In the year 1945, Dr Ziauddin Ahmad, the Vice-Chancellor of Muslim University, Aligarh, went on a mission to London where he expired. The news of his demise was received by the university community with great shock. Dr Ziauddin Ahmad was regarded as a second Sir Syed Ahmad Khan because of his life-long services to the Aligarh University, and untiring efforts for its development. In those days, he was trying to establish a medical college and hospital in the university for which he had undertaken extensive tours. His tour of London, perhaps, was also in this connection.
Dr Ziauddin’s body was to arrive after a few days. In the meantime, the university authorities had started making preparations for the burial in the university graveyard. When the university students’ community came to know about it, they held a meeting and decided that the university graveyard was not a suitable place for Dr Ziauddin. They decided that the vacant space in the mausoleum inside the Jamia Mosque where Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was buried was the most appropriate. In the mausoleum, there were three graves side-by-side: those of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Sir Shah Suleiman and Sir Ross Masud. One space was vacant, which was reserved. The students wanted to utilize that space.
The students were, however, divided, but the majority was in favour of the vacant space in the mausoleum. They approached the university authorities with the idea and requested permission for digging the grave. Permission was declined on the ground that the Dr Ziauddin’s grave had already been prepared in the university graveyard and moreover, the vacant space in the mausoleum was already reserved. But the student community was not satisfied, and were bent upon digging the grave in the mausoleum.
The authorities, apprehending trouble, advised Dr Ziauddin’s family not to let the students have the coffin when it arrived from London. When the students came to know about it, the coffin had already arrived and was kept in the house of Dr Ziauddin for the family members to pay their last respects. The students went to the house and pleaded with the family members to let them have Dr Sahib’s coffin because they wanted to bury him near the grave of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. The family members refused. But after much persuasion, they reluctantly agreed. The students lifted the coffin and carried it in a procession, shouting Ziauddin zindabad. The coffin was placed in the cricket ground where the namaz-i-janaza was to be held.
It was already mid-day. Other students, defying the university authority, had started to dig the grave which took about three hours. After finishing the job, they joined the students where the coffin was lying. The namaz-i-janaza was still to be held. In the meantime, the university authority, with the help of students who were not in favour of burying Dr Ziauddin in the mausoleum, got the grave which the students had dug, filled with earth and levelled. There was some scuffle among the students and the police was called in. Determined as the students were in their resolve, they decided to dig the grave again even as evening approached.
The students again dug the grave in the mausoleum. But the burial could not take place that day and was postponed for the next day. The students remained in the mausoleum the whole night, guarding the prepared grave. Others guarded the coffin in the cricket ground.
The following morning, the students approached the Dean of Sunni theology to lead the namaz-i-janaza. But the maulana, also the Imam of Jamia Mosque, declined. He said the students had taken possession of the coffin by force and without the permission of the family members of the deceased. But the maulana, after being convinced that the consent of the family members had been taken, agreed after much persuasion.
Ultimately, it was decided to hold namaz-i-janaza in the afternoon. Even at this stage, the authorities tried to persuade the students to give up their stand. But the students would not yield. There were now two graves ready to receive the body of Dr Ziauddin. The political climate in those days, because of the Pakistan Movement, had made the students uncompromising and firm in their resolve to achieve their objective.
The namaz-i-janaza was led by the Imam of Jamia Mosque and the Dean of Sunni theology after Asr prayers, and was attended by hundreds of students and teachers. As evening approached, all those present made a file-pass for a final glimpse of Dr Ziauddin Ahmad and pay their last respects to the departed soul.
The congregation then took the coffin in a procession, chanting Allah-o-Akbar, Ziauddin zindabad and proceeded towards the Jamia Mosque to hurry the second Sir Syed near the first. The procession entered the mosque through Bab-i-lshaque, the main entrance to Sir Syed Hall, and laid Dr Ziauddin to rest in the mausoleum. After the burial, they offered Fateha and by that time, the muezzin was calling for Maghrib prayers. The tussle over the burial was over. The students had achieved their objective. Later, they struggled to achieve Pakistan as well.
