Alumni of India’s Jamia Millia Islamia convene in Dubai
SHATRUGHAN SINHA AMONG DELEGATES AT 98TH FOUNDATION DAY CELEBRATIONS
Hundreds of alumni of Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMI), one of India’s most prestigious institutions, gathered in Dubai on Friday as part of the ongoing celebrations of its 98th Foundation Day.
The university was founded on October 29, 1920 in Aligarh and moved to New Delhi in 1925. Jamia is a public central university renowned for producing prominent Muslim, as well as non-Muslim, leaders in various fields. Some of its notable alumni include Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, TV journalist Barkha Dutt and politician Javed Ali Khan. ■
Friday’s celebration was held in Dubai due to the large number of alumni here, alumnus Kunwar Danish Ali told Gulf News yesterday, adding that more than 1,000 alumni, JMI officials and guests convened at the event at Roda Al Murooj hotel.
He said that film actor-turnedpolitician Shatrughan Sinha was the chief guest.
“[Sinha] mentioned that his university recently celebrated its centenary and had invited the Indian Prime Minister but [Sinha] was disappointed that ‘I was not invited for whatever reason’,” said Ali, who was a guest of honour.
Ali added that Friday’s event also coincided with Urdu Day (November 9) which is also the birth anniversary of legendary Urdu poet Mohammad Iqbal.