Monday, November 21, 2011

Professor S.M.A.Hashim Rizvi

While talking to Professor Abul Hashim Sahab of Urdu Department the discussion veered to Professor Syed Muhammed Abul Hashim Rizvi Sahab also. Apart from Miyan, that is, late Dr Syed Muhammed Ahmed, former Assistant Public Relations Officer of AMU, Professor Rizvi is another name that often escapes your poor Alig's mouth. His name should be been introduced earlier into the discussions here but some how Allah (SWT) did not wish it to happen till now. Professor Hashim Rizvi has retired from Physics Department of your beloved Alma Mater. He did his doctoral work in theoretical particle physics, one of the most challenging disciplines, at Brown University at Providence in USA, an Ivy League university. His dissertation on the then recently introduced, and very controversial, concept of charm in particle physics. This concept got later on experimentally verified and found mention in several Nobel Prizes also. Unlike nearly all the visitors to USA who would like to stay there only after there doctorate Professor Rizvi kept his promise of returning to India and AMU and served the university till his retirement. He zealously maintained very high academic standards and introduced avante garde theoretical topics into physics curriculum. Since he is one of the mentors of your poor Alig this post is indeed a pleasure to prepare. He belongs to an illustrious family. His father Professor S.M.A.Kazim Rizvi was professor and head of Mathematics Department of AMU. His mother was Ammi to many a people from out side their family. His younger brother, Dr S.M.A. Asim Rizvi, is a well known physician who, in the words of a colleague of Professor Rizvi, makes it worth living in this town. Dr Asim Rizvi has nearly single handedly created a fine middle level public school  called Aligarh Modern School. Youngest brother to them is a quite well known Algebraist in the US. Their two sisters too are very well placed in the society. Professor Hasim Rizvi has been blessed with a very loving engineer son and equally loving medico daughter.