With the passing of Saiyid Hamid, India in general and the Muslim community in particular, has lost a distinguished personality who carved a niche in academic, cultural, historic and civil service fields. He was a respected figure and a highly cultured and learned person within the Muslim community as well as at the national level. He held key posts in the Indian central government and state government services. The most important among them was his remarkable contributions as the vice chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), an internationally renowned Muslim higher educational institution in India. Hamid steered the university in turbulent times. He managed to overcome all problems with his political acumen, administrative capability and practical sense. He was also well known for his humility and keenness in applying justice and showing respect to all. Hamid was born to a middle class family in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) on 28 March 1920. It was the same year in which the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College, founded by the great Indian reformer Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, was converted into the AMU following the pattern of the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. His father Syed Mehdi Hasan was interested in history, literature and Islamic education. Hamid completed his MA in English literature at AMU and later obtained another MA in Persian. As a good hockey player, he was the captain of the university team and won several matches. There were several prominent figures who were at the helm of the university while he was a student there, such as Sir Ziauddin Ahmad and Sir Shah Sulaiman and other renowned academics who contributed immensely to the university and to Indian Muslims as a whole. Hamid was very much impressed by these great academics and inherited a lot of their qualities and passion. In 1943, Hamid was selected for UP's Provincial Civil Services. He served in the PCS till he joined IAS in 1949. For over three decades, Hamid served at various distinguished posts in the bureaucratic hierarchy both in UP and in New Delhi, India's capital. During his long and distinguished career, he proved his extraordinary capabilities and efficiency as a leading administrator and successful bureaucrat. After retiring from administrative service, Hamid was appointed vice chancellor of AMU. Hamid joined the university at a crucial juncture when the AMU community was fighting to restore its lost minority character. His tenure was marked by very tough and painful decisions, and his administrative skills as a seasoned bureaucrat came in handy. While serving as the head of the university, he encountered many challenges and difficulties. Some of his bold decisions triggered protests from a section of the academic faculty. Students of the university went on strike and took to the streets demanding the restoration of AMU's minority character and other issues. Eventually the police entered the campus and opened fire and an innocent student died. As a result, AMU was closed and its hostels were vacated. Hamid worked hard to bring back the past glory of his alma mater. The monthly magazine Tahzeebul Akhlaq, started by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, was restarted again during his tenure. He started departments of computer science, modern Indian language and chemical engineering. A new administrative block, a hall of residence for students, a new guest house, a 150-bed hospital building in J.N. Medical College, and commerce and law faculty buildings were completed during his tenure. He put a lot of emphasis on coaching and guidance to develop competitive skills among the students for the Indian Civil Services (ICS) and other competitive exams for different prestigious institutions. Hamid's academic record earned him the respect of the teaching community. He played a key role in bringing AMU back to normality after the distraction of a prolonged struggle for minority character. He listened politely to student leaders, but sent the message that it would be better if they concentrated on their careers. During his tenure as vice chancellor, he succeeded in crushing anarchy, driving ruffians out of the campus, restoring the dignity of Sir Syed's university, and regularizing academic activity. Even after retirement, Hamid's passion for social reforms among Indian Muslims did not fade. Hakim Abdul Hameed, founder of Hamdard Dawakhana and Jamia Hamdard, appointed him as honorary secretary of the Hamdard Education Society. This was the beginning of new phase of Hamid's life. He started the Hamdard Study Circle to provide coaching and guidance for ICS competitions for Indian Muslims and other minorities. He also started the Hamdard Public School in Delhi. To promote educational awareness among Indian Muslims, Hamid launched a national education caravan. Together with other Muslim intellectuals, he visited different parts of the country and made passionate appeal to Muslims to focus on education for the development of their community and for nation building. Abdul Hameed entrusted Hamid with his dream of establishing a university. It was due to Hamid's untiring efforts and purposefulness that India's University Grants Commission agreed to confer “deemed to be University” status on Jamia Hamdard. After the death of Abdul Hameed, a dispute broke out among his children and Hamid's mediation was successful in finding an amicable solution to the dispute. Hamid was elected Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard, a post that he held until his death at the age of 94 on 29 December 2014. May Allah forgive him and accommodate him in His Paradise.
— Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi is a former Saudi diplomat who specializes in Southeast Asian affairs. He can be reached at [email protected]
