My days in NT Hall

My First Year in N.T. Hall

“BAN MURGA” was the first sentence that thrilled me as I entered through the gate of Nadeem Tarin Hall first time with all my bag and baggage. Actually this was the July of 2001 when after a long cut-throat competition I got admission in B.Tech. (Computer Engg) and N.T. Hall was allotted to me. To my bad luck it was Saturday night and “Introduction” process was carrying on in central lawn of the hall, as I was entered. I saw some juniors(victims) standing bowing their heads, one was counting stars, another was continuously saying “school chalo” pointing fingers to the sky, two of them was running in the ground shouting “main dhurra hoon”. This seen terrorized me and I started moving rapidly toward my room, but I failed to escape from seniors’ sight. They caught this “taza murga” with all of his bag & baggage. With pounding heart & shaking legs I heard one of them saying, “Don’t you have manners to greet Salam to your seniors?” As I started “As-Salam…” a voice interrupted“Ban Murga!!!” but I stood totally confused & puzzled as I failed to find out my mistake. Suddenly again the thunder stroke- “Murga Ban!!!” and I don’t know when I bowed down, when my hands from behind the legs came & caught my ears with the eyes looking towards ground – “an exact Murga Position.” In that stage I heard one of the seniors telling,”whenever you asked for Salam your chest must make 90° with your legs and your hands starting from your knee touch your forehead saying – As-Salam-Alaikum Janab”. So, this was my first lesson of Introduction. After they asked about me, my family, my town, my awareness to A.M.U., Sir Syed, and Islam. Before leaving they told me about A.M.U. traditions like greeting Salam to everyone, slippers are not allowed out of hall, Kurta- Payzama without Sherwani is not allowed, dhabebaji is not allowed, night dresses are not allowed in dinning hall, reading room or common room.

Next morning was very pleasant and because of Sunday we had not to go for college. My partners were also juniors like me. From them I came to know that each Saturday night is fixed for “intro” and it was my good luck that my partners are junior otherwise traditionally senior room partner also takes “intro” with the first entry.
I want to tell you that when I shared my “Introduction” to my friends in other institutions I felt that I faced the most decent ragging among them, without abusive language, no embarrassing remarks about body parts and processes, no stripping, no embarrassing questions about girls in class, no drug abuses and after all without a single slap while in otherinstitutions sometimes seniors beat badly their juniors to the extent to hospitalize them. In fact the AMU introduction is very different from ragging and there is no resemblance of the“Introduction” here to the Ragging in other colleges. The sole purpose of these “Introduction” is just to bridge the communication gap between junior & senior students. New comers get their hesitation removed and get an opportunity to develop multidimensional aspects of their personality.
Now within a week I got the normal routine in the hall. In morning we go for college, afternoon was for sleeping, evening was for tea-time, games, common room & time after dinner was for B.C. (baat-cheet) where we discuss all topics that may be possible. But the cynosure of all discussions was gals & gals. Often we plan and make one of the guy “bakra for leg pulling”. We start how he talks, how he walks, what teachers say about him and after all what girls think about him. Saturday night was devoted for movies basically to avoid“intro” and moreover for fun. Sunday was the day of wandering Amir-Nisha & Centre Point(C.P.). This was also the day when guys (esp. lovers) go for Abdullah, I.G. Hall or S.N. Hall for asking “Khairiyat”. After passing July and August, September was the month that brought some wrinkles on our brow because of mid-semester examinations and assignments. Usually we were the habitual of doing class with a single note-book (actually we saved our precious energy that may otherwise waste in carrying bags). This was the season of income of photo- copiers. A studious guy is searched and captured for assignments and then only our eyes & hand start working switching off all the lights of brain. Actually we make symbols & letters scripted on the photo-copy of original assignment like a master artist. After clearing mid- semesters the month of October arrived, the month of Sir Syed Day. We participate in various games and events organized in this week. On Sir Syed Day (17’th October) whole university was ornamented like a bride & V.C. delivers speech in athletics ground.
Month of November- December was of Ramadhan and also of end-semester examination. Ramadhan was the time to search persons having good cooking skills. Usually Biharis were assumed to be a good cook. We also found a good Bihari cook and made a teamof 6 persons for Aftaar. Money was collected and we bought a heater & a fry-pan. Plates and spoons were arranged from dinning hall. Bihari applied a JUGAAD technology and arranged a cooker. Now, we were fully equipped for Aftaar. Two persons were set for marketing, two for cooking, and two for eating (because these two were for washing which was always done by bayrers of dinning hall). To avoid any quarrel rotation mechanism (changing duty) was also applied. Our Aftaar usually consist of Pakaudis, Jalebis, chane & a lot of fruit-chaat (of banana guavava only). With the siren of A.M.U. all 6 attack on the aftaar & Darwin’s“Survival of the fittest” theory applied accurately. With the Ramdaan another problem was our end-semester examinations, attendance completion, assignments etc. also arrived. Lot of photo- copies, jugaad, relations etc. came into existence that make our life completely social.
After the 20 days long winter vacation new semester started again. New challenges in this semester were Computer programming & Engg Drawing. Boys started buying computers for programming but in whole the semester they made only 10 programs and saw 100 movies. Engg. Drawing was the most tangible subject for me, up till now I can not differentiate between plan and elevation and only god knows how I cleared this subject. Attraction of the month of February was “Numaaish”. This single word makes me recall of “halwa-Paratha”, tikkis and chats, bhel-puri, Apollo Circus, magician show, Jhanda & Nazeer Hotel, giant wheels, Columbus, Proctorial Monitors (Kale Kawwe). Moreover Hullar bazaar, Lal taal, variety shows (but believe me I never went there, only heard). We go there daily just to bake our eyes (can you imagine how we bake our eyes there??). Again the month of March-April- May had nothing new except same routine of mid- semester & end-semester examination.So this was my first year in NT Hall.