View from inside the Dr Zakir Husain Library - 10 Sept 2014 - Farhana Farid M.A.Human Rights
View from inside the Dr. Zakir Husain Library; 10 Sept 2014 (Photo: Farhana Farid / Jamia Journal )

My Jamia: A View of Jamia From the Eyes of a Fresher

I had the privilege of joining Jamia Millia Islamia this year, 2011. My dad had “motivated” me to take up social work as a career. It was a big step. I made many rounds to “my” Jamia prior to admissions in order to enquire about the course. I had so many questions to ask.

One fine day, during my enquiring sessions, my dad and I went to the old central library (reading room). As soon as we reached the library it started raining cats and dogs. And that was the day I fell in love; in love with Jamia. That day, it never crossed my mind that I would be spending the next three years of my life here. Jamia looks gorgeous during the rain. The lush green immense grounds and huge trees drenched in rain water look magnificently beautiful.

I joined the course, made friends, and heard professors deliver their lectures.

My daily experiences at Jamia tell me to live life more, and fully. While sitting at my favorite place, in the lawn, outside my department, I get this homely and secure feeling which Jamia gives me. There are so many magical moments which tell me to introspect and meditate a little that how I wish to see myself working after my years at Jamia, away from this place; will I be able to stay away from here?! ‘cause that’s the kind of a close bond I have made with my college in only initial four months and I don’t feel like moving away from this place. And how will Jamia look like after so many years, as in, will it remain the same or will there be changes when my batch mates and I will pass out from here. How I see shaping up myself, how will my college look after I’m gone.

Jamia University is actually not only a university; it’s a hub — a hub of various cultures, religions, practices, and prayers. The other day I was talking to one of my friends, and he said Jamia gives you a feeling of “home,” unlike other institutions, you are provided spare time to go for Namaaz and come back. It simply shows that not only its students stand up for Jamia but Jamia also stands up for its students.

Now to talk about the daily schedule; I guess daily cups of coffee from early 8:30 a.m. to late evening around 6 p.m. from the Central Canteen along with two or three shero-shayari, without which conversations seem tasteless, makes up for the initial stages of my college life, and many of my fellow Jamiaites. One cannot miss out on gorging Chicken Biryani from the engineering faculty. Gradually it’s becoming a status symbol of Jamia! I have literally started flaunting my college’s biryani in front of my family members and members from my circle who are non-Jamiaites. Then I heard about the Maggi-Point from seniors. The path from geography department to the Maggi-Point gives a feeling of passing through a jungle, and the feeling is psychedelic!

There are rounds at the reading room to sit and study peacefully, and to sit in an air-conditioned area for a while. The other day I was going to the Dr. Zakir Hussain Library, and on my way I had an encounter, a ferocious one. I saw a dog and then I saw a pup who was followed by his friends, three or four more puppies, tiny in size, and my friends and I ended up sitting and playing with that pup and his friends and giving them names. And now I see them once a fortnight.

Then there is the girls’ common room, which makes half the Jamia boys wonder how it looks from inside. And how can I forget my visit to the Sports Complex. My mouth opened wide in awe when I first saw the excellent gym of our college. The seemingly endless cricket ground made me look at it for approximately three minutes continuously. The complex is equipped with all the facilities required, though I still don’t know how to join it. It’s actually one of the issues I am facing as a fresher at Jamia, how can I join the Sports Complex? After my innumerable attempts to join it, I still have no clue. Then I had this feeling of ‘independence’ and a ‘sense of achievement’ when I got my DTC bus pass made from the DTC office at the Proctor’s office myself.

One can notice that a student has been offered with so many daily needs and opportunities within the premises of the campus, there is a DTC office, an ATM machine, a bank, a stationary shop alongside it, which also has a juice wala next to it, who sells amazing leechi juice for six bucks.

I can spend hours on the beautiful lawns just gazing at the vast endless blue sky above me. And this happens to me only at Jamia!

There is something, I don’t know what, which makes me feel pure, content and peaceful each morning, each single day I come to my university. There is something which tells me to open up and express myself openly without hesitation and put forward my opinions to everyone around. There is something which tells me how everything one does at Jamia is somehow larger than life!

I eagerly look forward to my very first sunny winters at — my Jamia.

[Tanya Bhatt (2014) is an undergraduate student in the Department of Social Works. She can be reached via email at: tanyabhatt1992[at]yahoo.co.in]

About Tanya Bhatt

Tanya Bhatt is a graduate student in the Department of Social Works. She can be reached via email at: tanyabhatt1992[at]yahoo.co.in

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24 comments

  1. Simply excellent…i do love my Jamia the way you do..good

  2. After such a long time I read something which make me emotional and interesting rather then the Debates.

    She reminds us the Jamia and our college days and now I really gonna miss our moments of enjoy !!!

    Thanks Tanya

    Best Regards,
    Nishat Khan
    MBA ’09
    B.Tech E&C ’06

    • THANK YOU!!… Its such a beautiful pleasure to hear from all of you. I don’t even want to think of a feeling of “missing Jamia”…cause I don’t wish to come out of there. :) Though VACATIONS are on!

      Regards
      Tanya Bhatt
      Jamia Millia Islamia

  3. Dear Tanya,

    I enjoyed reading your experience as a fresher which brought back the nostalgic fond old memories of the campus.I really miss the greenery, the environment and my friends noteably Yusuf, Wasiq, Zeeshan, Fozia and Naushaba.
    The cricket matches against our Professors and the lunch after the match are unforgettable. Zafar bhai tea and his refreshments during studying late at Dr. Zakir Hussain Library used to give us vitamins to strive for more.

    What a refreshing break I got reading about your experience from the discussions about student union.

    Regards

    Mohammad Siraj
    B.E.1995

    • Hello sir,

      It brings utter to me to know that all of have enjoyed reading this article.While writing it I had no idea I would invoke nostalgia to so many people. :) Its so good to hear from you all. I hope the Yusuf, Wasiq, Zeeshan, Fozia, and Naushaba and many more are still in touch with you?! And cricket matches against PROFESSORS sound so cool!! And the refreshments which we get after and workshop or gatherings are always to look forward too, whether they may be simple pakoras. If I am not wrong just outside the library, Zafar bhai is the one who has tea along with “mathri” (snack), I have had many sips from there as well. And it is equally refreshing to take a break and talk about Jamia with you all.

      Best regards
      Tanya Bhatt
      Jamia Millia Islamia

  4. Dear Tanya,

    I really enjoyed reading your article because i was able to connect with each and everything you described…yesterday i was going to Dental Hospital to meet somebody & was looking inside the college, the whole picture of my past came in front of me the time i spent there, my friends, teachers, canteen & Classes (ek ajeeb si kahfiyat taari ho gayi) & i confess i really love Jamia from my heart.

    Regards

    Fahad Rahman
    B.E. 2008

    • Hello sir,

      I can see myself in your shoes. I can well imagine myself passing by, stopping for a while and looking just at Jamia! Wow, even that moment I am sure will be of great ecstasy. Thank you so much for taking out time and reading and commenting. Thank you. And I guess most of us Jamiaites share the same “confession”. :)

      Take care
      Best regards
      Tanya Bhatt

  5. Very well written.. Best wishes for Tanya..

    Regards

    Khushtar Mirza
    B. Tech. in Computer Engineering, 2005

    • Thank you sir. I am so glad to receive everybody’s comments and in sharing the feeling of coming from the same background that we all have- Jamia!

      Regards
      Tanya Bhatt
      Jamia Millia Islamia

  6. Mohammed Bilal Khan

    Hats off
    My tears are just about to come out, so let me have a break, will appreciate you later.

    Thanx for making me cry.

    Mohammad Bilal Khan
    B.E.(Mechanical) 2009

  7. Hi Tanya,

    Very nicely expressed in very less words.
    “Wo naeem bhai ki briyaani ka taste to aaj tak kahi nahi mila.”
    It was just awesome.
    I must say its really appreciable

    Rizvi Irshan
    B.Tech(Electrical)-2008

  8. i think that JUICE WALA at MAKTABA has also learned from this….
    now he has increased price to Rs 7 instead of 5 earlier..

  9. I thought
    I am the only one to love jamia like a mad…
    But Its sounds good when you find some body loving d same girl to whom you love….
    But Its make me feel good from the bottom my heart that somebody else also love jamia in this way…

  10. describing me about the hostel atmosphere he tells me brother i will take you to three days visit in delhi especially to that so called jannat for delhi students jamia , brother tells me that kawsar you will just fall in love with the atmosphere and after reading the the article i really think that i will love the sate of art, it might be less…. so called jannat, yes i really want to visit, i really want to fall .
    hope to see jamia soon ….. with regards zhaid

  11. Dear Tanya,

    You made me nostalgic and let me recount my experiences. I truly miss my professors, who were really a variety. I miss how me and my friends used to tease them one day and appreciate them next day. I miss my lab. and seniors there. You can’t have more affectionate people as seniors anywhere else. I miss them and love them. I miss the countless cups of hygienic tea and coffee at various coffee points. I miss engineering Biryani too. I miss Youth Cafe and then fun there. I miss the open discussions on various issues of national interest without any fear of attracting communal attention. Jamia, I just love its secular nature. No other institute in India can match it. I miss the International Conferences too. Jamia fests, they are a real treat to anybody. I miss library too. And let me tell you one important thing… I fell in love with Jamia on one fine, fast and furious, rainy hour. I remember we were in library and it arrived. It was so intense that anyone could barely stand in open lawns. And after showers stopped, it was close to evening and lights were put on as usual. But the difference on that evening…Jamia looked like a newly wed bride. Anyway thank you as you made me recount my experiences.

    Best,
    Qysar Maqbool
    M. Sc. Chemistry(2010)

  12. Kya yar
    purani yaadein taaza kardin ….. :'(
    nt frm clg but from jamia school, missing jamia alot tonight

  13. i too had the exacy same feeling about jamia, i will never forget how pure i felt wen i entered the main campus everyday.. but by the end of three years.. a lot of it changed

  14. Dear Tanya

    Thanks for reminding the every moments of Jamia………….

  15. In my views as as a fresher Jamia Millia Islamia high official must pay attention towards schools of Jamia.
    Specially the school hostel food.
    In past 2 months from August 2015 to September 2015 worms were found in rice and one dead housefly was found in Gulabjamun.

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