Jamia Journal Independent Student-run News Website of Jamia Millia Islamia (a Central University)
[Editor’s Note: Following reportage on the MiRAAS festival is courtesy the official MiRAAS blog run by students of Jamia. We reproduce it here as it is.]
Inauguration of MiRAAS
Text by Wafia Kissa, Photos by Nabeel Khalid
On, 26 February, Jamia Millia Islamia, inaugurated MiRAAS 2013, a three day inter university festival with grandeur. Mr Najeeb Jung, Vice Chancellor, presided over the function. Mrs. Amina Jung, was the guest of honour along with Ausha Rizvi as the chief guest. Prof. Tasneem Meenai, Dean Student’s Welfare, was the chair-person of the event.
The function started with a slide show presentation which introduced JMI and MiRAAS to external participants. This was followed the felicitation of the guests by the Core Organizing Team (Insha, Sadia, Shabeeh, Mansoor, Momin and Zakir). Gosia was the compeer of the event.
Mrs. Amina Jung then launched the first edition of the MiRAAS Newsletter. That was designed by Imagication Ltd., an initiative taken by a fellow student at JMI, Aaqib Raza Khan, in collaboration with the Jamia Entrepreneurship Club.
This was followed by an address of the Vice Chancellor who wished for the students to have a good time over the duration of the festival. He pointed out the fact that the festival acts as a uniting force between students of various communities and backgrounds thus it was important to take this opportunity to overcome subconscious communalism.
Anusha Rizvi blessed the students involved with her kind words and appreciated the laurels that students have brought to Jamia.
Students from the Music Club sang the Jamia Taraana with live music and concluded the programme.
Mask Painting Competition
Text by Vismiay Avasthi, Photos by Nabeel Khalid
Vibrant hues were brushed upon dull masks, to make them come to life, at the Mask Painting competition held in the morning, at the Open Air Theatre. The competition seemed like a battle of themes and styles, ranging from contemporary to tribal themes, to a mixture of themes. The artists were provided with all the raw materials, but they were free to bring in their own requirements and implement their ideas on the masks provided.
Though the participating colleges and universities included, Apeejay Institute of Technology, Amity University, Kurukshetra University and Jamia Millia Islamia, the numbers were very modest. The event had an early start, and by 12 noon, most of the masks were more than half done. The participants painted their masks intricately and with enthusiasm. The judges of the event were Vijendra Sharma and Onkar Singh, with whom Wafia had a conversation which is uploaded on the page titled “In Conversation.
The event was handled with ease and there were almost no complaints from the participants. I had a short conversation with one of the participants, Kashish, from Department of Fine Arts, JMI who seemed to be working without pressure mixing warm and cool hues on her mask. The participants seemd at home and the event concluded on a happy note.
Music
Text by Zainab Abrar, Photos by Unknown
It was a warm breezy Tuesday when the Miraas inter university cultural festival was inaugurated and various competitions became open to all. The first competition that opened the Miraas festival was the Indian Vocal (solo) at 11AM. The venue was Ansari Auditorium and it was packed to the rafters with a n enthusiastic crowd. The compeers before the start of the competition laid out the rules and regulations which stated that only non filmy songs, ghazals and bhajans can be sung for duration of 4-6 minutes. The eminent judges of the Indian Vocal (solo) Competition were Ustad Saeed – a composer and sitar maestro extraordinaire from the Kirana Gharana, Anwar Ali Sahab – a music director belonging to the Delhi Gharan and Dr. Ayesha from the Gwalior Gharana.
Students from various universities and colleges participated in the competition and presented a host of masterpieces in various genres. This was followed by the Indian Vocal (Group) competition which strted at 12:45 PM at Ansari Auditorium with great aplomb. The rules of the Indian Vocal group stated that a team of participants would sing 2 songs (1 patriotic and 1 folk) within a time limit of 10 minutes. The Judging panel was the same as Indian Vocal (solo) competition, and the different universities participating in the competition fuelled the enthusiasm in the crowd with their music and set the stage on fire.
Western Vocal Group and solo competition were equally enthralling. Dr. Ayesha, Dr. Yaruingam, and Mrs. Aruna Massey formed the judging panel of both the events. Their job seemed to have been extremely difficult owing to the crowd’s excitement and the energetic performances of all the participants. By the end of the the music events the auditorium was roaring with amusement and appreciation for the participants. Music truly rules over hearts.
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