It was a nostalgia occasion for hundreds
of Aligarh Muslim University alumni, to attend the Sir Syed Bicentenary AMU
Alumni Meet—2017.They assembled again in Kennedy Auditorium of Chaman-E-Syed to
connect with each other to refresh their old memories.
The Function: Sir Syed
Bicentenary Alumni Meet of AMU Aligarh,
was started with recitation from Holy QURAN. It was two days meet: 15th
and 16th October 2017. Followed by High Tea, Lunch
breaks and a grand dinner at Lawn of Sir Syed House. The
seed which Sir Syed sowed in 1877, had grown up into a mighty tree: that is now
Aligarh Muslim University.
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| Inauguration of Sir Sayed Bicentenary Alumni Meet of AMU Aligarh (2017-2018) in Kennedy Auditorium |
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| Audience :Sir Syed Bicentenary Alumni meet of AMU Aligarh (2017-2018) in Kennedy Auditorium |
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| Audience:Sir Syed Bicentenary Alumni meet of AMU Aligarh (2017-2018) in Kennedy Auditorium |
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| Audience:Sir Syed Bicentenary Alumni meet of AMU Aligarh (2017-2018) in Kennedy Auditorium |
The 17TH October 2017 makes the 200th birth anniversary. Of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (17 October-27 March 1898). Any mention of Sir Syed is incomplete without a mention of his enduring belief in education as a Panacea for over coming difficulties.Like many reformers of his time,he believed in rational thought and science to solve problems.
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| Audience :Sir Syed Bicentenary Alumni meet of AMU Aligarh (2017-2018) in Kennedy Auditorium
The 17TH
October 2017 maks the 200th birth anniversary. Of Sir Syed Ahmad
Khan (17October-27March 1898). Any mention of Sir Syed is incomplete without a
mention of his enduring belief in education as a Pnacea for over coming
difficulties.Like many reformers of his time,he believed in rational thought
and science to solve problems.
Sir Syed wanted the
Muslims of his period to embrace change and move forward.He felt that there
could be no conflict between the work of God(i,e the natural word) and the the
words of God (i,e Quran).
Inaugural function was
presided by Dr Tariq Mansoor,AMU
Vice Chancellor.Chief Guest was Prof. Tahir Mahmood (Former chairman,National Commission of Minorities,GOI).Guest of
Honours were :Mr Dawood Bin Ozair,(CEO,Blue
Star Dubai),Mr Ambrish Kenghe(Vice
President,Myntra)and Mr Manoj Yadav IPS(Joint
Director,IB,Ministary of Home Affairs,GOI).
Prof O P Kalra (Vice Chancellor, Pt H L
Sharma University of Health Sciences), who attended the function said that he
came to Aligarh to appear in the MBBS entrance exam with hardly any money and a
place to stay.
“I stayed in a Gurudwara and was
selected in the waiting list for admission in MBBS,” said Prof Kalra adding
that my candidature for admission was selected in AMU’s Jawaharlal Nehru
Medical College and Banaras Hindu University’s Medical College at the same
time.
“My father advised me to attend AMU and
taught me Urdu,” recalled Mr Kalra pointing out that a few years ago he visited
his hostel room and found a research scholar of Sanskrit from a Muslim
background residing in his room.
“This is exactly what Sir Syed’s vision was,”
he said adding that a student from a Hindu background like him learnt Urdu in
AMU, while a Muslim boy becomes a researcher scholar of Sanskrit in the same
University.
A special attraction of the meet was a
session of AMU’s women achievers in which Prof
Yasmin Saikia (Arizona State University), Mrs Arifa Khanam (Senior journalist), Mrs Sabiha Saeed (Vice President, KPMG), Mrs Tasneem Rasol Boaz (Indian Railway Traffic Services), Prof Nuzhat Parveen Khan (Dean, Faculty
of Law, Jamia Milia Islamia), Mrs
Ghazala Kohkan Shamsi (New York, USA) and Mrs Taab Siddiqui (Owner, Harvest Gold Food India) were the panelists.
Meanwhile a session on Aligarh Open
University, a platform through which AMU alumni spread all over the world share
knowledge and experiences with current university students was also organised.This
session was chaired by Prominent Scientist
Dr Shahid Jameel CEO, Welcome Trust (India DBT Alliance).
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The meet ended with University Tarana and the National Anthem.Fully
packed Kennedy Auditorium was burst into clapping like a thunderbolt.
Ye dasht-e-junoo diwano
ka, ye bazm-e-wafa parwano ki
Ye shahr-e-tarab roomano ka, ye khuld-e-barin armano ki
Ye shahr-e-tarab roomano ka, ye khuld-e-barin armano ki
Written, photographed and posted by
Engr Maqbool Akram.