Pilgrimage to Aligarh
Mohammed Wajihuddin
The sun on a lazy Sunday afternoon in February at Aligarh felt soft and soothing on the skin. I chatted with a caretaker at the guest house while Dr Rahat Abrar, ex-PRO and director, Urdu Academy at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), desperately waited for his driver at his house. He finally arrived in an SUV to pick me up.
People come to AMU with different purposes. Many come here to give tests, seek admission themselves or for their wards or give interview for jobs. My purpose to visit AMU, except the first time in mid-1980s for admission in Class 11, has always been uni-dimensional. Even if I am here for something else, I consider it as a pilgrimage and treat the opportunity as such.
As AMU turns 100, Mumbai reflects on its historic bonds
By Mohammed Wajihuddin| Updated: 22nd December 2020 5:48 pm IST
Mohammed Wajihuddin
An inscription in Urdu and English at Sir Syed Hall, one of the earliest hostels at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), has an interesting piece of information.
It states that in 1907, philanthropist and the first Indian Sheriff of Mumbai, Sir Adamji Peerbhoy, donated Rs 1.1 lakh to the Mohammedan Anglo Oriental (MAO) College’s funds committee to make it a university. It was the largest individual contribution to the university project then. MAO College became AMU on December 1, 1920. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs AMU’s December 22 online centenary celebrations, it seems apt to revisit the historic bonds AMU has with Mumbai.