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Revisiting Jamia Millia: Story of 100 Year Journey

Coffee table book released on the 104th Foundation Day of Jamia Millia Islamia

Friday November 1, 2024 9:03 PM, Manzar Imam

Revisiting Jamia Millia: Story of 100 Year Journey

Jamia Millia Islamia: Whatever I know and wherever I am today is due to my days spent at the Jamia, said Javed Ali Khan, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), a former student leader and alumnus of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI).

Javed Ali was speaking at 104th Foundation Day of the prestigious university on October 29, 2024 at the release of Dayaar-e-Shauq Jamia’s Centenary Volume (1920-2020).

For Khan, Jamia is not only an educational institution, but a movement that had played critical part throughout its history. He especially recalled the university’s contribution to the people of Palestine in the early 1980s when Israel had attacked on it soon after Yasser Arafat’s visit to India.

“That character seems to have weakened especially over the last few decades”, said he, adding that that democratic character needs to be restored and strengthened.

Kunwar Danish Ali, member of Jamia Court, former Member of Lok Sabha, and also an alumnus of the varsity, echoed the sentiments while remembering his days at his alma mater as a student.

Danish said:

"It is the responsibility of the Jamia Biradri (fraternity) to keep the dreams of the founders alive and let that fire burning.”

Prof. Majid Jamil welcomed the guests and, paying tribute to and prying for the maghfirat of the founders of Jamia, spoke about what led an idea to shape into the Centenary Volume.

He also welcomed the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mazhar Asif hoping that his stay in Jamia would be a memorable one and fruitful for the university which has grown gradually over the years and which is “one of the finest academic institutions in the country” where teachers are committed to its growth. He also highlighted the role of the now inactive Jamia Teachers Association (JTA).

Revisiting Jamia Millia: Story of 100 Year Journey

Prof. Jamil informed the audience that the idea of the coffee table book (Dayaar-e-Shauq) came from Prof. Naheed Zahoor of the Department of Teacher Training & Non-Formal Education, but there were a number of teachers and even students who gave it the actual shape that turned out to be a beautiful collection that contains the institution’s hundred years’ story, significant landmarks and the many milestones it has achieved.

Prof. Ghazanfar Zaidi, one of the members of the coffee table book, presented a detailed account of the special volume’s conceptual design. He said that the volume contains both written and pictorial history for which a number of photographs have been taken from archival records while some of the photographs have been provided by some alumni which were never published.

Prof Zaidi made an oblique reference to the discontinuation of the historic Talimi Mela (Education Fair) stating that although we have a three-day programme but the Mela used to be a unique feature of the university which was also a way of public outreach.

A detailed report of the book’s contents was provided by Prof. Anisur Rahman, ex-registrar and former head of the Department of English, JMI.

Rahman took the audience to the old days of the university where people would doubt whether one should even join it, because the university was then typecast by critics.

He also referred to the immense contribution made by some self-less lovers of the university at a time when it was doubted whether it will be able to sustain. Abdul Ghaffar Madholi was one such lover whose book about the Jamia’s history is a classic.

Historian Margrit Pernau, who joined the programme online, spoke about Gerda Philipsborn, popularly known as Jamia’s Aapa Jaan, which is also the title of her book, mentioning about Philipsborn’s immense contribution to the development of Jamia school.

Pernau also informed that she is working on a monograph on the history of Jamia. She said what we hear today about Biradri (fraternity) also had women at the centre.

Author Lawrence Gautier said that women had played role at the development of education at early childhood. She specially highlighted the role of Saliha Abid Hussain. Prof. Ameena Kazi conducted the programme which had begun with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an.

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