishing their term.

An interesting episode related to Saeed Anda, the legendry AMU Student’s Union leader is as follows:

The tradition to call an emergency meeting by the executives of the union was through ringing the bell on the roof of the Union Building, and students from as far as V. M. Hall and Russel Ganj used to rush to the union to attend such meetings. In such one emergency meeting, a resolution was introduced for a vote of no confidence against sitting President Mr. Asif Ali. Ahmad Saeed Anda in support of Asif Ali refused to leave the podium and delivered a very long speech defending him. The presiding officer, Mr. Qamruzzaman continually and repeatedly warned him to stop but was ignored by him. At around 11 p.m. the union bell rang and an emergency meeting was held presided by Qamruzzaman (who alleged that Saeed Anda has assaulted him) with bandages on his head and arms. The general body passed a resolution against Saeed Anda and demanded his rustication. The demand was presented to the acting Vice-Chancellor, Mr. Noorullah for action. However, the same night Saeed Anda left Aligarh for Kanpur, never to return and AMU lost a very talented orator. He died about 10 years ago in Karachi.

The trend of electing mostly left leaning student leaders to the Union presidency changed at the end of the decade and most of the presidents elected later were from the anti-communist/religious group. Jalees Hameedi (1959), Ishtiaq Abidi (1960, supported by S. F.), Qazi Jamaluddin (1961),Basir Khan (1962), Aneesur Rahman Sherwani (1963), Mufti Mohsin Akhtar(1965), Mohsin Raza (1966), Mohammad Adeeb (1967) and Sardar Ali (1968). None of them was S. F. supported except Mr. Ishtiaq Abidi.

In the scheme of union politics, the female students were relegated to an unequal position; only post-graduate girl students were allowed to contest elections.

Ameen Bulbulia's cabinet included a girl student named Zohra Naqvi, a post-graduate student in Physics. To our knowledge this was the first time that a girl student was elected to the union cabinet in the post-independence era. Since then, many female students were elected such as Afsar Rasheed (1955), Basra Fayez (1957), Rebuke Baja (1960) and Asma Bano (1968).

According to a posting from Tariq Ghazi Sahib, in the 1961 election, two girls contested the election but both lost. Soon after the election results were announced around midnight, Zia Uddin Hostel was attacked and a communal riot broke out in the city the following day which engulfed several other cities in western U.P. Colonel Bashir Husain Zaidi, the Vice-Chancellor used his prerogative as the patron of the union and appointed Tahira Rahman and two Hindu girls to the expanded cabinet. Tahira Rahman did not join the cabinet in protest because no girl was elected. However, although she did not attend three consecutive cabinet meetings, a cause for automatic loss of membership, the cabinet unanimously resolved to remove that clause and allowed Tahira Rahman and one Hindu girl to retain their seats.

During Qazi Jamal Uddin's tenure (1961), a resolution was tabled as was done in previous years demanding that the right of vote be extended to the undergraduate students of Abdullah College as well. The motion was soundly defeated with only one dissenting vote, that of Tariq Ghazi Sahib. When he stood up to speak in favor of the motion against the advice of Qazi Jamal and Basir Khan, he was greeted with catcalls and boos but he insisted that his vote be registered in favor of the motion. Qazi declared the motion defeated; by a majority' and overruled a point of order which had demanded that the word 'thumping' be added before 'majority' noting that no such word as 'thumping majority' existed in parliamentary language. He adjourned the house sine die which never reconvened until next year when Anis Sherwani won the election and took charge from the Vice-Chancellor Tayyabji since the entire cabinet of Basir Khan had resigned in February after taking charge in October - the shortest lived cabinet in the history of AMU. At that installation ceremony, Tayyabji announced that he did not believe in traditions and Aligarh should give up most of them, which seems to have happened indeed.

One of the Student's Union traditions was to hold a Mock Convocation, every year. Old records of Aligarh Magazine show that the then students of the university celebrated a lively Mock Convocation in which comical "Titles” were given to senior students and they were then addressed in a whimsical manner.

In early 60s, this old tradition was renewed with some improvements. This function was held strictly along the lines of the actual convocation. The difference, however, lay in the fact that while the convocation is the most solemn function, Mock convocation was a hilarious and witty function organized by the Student's Union.

An interesting episode of Mock Convocation recalled by one of us (Dr. Mohsin Raza) includes the proceedings of the event in presence of Tayyabji. He was sitting with his wife in the front row, curiously listening to the deliberations that comprised mostly of criticism and making fun of the administration in an interesting, polite but sarcastic language.

In this first Mock Convocation during his tenure, Tasawwur Ali Khan an English MA student (now in UK) whose eyes resembled Tayyabji's acted as mock Vice-Chancellor and he trained his tone of speech to be like his also. There was a beautiful Rose garden in front of Victoria gate that was removed and was converted into huge lawns on either side of the walkway on the advice of Mrs. Tayyabji. At that time, there was a German named Hedger who was in charge of AMU Gardens and was nicknamed as the POW. The Mock Convocation VC in his annual report stated that the "famous Rose gardens in front of Victoria gate have been converted into a green desert on the recommendation of a prisoner of war" (It was an indirect reference to Mrs. Tayyabji's actions). Tayyabji looked at his wife and laughed very hard.

Referring to the fact that former V.C. Bashir Hussain Zaidi Sahib had built so many buildings in AMU and Tayyabji made so many Roads, the mock VC said "my predecessor Zaidi Sahib is known as Shahjehan of AMU and I will be known as Sher Shah Suri of AMU for having constructed a network of roads in the campus, where you can see grass growing in the middle of roads". Tayyabji thoroughly enjoyed the proceedings and at the conclusion of the function shook hands with Tasawwur who had acted as the VC and with Maqbool Mahmood who had acted as Nawab Chatari and chatted with all members of the cast. Unfortunately, during the tenure of Ali Yawar Jung, this tradition ended because he insisted that the presentation of this program be pre-approved by his office.

The other major event associated with AMU Student's Union was the annual Mushaira, which was usually held before the annual convocation and ranked in prestige almost equal to the Delhi Cloth Mills (DCM) and the Lal-Qila Mushairas Those who have attended the Mushaira must have heard all the great Urdu poets of the time. Unfortunately, Shakeel Badauni Sahib on some pretext never graced the occasion. In one such Mushaira students were upset with a local poet, who refused to wear Topi. The Mushaira was close to being cancelled when Salam Machli Shahree took the mike and started reciting his Poetry:

Aye Aligarh key jawan sal Haseen shahzado
Dil mey koi Mahjabeen hai key nahin

The pandal echoed with the shouts of Hai Hai (yes, yes), the proceedings continued and it turned out to be one of the most successful Mushairas.

The events of 1965 changed the university Student's Union focus from constructive programs to politics. The mishandling of the agitation by the Vice Chancellor and his advisors resulted in a great blow to the name and prestige of the institution, attached a permanent stigma to the student community, lead to the quashing of the minority character of the university and to communal disturbances, massive rustications of students and destruction of the careers of hundreds of students. The campus had PAC camps in three places, which were a constant eyesore for the students and staff for many years.

The agitation for the restoration of University Act started in 1970 by Mr.Qaiser Mahmood, Iqtedar Khan, Arif Mohammad Khan, Zafruddin Faizan, Jawed Habib, Irfan Ullah Khan, S. M. Arif, Azam Khan and many others. All the subsequent cabinets of the union were involved in agitation until 1982 when parliament restored the act. The union became an instrument of the agitations only (like the student unions of other universities) during this time and came under the influence of political elements that was the process of mutation of the Student's Union activities and traditions. The present Student's Union is a "genetically mutated form" of the previous union.

In 1975, during the emergency period, and the Student's Union’s demonstrations at VC lodge, Azam Khan the then secretary of the union was arrested from the VC lodge. He was kept in Aligarh Jail for 17 months where he was mistreated and even denied medical treatment. When the emergency was lifted and Indira Gandhi lost elections, he returned to the university campus as a polished hard line politician accompanied by H.N. Bahuguna, the former Chief Minister of UP and received the warmest welcome in Kennedy House.

Instead of upgrading the past glory of the traditions of AMU union, which was initially modernistic in its approach, the AMU Student's Union kept pushing itself back into the ravine of obscurantism and retrogression. All the developmental activities of AMU Student's Union became inconsequential, and reached a dismally low level, beginning mid 1960s. Since 1970s, the AMU Student's Union has seldom operated normally. Sometimes, politics has influenced its affairs, at times fundamentalism and at other times sheer disruptiveness. Mr. Saiyed Hamid (Jun. 11, 1980 to March 26, 1985) dissolved the Student's Union and abrogated its constitution in 1982, and replaced it by an "Electoral College". Students holding positions in their respective Halls of Residences, classes, administrative ranks in the university, e.g. proctorial monitors, members of the academic, executive councils and games committees, members of the university games teams, academically brilliant students, best speakers and essayists were all part of the Electoral College. Mr. Syed Hashim Ali (April 8, 1985 to Oct. 4, 1989), the next vice-chancellor, rewrote the union constitution. However, the new constitution was never approved by the student body and the Academic or Executive Councils of the university. Under severe pressure from university staff and students, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Naseem Farooqui (Oct. 15, 1990 to Nov. 15, 1994) called general elections without any valid union constitution. The outcome of the election was disastrous. Prof. Naseem Farooqui, himself became a prisoner of the students. University staff started playing students against the Vice- Chancellor and vice versa. The office bearers of the union virtually took control of the university, especially the admissions and examinations. They humiliated teachers publicly and the Vice- Chancellor could not come to their help.

Based on the recommendation of the Electoral College, the then Vice-Chancellor, Mr. Mahmoodur Rahman reconstituted the Student's Union on August 28, 1997. He gave a very stern warning of immediate dismissal of the union, if any rowdyism occurred in the university. Surprisingly no serious law and order situation developed during his tenure; however, since the union was not dully elected by the students, it never enjoyed a very sound reputation.

At the end of Mahmoodur Rahman's term, Junior Doctor's crisis and involvement of the President of the Student's Union in unethical activities forced the administration to suspend the office bearers. Hamid Ansari Sahib decided not to renew the union partly due to lack of approved union constitution and his realization that the union might not serve the purpose for which it was established. The current Vice-Chancellor Mr. Naseem Ahmad Sahib also decided not to hold elections in his first year of office, mostly because of total lack of interest among majority of students who wanted to concentrate on their studies rather than get involved in union politics. Fortunately, AMU union elections are still not intruded upon by any local and national political parties.

On December 15, 1998, during my (Syed Naseem's) visit to Aligarh, Mr. Mohammad Asim, General Secretary, Student's Union, came to see me at my residence. It was a pleasant surprise for me to see him in proper attire of" Sherwani and Topi." He provided me the details and documentation of the union activities and was anxious to tell me that the union had lived up to the expectations, especially as far as organizing various literary and cultural activities was concerned. I told him that this should be the basic purpose of the union, rather than organizing strikes, humiliating teachers and disrupting university's academic atmosphere.

Unfortunately, the Student's Union at Aligarh is going through a very gloomy phase with a shaky future, mostly due to its own conduct and performance. Union leaders have failed to serve the function it was created for over hundred twenty-five years ago. Let us hope that the student body and university administration would take steps to rejuvenate the Student's Union culture and traditions. Students must also recognize the important role it had played in the past, and should preserve the dignity of the institution in educational development and character building of Aligarh students.

Very few students unions in India have played a pivotal role comparable to that of AMU in the life of its student community. AMU Student Union has contributed so much in every walk-of life of our alma mater. It gave us the aptitude, self-reliance, moderation, capability, and binding-force, which define an important aspect of our identity as Aligarians. It is important that AMU Student's Union be preserved as a quality institution, so that its spirit of positive thinking, nationalism, and secularism continues to inspire future generations.

Syed M. Naseem,
Ph. D.Washington D. C. USA

And

Dr. Mohsin Raza,
M. D.Former President AMU Students Union 1966-67
Cons Gen Surgeon

Cafe de Phoos

The tea stall Cafe de Phoos had a couple of nicknames: "Cafe De Richshaw" and "Cafe De Sentimental" and the owner was nicknamed "Maulana Chimgadard" and he opened the Tea Stall late in the evening (Usually around Maghrib) and would stay open till Fajr. It was frequented by students and Rickshaw pullers. His most famous preparation was "Band Kabab" - pretty much what a modern Hamburger is......and believe me it was delicious as well as very fulfilling....
90
This also reminds me of the reference to Kabir Tea Stall. I believe this probably is what in the early 70s was the "Tea House" in Shamshaad Market. It was owned by a person named "Kabir", who looked a lot like Mohd Rafi (Singer) and needless to add the music playing there would invariably be from the old movies from 40s, 50s and 60s. He also had a very well known waiter called Alam who was a hunchback. From what I heard, they both died very young, probably around late 70s or early 90s.

Regards.
Anjam Khan
B.Com (Hons 1973
M.A. (Econ) 1975
Colorado Springs, CO
Courtesy :http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AMUNetwork/

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan Chronology

October 17
1817 Birth at Dehli.
1828 Death of Khwaja Fariduddin, maternal grandfather.
1837 Sayyid-ul-Akhbar started by Sayyid Muhammad Khan.
1838 Death of his father, Sayyid Muhammad Muttaqi.

February
1839 Appointed Naib Munshi at Agra.

December 24
1841 Appointed Munsif at Mainpuri.

January 10
1842 Transferred from Mainpuri to Fatehpur Sikri.
1842 Received the title of Jawad-ud-Daula Arif Jung from the Mughal court.
1842 Completed Jila-ul-Qulub bi Zikr il Mahbub.
1844 Completed Tuhfa-i-Hasan and Tashil fi jar-i-Saqil.
1845 Death of Sayyid Muhammad Khan, his brother.
1847 First edition of Asar-us-Sanadid appeared.
1849 Completed Kalamat-ul-Haqq.
1850 Completed Risala Sunnat dar radi bid'at.
1852 Completed Namiqa dar bayan masala tasawwur-i-Shaikh and Silsilat ul-Mulk.
1854 Second edition of Asar-us-Sanadid.

January 13
1855 Appointed permanent Sadr Amin at Bijnor.
1855 Edited A'in-i-Akbari.

May 10
1857 Revolt breaks out.
1857 Death of his mother at Meerut.

April
1858 Appointed Sadr us Sadur, Moradabad.
1858 Published Tarikh Sarkashi-i-Zilla Bijnor.
1859 Nominated member of special commission for hearing appeals about confiscated property.
1859 Published Causes of the Indian Revolt.
1859 Established a madrasa at Moradabad.
1860 Published Loyal Muhammadans of India.
1860 Famine in N.W.Provinces and relief work by Sayyid Ahmad Khan.
1861 French translation of Asar-us-Sanadid by Garcin de Tassy.
1861 Death of his wife.

May 12
1862 Transferred to Ghazipur.
1862 Edited Tarikh-i-Feroz Shahi.
1863 Published a pamphlet on education.
1864 Laid the foundation of a madrasa at Ghazipur.
1864 Transferred to Aligarh.

July 4
1864 Elected Honorary Member of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain.

December 30
1865 Sends a memorandum to the Government about the intention of the Scientific
Society to publish books on agriculture.
1866 Aligarh Institute Gazette started.

August 1
1867 Sends a memorandum to the Viceroy for establishment of a vernacular university.

August 15
1867 Transferred to Benares.

September 25
1867 Started homeopathic dispensary and hospital at Benares.

April 1
1869 Leaves Benares for England.

August 6
1869 Receives the insignia of C.S.I.

September 4
1870 Left London for India.

October 2
1870 Reached Bombay.

December 24
1870 Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq started.

December 26
1870 Established the Committee for the Better Diffusion and Advancement of Learning among Muhammadans of India.

February
1873 Scheme for establishing a college presented.

May 24
1875 Inauguration of the college.

June 1
1875 Regular teaching starts at M.A.O. College.
1876 Retired from service.
1876 Starts writing commentary on the Quran.

January 8
1877 Lord Lytton's visit to Aligarh.
1878 Nominated member of the Viceroy's Legislative Council.
1882 Appears before the Education Commission.
1883 Founded Muhammadan Civil Service Fund Association.
1883 Established Muhammadan Association, Aligarh.
1886 Established Muhammadan Educational Conference.
1887 Nominated member of the Civil Service Commission by Lord Dufferin.

August
1888 Established Patriotic Association at Aligarh. 1888 Received K.C.S.I.
1889 Received the degree of LL.D. honoris causa from Edinburgh. Circulates the Trustee Bill.

March 27
1898 Death at Aligarh

A Poem On Mera chaman

woh ek chaman hai khaar bhi jiska hai khubru
woh ek chaman hai jo har gul ki hai aarzu
woh ek chaman hai khushbu jiski hai chaar su
woh ek chaman hai jo har chaman ki hai aabru.

ham aligarh ko haseen gulshan kahte hain

woh maikhana hai banTti hai jahan ilm ki sharaab
jhoomte hain pee ke wahan deewane behisaab
har sharaabi wahan ka hai ek tahzeeb ki kitaab
peeta raha wahan jo bahar hai saaqi-e-kaamyaab

ham aligarh ko ilm ka watan kahte hain

woh jagah hai noor-e-ilm nawazne ka jahan intezaam hai
wahan har kisi ka aftab, mahtab ya sitaron me naam hai
unchaa suraiyya se wahan ke har taare ka muqaam hai
is baat ka charchaa to mehfil-e-anjum me aam hai

ham aligarh ko noor ka watan kahte hain

woh lau hai jiski chamak ka shaahid raha zamana
sikhlata raha zamane ko mohabbat jiska deewana
mashhoor hai zamane me unki betaabi ka afsana
zindagi paata hai jis me jal jal ke parwana

ham aligarh ko shama-e-roshan kahte hain

Mansoor Hasan Khan
SSSC (10+2)'2000
Bangalore
()+919886058025

Sir Syed's Last Message to Aligarians

Oh My dear Children,

You have reached a particular stage and remember one thing that when I undertook the task, there was criticism all around against me, abuses were hurled upon me, life had become so difficult for me that I aged before my age, I lost my hair, my eyesight, but not my vision.

My vision never dimmed, my determination never failed, I built this institution for you and I am sure, you will carry the light of this institution far and wide, darkness will disappear from all around.

Syed Ahmad




with thanx : http://www.dlisamu.org/sir_syed_last_message.php

Sir Syed: Zartab Haider

October 17th reminds us of a great Muslim reformer, educationist and a legendary figure, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, who was born on this date in 1817 in Delhi.

Aligarh Muslim University which became a symbol of Muslim quest towards modern education was the brain-child of this great personality.

Born in a noble family of Mughal empire, Sir Syed was more in influence of her mother than his father. His mother Aziz un Nisa took great interest in the education and upbringing of Sir Syed and her rigid discipline and supervision guided him in his character formation.

The death of his father in 1838 left the family in difficulties. Thus young Syed Ahmad was compelled at the early age of 21 to look for a career. He entered the service of the East India Company. He started his career as Sarishtedar in a court of law. He became Naib Munshi in 1839 and Munshi in 1841. In 1858 he was promoted and appointed as Sadar-us-Sadur at Muradabad.

While working as a Jurist he developed an interest toward writing and he published a series of treatises in Urdu on religious subjects in 1842. Though it was his book Athar Assanadid (Great Mounments) which won him a national fame and he was being considered as a cultural scholar. His other Literary works include Jila-ul-qulub bi -Zikr-il Mahbub, Tuhfa-i-Hasan,Tahsil-fi-jar-e-Saqil, Namiqa dar bayan masala tasawwur-i-Shaikh, Silsilat ul-Mulk, Asbab-e-Bhaghawath-e-Hind (The Causes of the Indian Mutiny), Loyal Muhammadans of India, Tabyin-ul-Kalam, A Series of Essays on the Life of Muhammad and Subjects Subsidiary Therein. Apart from that he also wrote a commentary on Bible and Quran.

There were many inspirations which were the binding force behind his many literary works, like the commentary on Bible was written by him suggesting that Christianity is the closest religion to Islam in terms of culture and traditions, also Asbab-i-Bhagawat-i-Hind was inspired by the unethical expansion of British colonial rule and the massacare of Indian mass in the aftermath of 1857 mutiny by the Britishers.

During 1850’s Sir Syed Ahmad Khan began developing a strong passion for education. He thrived hard to inject the western style of education among the Indian masses and worked throughout his life to achieve this goal, he was against the traditional dogma and religious orthodoxy which were the influential themes among the muslims at that time. He was criticised by many religious zealots at that time and even been termed as kafir for his efforts.

Committed to working for the upliftment of Muslims, Sir Syed founded a modern madrassa in Moradabad in 1859; this was one of the first religious schools to impart scientific education. He established another modern school in Ghazipur in 1863. Upon his transfer to Aligarh in 1864, he founded the Scientific Society of Aligarh which were on the lines of Royal society and Royal Asiatic society. He enrolled many renowned personalities across India in this society and held annual meetings of the same which in turn decide about the allocation of fund for educational causes across India. He published two journals also, Aligarh Institute Gazzette and Tehzeeb-ul Ikhlaq. Tehzeeb-ul-Ikhlaq succeeded in infusing a desire among Muslims towards acquiring modern Education and it also gave muslims a new social and political thought.

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan also advocated Muslims against joining the political parties without getting the parity in Education with the Hindus.

On May 24th 1875 Sir Syed Ahmad Khan laid the foundation of Muhammadan Anglo Oriental college in Aligarh with an aim of having a Muslim Cambridge University. MAO attracted a large student body, mainly drawn from the Muslim gentry and middle classes. The curriculum at the college involved scientific and Western subjects, as well as Oriental subjects and religious education. The first Chancellor of the college was Sultan Jahan Begum, a prominent Muslim noblewoman, and Sir Syed invited an Englishman, Theodore Beck, to serve as the first college principal. The college was originally affiliated with Calcutta University but was transferred to the Allahabad University in 1885. Near the turn of the 20th century, it began publishing its own magazine and established a law school. In 1920, the college was transformed into Aligarh Muslim University, after 22 years of Sir Syed’s death.

Tilll his death on 27th March 1898, Sir Syed strived towards the upliftment of Modern education among the Indian mass esand his efforts have successfully broken the shackles of religious orthodoxy and traditional dogma of Indian Muslims and encouraged them to attain a more successful and respected life style by adopting the modern and scientific education.

He was buried besides Sir Syed Masjid inside the campus of the Aligarh Muslim University.

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan: As viewed in Pakistan

The greatest Muslim reformer and statesman of the 19th Century, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was born in Delhi on October 17, 1817. His family on the maternal and paternal side had close contacts with the Mughal court. His maternal grandfather, Khwajah Farid was a Wazir in the court of Akbar Shah II. His paternal grandfather Syed Hadi held a mansab and the title of Jawwad Ali Khan in the court of Alamgir II. His father, Mir Muttaqi, had been close to Akbar Shah since the days of his prince-hood. Syed Ahmad's mother, Aziz-un-Nisa, took a great deal of interest in the education and upbringing of her son. She imposed a rigid discipline on him and Sir Syed himself admitted that her supervision counted for much in the formation of his character.
The early years of Sir Syed's life were spent in the atmosphere of the family of a Mughal noble. There was nothing in young Syed's habits or behavior to suggest that he was different from other boys, though he was distinguished on account of his extraordinary physique. As a boy he learnt swimming and archery, which were favorite sports of the well-to-do class in those days.

Sir Syed received his education under the old system. He learnt to read the Quran under a female teacher at his home. After this, he was put in the charge of Maulvi Hamid-ud-Din, the first of his private tutors. Having completed a course in Persian and Arabic, he took to the study of mathematics, which was a favorite subject of the maternal side of his family. He later became interested in medicine and studied some well-known books on the subject. However, he soon gave it up without completing the full course. At the age of 18 or 19 his formal education came to an end but he continued his studies privately. He started taking a keen interest in the literary gatherings and cultural activities of the city.

The death of his father in 1838 left the family in difficulties. Thus young Syed was compelled at the early age of 21 to look for a career. He decided to enter the service of the East India Company. He started his career as Sarishtedar in a court of law. He became Naib Munshi in 1839 and Munshi in 1841. In 1858 he was promoted and appointed as Sadar-us-Sadur at Muradabad. In 1867 he was promoted and posted as the judge of the Small Causes Court. He retired in 1876. He spent the rest of his life for Aligarh College and the Muslims of South Asia.

Sir Syed's greatest achievement was his Aligarh Movement, which was primarily an educational venture. He established Gulshan School at Muradabad in 1859, Victoria School at Ghazipur in 1863, and a scientific society in 1864. When Sir Syed was posted at Aligarh in 1867, he started the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental School in the city. Sir Syed got the opportunity to visit England in 1869-70. During his stay, he studied the British educational system and appreciated it. On his return home he decided to make M. A. O. High School on the pattern of British boarding schools. The School later became a college in 1875. The status of University was given to the college after the death of Sir Syed in 1920. M. A. O. High School, College and University played a big role in the awareness of the Muslims of South Asia.

Unlike other Muslim leaders of his time, Sir Syed was of the view that Muslims should have friendship with the British if they want to take their due rights. To achieve this he did a lot to convince the British that Muslims were not against them. On the other hand, he tried his best to convince the Muslims that if they did not befriend the British, they could not achieve their goals. Sir Syed wrote many books and journals to remove the misunderstandings between Muslims and the British. The most significant of his literary works were his pamphlets "Loyal Muhammadans of India" and "Cause of Indian Revolt". He also wrote a commentary on the Bible, in which he attempted to prove that Islam is the closest religion to Christianity.

Sir Syed asked the Muslims of his time not to participate in politics unless and until they got modern education. He was of the view that Muslims could not succeed in the field of western politics without knowing the system. He was invited to attend the first session of the Indian National Congress and to join the organization but he refused to accept the offer. He also asked the Muslims to keep themselves away from the Congress and predicted that the party would prove to be a pure Hindu party in the times to come. By establishing the Muhammadan Educational Conference, he provided Muslims with a platform on which he could discuss their political problems. Sir Syed is known as the founder of Two-Nation Theory in the modern era.

In the beginning of 1898 he started keeping abnormally quiet. For hours he would not utter a word to friends who visited him. Medical aid proved ineffective. His condition became critical on 24th of March. On the morning of March 27, a severe headache further worsened it. He expired the same evening in the house of Haji Ismail Khan, where he had been shifted 10 or 12 days earlier. He was buried the following afternoon in the compound of the Mosque of Aligarh College. He was mourned by a large number of friends and admirers both within and outside South Asia.

With Thanx from : http://www.storyofpakistan.com/person.asp?perid=P001

Sir Syed ~ nationalism and Hindu-Muslim unity

`This man (Sir Syed) is erring and causes people to err. He is rather an agent of the devil and wants to mislead Muslims. It is a sin to support the college. May God damn the founder! And if this college has been founded, it must be demolished and its founder and his supporters thrown out of the fold of Islam," declared the Imam of Mecca in his fatwa against Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.


On the 189th birth anniversary of this great educationist and social reformer and in an age of "clash of civilisations" and rabid communalism, an effort needs to be made to understand his vision of India. Was Sir Syed indeed the father of the two-nation theory? Did he believe in pluralism? Why was he denounced by the Muslims and disowned by the Hindus? Are his ideas and ideology relevant today? These are some of the pertinent questions which need to be examined afresh, particularly in the present context.


"From the seed we sow today there may spring up a mighty tree, whose branches, like those of the banyan of the soil, shall in their turn strike firm roots into the earth and themselves send forth new and vigorous saplings; that this college may expand into a university, whose sons shall go forth throughout the length and breadth of the land to preach the gospel of free inquiry, of large-hearted toleration and of pure morality", said Sir Syed at the time of the foundation laying ceremony of the Mohammadan Anglo-Oriental (MAO) College on 8 January 1877.


The prophetic words of the founder have come true as the Aligarh Muslim University today has 90 departments, 12 faculties, 27,000 students and has several icons as its proud alumni. The university has rightly been recognised as an institution of national importance by the Indian Constitution.


It is erroneously believed by some historians that the Hindu-Muslim divide in India was the by-product of the two-nation theory which supposedly had its origin in Sir Syed's ideology. We should never forget that "nationalism" as a consciously held idea was a 20th century phenomenon even in Europe from where it was imported to India. The spirit of 19th century India was far away from it. During this period, both Hindus and Muslims lived side by side in equal subjugation under the oppressive British rule and were devoid of any national feeling or national identity. Eminent political scientist Prof Anil Seel has rightly pointed out that during Sir Syed's times, "there were no two nations, there was not even one nation, there was no nation at all."


Even though the concept of nation as we understand it today did not exist during Sir Syed's time, his concept of nation was inextricably woven with secular ideals. He rightly said in a lecture at Patna in 1883: "My friends! This India of ours is populated by two famous communities, the Hindus and the Muslims. These two communities stand in the same relation to India in which the head and the heart stand in relation to the human body."


In Gurdaspur in 1884, he remarked: "O Hindus and Muslims! Do you belong to a country other than India? Do not you live on this soil and are not buried under it or cremated on its ghats? If you live and die on this land, then, bear in mind, that... all the Hindus, Muslims and Christians who live in this country are one nation."


Noted historian Tara Chand has written that it is a travesty of truth to regard Sir Syed as an author of the theory that Hindus and Muslims were two separate nations.


Sir Syed was indeed a great nationalist. Expressing his opinion on the issue of Hindu-Muslim relations, he said that by living so long in India, the blood of both has changed. The colour of both has become similar. The faces of both, having changed, have become similar. The Muslims have acquired hundred of customs from the Hindus and the Hindus have also learned hundreds of things from the Muslims. We mixed with each other so much that we produced a new language – Urdu, which was neither our language nor theirs.


The language he had used against the dangers posed by communalism can not only help us in dealing with this evil but also clarify some of the doubts of even people like Praveen Togadia and Narendra Modi. He said: "We shall only destroy ourselves by mutual disunity and animosity and ill-will to each other. It is pitiable to see those who do not understand this point and create feelings of disunity among these two nations and fail to see that they themselves will be the victims of such a situation. My friends, I have repeatedly said and say it again that India is like a bride, which has got two beautiful, and lustrous eyes ~ Hindus and Mussulmans. If they quarrel against each other that beautiful bride will become ugly and if one destroys the other, she will lose one eye. Therefore, people of Hindustan, you have now the right to make this bride either squint-eyed or one-eyed."


As to the rationale of establishing MAO College, he said: "I shall feel sorry if anybody thinks that this college has been established so as to show discrimination between Hindus and Muslims. The main reason behind the establishment of this institution, as I am sure all of you know, was the wretched dependence of the Muslims, which had been debating their position day after day. Their religious fanaticism did not let them avail the educational facilities provided by the government schools and colleges. It was, therefore, deemed necessary to make some special arrangement for their education."


He went on to say: "Suppose, for example, there are two brothers, one of them is quite hale and hearty but the other is diseased. His health is on the decline. Thus it is the duty of all brothers to take care of their ailing brother and bear the hands in his trouble. This was the very idea which goaded me to establish the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College. But I am pleased to say that both the brothers get the same education in this college. All rights of the college appertaining to those who call themselves Muslims are equally related to those who call themselves Hindus without any reservations. There is no distinction whatsoever between Hindus and Muslims."


It is a matter of great satisfaction that Aligarh Muslim University has consistently adhered to the vision of its founder and does not discriminate between Hindus and Muslims. This vision of the founder is in consonance with the minority character of the university. Article 30 of Indian Constitution does permit minorities to have educational institutions of their own. But these institutions cannot be exclusive institutions. They should have some students from the other communities as well. In fact, the Supreme Court has consistently held that there shall be "sprinkling of outsiders" in a minority institution.


Very few people know that while Sir Syed was opposed tooth and nail by many Muslims, the Hindu community extended all possible help to him and that is the only difference between him and Raja Rammohun Roy. The difference between the two men lies in the response each received from his community. While the Hindus by and large welcomed Rammohun, Sir Syed had only a few takers. As many as five fatwas declaring him kafir were issued. Strangely enough these fatwas have not yet been withdrawn.


In a speech at Muzaffarnagar on 7 February, 1884, he explicitly acknowledged help rendered by the Hindus when he said: "I cannot forget the debt of gratitude that I owe to my brother Hindus who, realising the fallen position of their Muslim brethren, have contributed thousands of rupees for the building up of MAO College. They have really performed a human act of charity. The walls of the college on which their names are inscribed bear testimony to their kindness and non-communal attitude".


This generosity of the majority community also does not change the character of the institution. The Supreme Court has consistently held that other communities may also contribute in the establishment of a minority institution.


The Scientific Society, which was founded by Sir Syed in 1863, was really national in its complexion and character. Apart from the British members, it comprised 82 Hindu and 107 Muslim members. Even the managing committee of MAO College which comprised 22 members, had six Hindu members on it. The first second master of the school was Sri Baijnath who was No. 2 in the administrative hierarchy. The famous mathematician, JC Chakravarty joined as professor in 1888 and subsequently was elevated to the coveted post of registrar. The first graduate of the university was Ishwari Prasad; the first MA was one Amba Prasad.


While Sir Syed's ideals of nationalism, secularism and scientific temper are clearly evident in every nook and corner of AMU, yet his goal of educational advancement of Muslims of India has not yet been achieved. Sachar Committee findings are indeed revealing and shocking. Only 4 per cent Muslims get education up to Class X. Only 2.94 per cent are able to complete graduation. There are less than 1 per cent Muslim women graduates in the country. Not surprisingly the share of Muslims in public services is dismal. Less than 2 per cent Muslims make it to the Indian Administrative Services every year. Among the 467 directors of the nationalised banks, there were only 4 Muslims. More than 50 per cent Muslims are living below the poverty line.


It seems the Muslim community has not adequately responded to Sir Syed's call when he said: "Call me an infidel, an atheist or a nechari or whatever you like, I will not seek your recommendations before God. I would not like you to plead for my salvation. Whatever I say, I say for the good of your children. Take pity on them. Do something for their future, lest you should have to repent over it."


Are Muslims of 21st century India listening?

(The author is Professor of Law and Registrar, Aligarh Muslim University)



*With special Thanx from :http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=4&theme=&usrsess=1&id=173516

Yaad Hain Wo Din... Kuch Bhi Nahi Badla

It was entrance examination time and lot of prospective students were coming to AMU with their parents from all over the country. As we know most of these applicants and their parents stay in hostels. One Alig, Mr. Parvez came for his son's 10+2 entrance examination and stayed in my room.

Me and my friends tried to give him a good company and take care of him as much as possible. Mr. Parvez was very happy with our hospitality but for some reason he used to repeat "AMU ke students mein ab woh baat nahi rahi, ab woh activities nahi rahi jo mere zamane mein hoti thi, ab AMU change ho gaya hai". It was very annoying and hurting for all of us.


Days passed and his son's entrance examination got over and he was ready to leave for his home town Lucknow. They were going to Lucknow by Gomti Express and as per tradition, we went to railway station to see off him. One of my friend got the tickets for them and then we searched for TC and told him about Mr. Parvez(sorry) ' This person is not mentally fit and for some reason he wants to go to Lucknow but his home is in Kanpur so by any means please make sure that he leaves the train at Kanpur. Though he has already bought the ticket for Lucknow but don’t worry about that'. We also took his son in confidence and train left the station at given time.

After two days we got a call from Mr. Parvez and he was saying "Aaj Bhi AMU ke students ki activities waisi hi hai jaise mere zamane mein thi"

Rethinking of Minto Circle

My name is Syed Kamran Ahmad Sabri,i wrote something for Minto circle.....I passed my Xth class from there in 1996.Its dedicated to MINTO CIRCLE AND everyone who belong to it:

Ek idara hai ek rishta hai aur ek zindagi hai ,
Mohabbat hai hamein tujhse kya batana zaroori hai,

Woh taleem aur woh tameez bakshi hai tune hamein ,
jeet lenge sara jahan gar saath hamare khuda rahe Karz hai tera hum par e chaman-e-taleem gah,

Faqr hai hamein tujh par e hamare roshan chiraagh,
Karte hai mahsoos tujhko apni har dhadkan ke saath Aayega yaad hamein is duniya se jaane ke baad.

Comment about how you felt after reading it.

E-mail: sabriamu@rediffmail.comThis email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Department Tour Activities

Its always great when you are with your friends and it becomes more memorable once you have all your classmates together either its Fate or tour. I remember it was 1995 and we all (MCA 2nd year Students) went to Calcutta on department organized tour. That was the time when we came to know lot of new things about our colleagues and teachers as well. Someone needs JALAIBE, Milk in breakfast even during journey, someone wants to go to bed early and someone snore while sleeping etc. As usual my friends and I was the one who used to go to bed late. There are so many incidents happened during that tour but I want to share one.

One day one of my friend woke up early and left the hotel and when he came back he brought a good T-Shirt with him. Almost everyone liked it and as usual we ask 'where you get this and how much you get it'. He said I got it in 30 Rupees. Uhhhhhh wow its nice ...one of the guy asked "Where did you get this”. He replied " Go such and such market and you will get it, but make sure you have to do some bargaining over there".

Days passed and so many of us went to that market and we found the same T-Shirt but price was 60 Rupees and after a hard bargain the price was reduced to 50 Rupees or so.. We all tried really hard to get the same T-Shirt and even wherever we went for shopping we tried to find out that kind of T-Shirt. One day we got succeed to lower the price by 40 Rupees, but it always strikes "No...My friend has bought in 30 Rupees I won’t buy it in 40 Rupees; I will try somewhere else and get the same in 30 Rupees"

Finally the day came and now time to go back to Aligarh, we were at Calcutta Railway station and discussing different things and every body was in a very good mood, Then my friend who bought the T-Shirt in 30 Rupees said ..Guys I have bought this in 50 Rupees. We all were so mad on him because some of us didn’t buy the same in 40 Rupees. Some times we forget what we were taught in our early age 'Lalach buri bala hai'



With Thanx frm :http://www.merachaman.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=157&Itemid=40

amu results available

for the results of different entrance examinations conducted by amu for the session 2007-2008 please visit

http://www.merachaman.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=110


regards
zaigham murtaza

Mere Dost Mere Apne

hi friends
how will one feel if someone knock his door after midnight and he is in deep sleep?? Moreover he comes n say that i was here just to say you hello now you cn sleep and have sweet dreams.Obiviously one will shook his head and will lable the visitor"MAD". But if you are in amu it is part of your daily routine. One of my friend Shavez Ansari daily visits me after 1.00am in the morning(It is the time when he returns from maulana Azad library) and pull out my coverings. Only sentence he utters,"Docter saheb i ve come to meet you and you are simply sleping. Ok good night and sweet dreams meet you later in the department.
Another one who is my cousin "Nusrat Abbas" asks me to accompany him for a cup of tea. He is a regular visitor to 'Hasan Ka Daba' a tea stall at purani chungi. Whenhis shutter is down I ve to share his night tour at Sulaiman Hall. The dhabagiri as i said earlier is an undispensable part of life at amu. An average student consumption of tea at amu is approximatelt 10-12 cups a day. There are some who even go for more then thirty ups a day. One can find more dhabas(tea stalls) then book stalls and coaching centres near the campus. Library cateen, university central canteen along with purani chungi, sulaiman hall, zakaria market, dodhpur crossing, tasveer mahal are the favourite hang outs for tea lovers. Shafiq's canteen at old boys lounge also find some dhaba going gentry.