Hundreds attend Jamia Millia alumni meet in Riyadh

A Grand Meet organized by Jamia Millia Islamia Alumni Association (JMIAA), Riyadh chapter, was marked by the presence of more than 300 esteemed guests and old students of the prestigious Indian university.
The meet provided a platform to see old friends, greet the guests, and also bond with new people who share with them the legacy of that famous university. This year, the event was even more special because of the formation of the alumni association and the launch of an alumni portal.
The grand meet was titled “A Jamia campus across the sea,” by Ghizal Mahdi, a prominent Jamiaite who was a student leader during his stay at the institution.
The convergence of Jamiaites took place at Albustan Rest House in the historic Wadi Hanifa, close to the city center. A talk on the promotion of Urdu was also organized on this occasion. A friendly cricket match was also played. Team captains Syed Aftab Ali Nizami and Azmatullah Khan played an important role in organizing the match.
This was followed by a Bait Baazi (Urdu poetry) competition. The anchor of this program was Abdul Rahman, himself a poet, who also moderated the proceedings. Those who participated enthusiastically included Shabbir Nadwi, Salman Abrar, Mohammad Haroon Qasmi and Mohammad Asad, Mohammad Irfan and Abbas Ali Siddiqui. A kid's corner was also set up at the venue, where a drawing and painting competition was also conducted.
Led by Razia Zaidi, a team of art teachers comprising Iffat Nadeem, Sania Nisar and Nazima Tanseer, conducted the drawing and painting competition. Children from class VI to XII participated in the Urdu essay competition. Dr. Hafeezur Rahman, Dr. Madni Ahmad and Najeeb Qasmi supervised the essay-writing contest. They along with Ata Zia were the jury members. The main program was compered by Ahsan Nadwi.
The program began with the introduction of JMIAA office bearers and the executive committee. In a symbolic gesture, each office bearer received a bouquet of flowers from his predecessor. The chief guest, Nadem Nadwi, CEO of Saudi Cricket Center and a prominent Jamiate in the Kingdom, was welcomed by senior Jamiaites, including Salman Azmi, Shahabuddin and Abdul Ghani. The program began with a recitation of the Holy Qur’an by Abdul Mateen.
Khursheed Anwar, JMIAA president welcomed the guests, while General Secretary Zafar A. Bari presented the report of the association. Ghizal Mahdi, a Jamiaite and former student leader, highlighted the role of Jamia in promoting Urdu. Murshid Kamal, former JMIAA president, lamented the misuse of Urdu and the hypocrisy of parents who bemoan the decline of Urdu but do not send their children to Urdu schools.
Dr. Shafaatullah Khan, senior founding member, recounted his days as an employee of Jamia. He talked about various facilities including the Maktaba Jamia Ltd. and monthly magazines such as “Jamia Monthly” and “Islam and the Modern Age,” which are published by the university. N
The event concluded with the distribution of prizes and mementos.
The prizes were sponsored by Akram and Tanseer. Syed Aftab Ali Nizami, JMIAA vice president, thanked everyone for making the program successful.