‘We in Lahore did it, so must you’

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 21

When Ghulam Mustafa joined Lahore’s Government Dyal Singh College as a lecturer in 1987, there was a strong attempt by certain sections to rename the college as Data Sahib College. “But some ‘roshan khayal’ (progressive) teachers fought back and the name stayed. Will intellectuals in India fight back too,” asks Mustafa, referring to the move to rename Delhi’s Dyal Singh College as Vande Mataram Mahavidyalaya.

Now an associate professor, Mustafa says a group of teachers got Dyal Singh Majithia’s portrait installed in the staff room. “Now young students often ask us about the portrait and we proudly tell them that this man spent his fortune on building a college for you.” 

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The college has emerged as one of the key centres of academic activism, says Dr Shafiq Butt, joint secretary, Punjab Professors and Lecturers Association. “Even after 1987, there were numerous attempts to rename Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and Dyal Singh College. These were resisted by the people. Even the Lahore HC upheld that these institutions should be known by their original names.”

Dr Chaman Lal, a former JNU professor, visited Lahore’s Dyal Singh College and Library and the newly established Dyal Singh Foundation in 2008. “Foundation director Dr Zafar Cheema welcomed us with open arms and gifted us a book on Shaheed Bhagat Singh in Gurmukhi. The Pakistan Government has set up foundations in memory of Dyal Singh Majithia as well as Sir Ganga Ram. On the other hand, the Indian Government is trying to erase Majithia's legacy as it doesn’t suit its political agenda,” he says.

Haroon Khalid, known for documenting works on Pakistan's minorities, says while Dyal Singh College and trust continue to exist in Pakistan, which is an Islamic state, a “secular India, in its pursuit of a uniform culture, is ignoring the fact that there is beauty in diversity.” Mahmood Awan, Punjabi writer and columnist for News International Lahore, agrees with him. “There seems to be a well-thought-out plan to divide Punjabis further and to alienate them from their history and heritage. Punjab heritage belongs to all Punjabis,” he remarks. Post 1972, the Dyal Singh Trust-run college in Lahore was taken over by the Pakistan Government and renamed as Government Dyal Singh College. It now has 2,300 students and 92 faculty members. Adjacent to the college is a library that is run by Dyal Singh Trust.

Sirsa meets Principal

NEW DELHI: Though DSGMC general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Tuesday met Dyal Singh College Principal IS Bakshi, asking him to oppose the decision to rename the evening college as Vande Mataram Mahavidyalaya, sources said college governing body chairman Amitabh Sinha remained adamant. Officiating principal Dr Ashok Singh argued this was not the only evening college to be converted into a regular one. “Desh Bandhu College and Ramlal Anand College too were renamed,” he said.