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Mehmooda Ahmed Ali Shah: A Great educationist

By Dr Umila Sharma. Dated: 3/23/2014 10:42:37 PM

Miss Mehmooda Ahmed Ali Shah, Ex-Principal, Govt. College for Women, M.A. road, Srinagar who left for her heavenly abode on March 11 devoted her whole life to the cause of women emancipation in Kashmir. She was an inspiration for the women folk, who served Women College with true dedication.
I was lucky enough as a student of this college who got this opportunity to come in contact with her as her student for four years and as a Lecturer for more than ten years. She had a great liking for poetry, music, especially Ghazal; Faiz Ahmed Faiz was her favorite poet "Hum par tumhare chah ka ilzam hi to hai" was her favourite Ghazal. She had a liking for Sufiana Kalam also and that is why in the college auditorium Mohamad Abdullah Tibet Bakal used to come and play Santoor before the students and staff of the college.
She was a woman of secular ideas who used to love all students alike. In the college, a week long drama festival used to be organized in which all the plays of different languages like English, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and Kashmiri used to be staged. It was her initiative that an opera written by Dina Nath Nadim namely, 'Bamur te yamberzel' was staged and got appreciation from all quarters; similarly shadow play was also staged in the college auditorium.
In the field of games and sports, she used to encourage the students and staff to take part in all the games and sports. There used to be matches different games. Throw ball, badminton and table tennis which were played between the staff and the students College tours were also organised by her every year for the students and staff. The idea was to give them exposure. I also got this opportunity to see Delhi, Agra, Aligarh for the first time and also saw a train for the first time as in those days train used to start from Pathankot. It was her endeavour that international delegations used to come in the college and they got the glimpses of different cultures of one state like Jammu, Kashmir and Lakakh. It was during her tenure that we got the opportunity to meet Urdu shot story writer Krishan Chander, Salma Sidique, Actress Shabana Azmi, Prem Dhawan, father of Anil Dhawan, who also sang "hum hoonge kamyab" in front of the students and the staff.
She was a strict disciplinarian that is why all the teaching members of the staff used to be in their respective classes as soon as the bell would ring. She was awarded the most outstanding pupil of the century award on the occasion of the centenary celebration, of the Mallinson Girls School on 2012 by the Tyndale Biscoe Mallinson Society for a life time dedicated service to the cause of Education among girls and women.
She encouraged the students to take part in co-curricular, extra curricular activities like debates, symposia, quiz programmers. Every year 'PAMPOSH' the college magazine used to be published.
Indira Gandhi had a very high opinion of her; whenever the former used to pay a visit to Srinagar, she would also visit Women's College, Srinagar.
It was Mehmooda Ahmed Ali Shah's inspiration, efforts and teachings that one can see her students in all fields of life - in colleges, universities and as doctors, engineers, social workers, lawyers and judges. Reputed singers like Shamima Azad, Kailash Mehra and Sunayna Koul are among her students. I still remember that whenever Shamina Azad used to sing in her melodious voice in the college auditorium, the audience was spell bound.
We all, the products of Government College for Women, M. A. road, Srinagar pray to almighty God for peace of the departed soul.
(The author is a retired Principal of Govt. College of Education Jammu).