Aligarh Alumni Association PO Box 1877, Ellicott City MD 21041

410-531-9492

February 2015

NEWS FROM AROUND WASHINGTON AREA
Annual Elections: The Aligarh Alumni Association, Washington DC (AAA) has announced that its annual elections will be held on Sunday March 29, 2015, at 2 pm. The meeting venue is yet to be decided. The current president, Dr. Fazal Khan, has urged members to attend the meeting and nominate well-qualified and dedicated persons to serve the Association in the coming years.
Iqbal Memorial Lecture: The Iqbal Memorial Lecture and Dinner have been scheduled on Saturday, April 25, 2015, at 7 pm at the Hilton Garden Inn, Bethesda, MD. The chief guest and keynote speaker will be Mr. Husain Haqqani, former ambassador of Pakistan to the United States. Currently, he is director for South and Central Asia Studies, Hudson Institute, Washington DC, and coeditor of the journal Current Trends in Islamic Ideology. Please mark the date on your calendar.
Additional Future Programs: The AAA has announced that the following programs are planned for the current year. The list is incomplete and more details will be forthcoming in future communications.
Annual Picnic: Saturday, June 13, 2015
Iftar and Ramazan Fund-Raising Dinner: Saturday, June 27, 2015
Kavi Summelan/Mushaira: (Friday or Saturday) August 21 or 22, 2015
Play: ‘ Main Rahi Masoom’ between Mid September & Mid October, 2015
The Annual Mushaira: Saturday, November 7, 2015
Sir Syed Day Dinner & Lecture: Sunday, November 8, 2015
Qawwali: Saturday, December 12, 2015
NEWS FROM ALIGARH UNIVERSITY
Scholarships from AAA, USA: The Aligarh Muslim University Alumni Association of Michigan and Texas have awarded scholarships to 125 students pursuing various courses at AMU.
A Letter of Historic Importance: Mr. Sajid Naim, Assistant Curator, has discovered a letter of historic importance which testified to the communal harmony that existed in India in the past century. The letter written on June 1911 by Raja Brij Narayan Rai, the ruler of Padrauna Estate, Gorakphur, is addressed to Nawab Viqar-ul-Mulk, Secretary, MAO College and reads as follows: “I am the owner of the Padrauna Estate, situated to the north of Gorakhpur. This estate had been brought into being by the Emperor Auragzeb Alamgir. Others are free to say anything about him but my family will always remain indebted to the Emperor Aurangzeb.”
In Memory of Professor Arnold: The Vice Chancellor on February 7 unveiled a plaque at Arnold House, which at present houses the University Proctor’s Office. The Arnold House was built by the Trustees of the MAO College to preserve the memory of Professor Thomas Arnold (1864-1930), who joined the MAO College in 1888 as professor of philosophy. Soon after his arrival at Aligarh, he adopted the typical dress of Churidar Pyjama, Turban, Aangerkha and Indian shoes. A close friend of Allama Shibli Nomani , he later inspired the thinking of the famous Urdu poet Dr. Iqbal during his stay at Government College, Lahore (Source: AMU News)
Glimpses into the Past History of Aligarh
Dr. Akhtar Husain Raipuri was a distinguished writer, scholar of Urdu, Hindi and Sanskrit and literary critic who at one time worked closely with Moulvi Abdul Huq in the preparation of a Hindi-English dictionary. Later, he migrated to Pakistan, joined UNESCO and served as its representative in several Asian and African countries. Dr. Raipuri spent three years (1932-1934) as a student at AMU, residing in Aftab Hostel. During this time, he developed a close friendship with Majaz Lucknowi who was his contemporary at Aligarh. Dr. Raipuri died in 1992. The following paragraph is adapted from his autobiography, Gerd-e-Rah (1984, Karachi).
“I and Majaz often went out for a walk in the evening towards the old fort or the Aligarh railway station, the favorite hangouts for young students in my days. One evening, wandering on the station platform, we paused in front of a third-class compartment and were stunned by the sight of a young beautiful, Gugar girl sitting inside. She was wearing a cheap silver ornament round her neck and some nondescript brass ear rings. Her clothes were old and tatty. Yet, she was exceedingly attractive, sitting there like a princess, oblivious to the admiring looks of onlookers she evoked. As the train started to move slowly, she cast a fleeting glance in our direction as if to say “goodbye”.
We left in a haze for our hostel. Later, I asked Majaz to write a poem about her, invoking the epithet, a Gem in Rags. Magaz promised to try even though he had never composed a nazm before. A few weeks later, he brought to me the rough draft of his nazm, Raat our Rail, which is now considered one of his masterpieces. A chance encounter with a Gujar girl launched Majaz on a brilliant career as a lyrical, romantic poet.”
Syed Amir (Editor)                                                               Khurshid Usmani (Web)

Fazal Khan (President)                                                        Tariq Farooqi (Chairman)

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