By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: Former bureaucrat, eminent educationist and Chancellor of Hamdard University Saiyid Hamid passed away on Monday, December 29, after a prolonged illness.
Hamid, 94, was respected as a highly cultured and learned person within the Muslim community as well as at the national level. He breathed his last at the Jamia Hamdard’s Majeedia Hospital.
He was married to Surayya Hamid and has three children Samar, Saman and Faraz Hamid.
Late Saiyid Hamid (TCN file photo)
Hamid, a retired IAS officer, later also served as the Vice Chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). He had also served in several important committees, including the Sachar Committee set up by the UPA government to probe the social and economic conditions of the Indian Muslim community.
Born on 28 March, 1920 at Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh, young Hamid went to the AMU in 1937 after completing school education at Moradabad and Rampur. After the bachelor’s degree, Hamid did masters in English in 1941 and enrolled for another MA in Persian. He was also a member of the university’s hockey team.
Before he could complete his second MA, Hamid was selected for Uttar Pradesh’ Provincial Civil Services in 1943. He could finally complete his MA in Persian in 1947, the year India got Independence. He served in the PCS till he joined the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) in 1949.
Hamid served at various distinguished posts in the bureaucratic hierarchy both in UP and in Delhi. From 1976-80, he was the founder & chairman of the Staff Selection Committee. After a long and distinguished career, he retired in 1980 and was appointed the Vice Chancellor of his alma mater (AMU) in June, 1980 where he served his full five years term.
Since 1999, Hamid was serving as the Chancellor of the Delhi’s Hamdard University and was also serving as members of several high profile committees, including the management committee of the Darul Musannefin Shibli Academy, Azamgarh.
Polite to a fault and one of the last practitioners of the dying art of conversation, Hamid describes himself as “a listener”. He was also a writer of impeccable prose in both Urdu and English and was a regular contributor to important Urdu newspapers on educational and social issues.
Hamid’s most noticeable contribution is to the field of education. He was involved in some advisory capacity with dozens of educational institutions across the country. He was also instrumental in establishing and nurturing the Jamia Hamdard University, besides looking after the Hamdard Education Society that runs Hamdard Public School and Hamdard Study Circle for Civil Services examinations.
Community grieves:
Announcing his demise, Milli Gazette, edited by Dr Zafaul Islam Khan, wrote on its website, “The light has gone out. 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.”
Navaid Hamid, community activist, described it as a “great loss for community.” While expressing his grief, Mahab Alam, journalist and activist, currently associated with Amnesty India, noted, “We will not forget your contributions, especially in the field of education!”
Writer and journalist Syed Obaidur Rahman, wrote on his Facebook page: “The death of a great scholar is the death of the world. A chapter ends. Hamdard is orphaned. Great loss for the community!”
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