ALIGARH : Eminent jurist and senior judge, Lucknow Bench, High Court of Judicature, Allahabad, Justice Attau Rahman Masoodi will be the chief guest on the Sir Syed Day, 206th birth anniversary commemoration of AMU founder, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, to be celebrated on October 17.

He will arrive at the Gulistan-e-Syed, the venue of the programme, at 11 am, in an iconic four-wheel Victorian-era horse-drawn chariot with splendour and pomp. AMU Vice Chancellor, Professor Mohammad Gulrez will accompany the Chief Guest to the venue, where they will be received by Riding Club members.

Mr Syed Shahid Mahdi (Retd. IAS and Former Vice Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia), Mr Sanjiv Saraf (Founder, Rekhta Foundation) and Dr Laurence Gautier (Centre De Sciences Humaines, New Delhi) will be the guests of honour.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Gulrez will deliver the Presidential address, while the Chief Guest will also speak during the function.

Earlier, AMU Registrar, Mr Mohammad Imran (IPS) will deliver the welcome address.

Prof Aysha Munira Rasheed, Department of English and Prof Towqueer Alam, Dean, Faculty of Theology will deliver the English and Urdu speeches respectively on the teachings, philosophy, works and mission of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. Two AMU students will also speak on the occasion.

The Chief Guest, Justice Masoodi will hand over the prizes to the winners of the All India Essay Writing Competition organized by the Public Relations Office on “Sir Syed’s Influence on Language and Literature”.

The winners of the “In-House Students’ Research Convention”, organized by the Innovation Council and University Incubation Centre, will also receive prizes during the programme.

Prof Abdul Alim, Dean, Students’ Welfare will extend the vote of thanks followed by the University Tarana and the National Anthem.

The proceedings of the day will begin with a Quran Khwani (Quranic Recitation) after the Fajr (Day Break) prayer at the University Mosque at 6 am. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Gulrez, with faculty members and officers of the University, will also pay a floral tribute at the Mazaar (grave) of Sir Syed following the traditional ritual of ‘Chadar Poshi’.

Prof Gulrez will also inaugurate an ‘Exhibition of Books and Photographs’ pertaining to Sir Syed Ahmad Khan at the Sir Syed House at 10 am.

The traditional Sir Syed Day dinners to mark the occasion will also be held at all the halls of residence.