Renowned educationist and former Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, Saiyid Hamid, who played instrumental role in formulating the Rajindar Sachar Committee report, breathed his last on 29 December at Majeedia Hospital, New Delhi. He was 94. He was born in Faizabad in the year 1920.
Saiyid Hamid
Saiyid Hamid, after his tenure as Vice Chancellor of AMU, succeeded Hakeem Abdul Hameed, Founder of Hamdard as the Chancellor of Hamdard University in Delhi. As Secretary of Hamdard Education Society, he nurtured Hamdard Public School and Hamdard Study Circle.
After qualifying Provincial Civil Services, he served in Bijnaur, Moradabad and Bulandshahr (UP). Then he joined Indian Administrative Services (I.A.S.) in 1949. He was also appointed Deputy & Joint Secretary, Industries and Foreign Trade, Govt. of India; Joint Secretary, Planning Commission; Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs; and Additional Secretary, Ministry of Communications. He played a key role in motivating students to take up civil services and opened the window for the Muslim community to qualify civil services through Hamdard Study Circle. Saiyid Hamid was also a torchbearer behind a number of institutions during his lifetime and remained an inspirational figure and motivational force for all serving the community in various capacities.
Saiyid Hamid is also popularly known for his educational caravan that began in 1992 and spread across the length and breadth of the country, carrying the message of literacy and education, hygiene and health, social reform and communal harmony for more than a decade. Professor Faizan Mustafa, Vice Chancellor, NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad, expressed his feelings to Radiance that Mr. Hamid was the most charismatic and illustrious Muslim personality of our times. “He was a man of great courage and wisdom and was fully dedicated to the cause of Muslim education. He embodied finest values of Muslim civilization. He was my Vice-Chancellor when I joined Aligarh Muslim University. He brought in a number of reforms. The vested interest groups became his worst enemies and a yaumun-nijat was celebrated on his demitting office. I refused to give any contribution to such an event,” he said.
“To promote educational awareness among Indian Muslims, he started ‘All India Taalimi Carwan’ in 1992. For the Kanpur programme, I was also invited. When I boarded the train at Aligarh, I was shocked to see Saiyid Hamid sitting on the floor in a packed sleeper class coach. His commitment to the Muslim cause was absolute. His intellect and infallible integrity would draw intellectuals around him; almost all of them became his admirers,” said Mustafa. He also said that in 2005, when the national dailies were carrying a vicious campaign against Aligarh Muslim University’s minority character, “Syed Saheb on my request wrote a number of pieces defending university’s reservation policy. There is no body like him. The light has certainly gone out.”
His funeral was attended by people from all walks of life, including Vice President Hamid Ansari. Justice Markandey Katju, former Chairman, Press Council of India, after attending the funeral shared his condolence in a Facebook message that Saiyid Hamid was of the view that a University is a place for learning, and not to do petty politics. Consequently he took strong steps to restore AMU as a great seat of education, and it was principally due to his efforts that today AMU is once again renowned throughout the country and the world as a great centre of learning, where the standard of education is very high. When he joined AMU many good teachers had gone on deputation to foreign countries to earn petro-dollars. He immediately recalled such teachers and told them to teach in AMU. Consequently the standard of teaching in AMU went up.
Prof. Dr. Amrik Singh, former Vice Chancellor Punjab University, in his article, “Saiyid Hamid: A Dedicated Soul”, in a book on Hamid sahib, titled, Muslim Face of India compiled by Mustaque Madani and published by P.A. Inamdar, has written that when Saiyid Hamid completed his term as the Vice Chancellor of AMU, many scholars were of the opinion that a remarkable chapter of the history of AMU had come to an end. I heard from many sources that he was offered the post of Governor and Ambassador of India to a country of his choice, but he politely declined.
Condolence message posted by Dr Zafarul Islam Khan, president of AIMMM on his website said Saiyid Hamid, a man of illustrious personality, a man having Himaliyan achievements to his credit, a man having versatile qualities, a man embodying the finest values and the beacon of absolute honesty, love and commitment is no more. Yet he is alive and shall remain alive for generations to come for his massive socio-educational reformations and renaissance movements that shall continue to inspire all.