Vice President Hamid Ansari went down the memory lane today as he inaugurated a photo exhibition dedicated to educationist and Congressman Mukhtar Ahmad Ansari on the eve of his 134th birth anniversary.
The Faculty of Architecture and Ekistics at Jamia Millia Islamia University has put on display 80 photographs depicting the life of the former Congress President and a founding member of the varsity.
"He was a very close collaborator of Gandhiji and a man whom Gandhiji used to call the ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity. The exhibition has revived the memories of one of the great figures of freedom movement," Ansari said after inaugurating the exhibition.
Hamid Ansari, who is his grand nephew, wrote in the visitors book, "A very fine collection of photographs and for me personally a journey down the memory lane. Congratulations Jamia for the initiative.!"
The Vice President was accompanied by his wife Salma Ansari.
"The exhibition conveys an important message of Hindu-Muslim unity advocated by Ahmad Ansari...The message is very much relevant at present," she said.
Vice Chancellor Talat Ahmad said, "Ansari's contribution for our country has been important when he was in Congress and he contributed to Jamia as well. The idea behind the exhibition is to let the present generation know about his contributions."
The exhibition which is on display till December 31 has been curated by SM Akhtar, Dean of the Architecture faculty over a period of two years.
"I visited his home town, Yousufpur in Gazipur district of Uttar Pradesh and met his relatives who helped me with certain family collection of pictures. Few of them were really damaged so we digitised and reproduced them," Ahmad said.
The exhibition is open for public viewing and after Dec 31 the photographs will be sent to Jamia's Archives centre which houses private papers, photographs, awards, mementos and personal collections of eminent personalities.
Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari was one of the founding fathers of Jamia and also served as varsity's Chancellor soon after the death of its primary founder chancellor Hakim Ajmal Khan in 1927.
He was also one of the key persons in establishment of Kashi Vidyapith in Varanasi.
