Demand of college no longer a talking point in Dera Baba Nanak

Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 7

Residents of Dera Baba Nanak don’t want to talk on the requirement of a good higher educational institution in the area, which was once a major demand. In 1969, on the 500th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the Education and Language Department of Punjab published a survey of the town, in which residents demanded opening of a college named after Guru Nanak Dev. Even after 50 years, Dera Baba Nanak is deprived of the college.

While celebrating the 500th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, then government had opened Guru Nanak College at Kala Afgana, 22 km away from Dera Baba Nanak on the Batala-Fatehgarh Churian road. This college is deprived of the required faculty and infrastructure. About the reasons of Kala Afghan College not doing well, local residents believe that shortage of staff and facilities were responsible for its

poor performance.

Today, there is a government at Kalanaur, 13 km from Dera Baba Nanak, but it has 89 students only. The government has good enough reason not to open another college but the truth that the area residents are still devoid of good education opportunities.

Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Cabinet Minister, said, “The border town is not required any college as existing colleges are struggling to get appropriate number of students. I have initiated a government college at Kalanaur, where only 89 students enrolled this year. Government can’t open college in every small town”.

Gurbhajan Gill, Punjabi poet and writer, who is among the first batch of student of Guru Nanak College, Kala Afgana, said, “It is sad that the demand of college is no more as students are going abroad for study. The education should be priority of governments. Now, the government should introduce English learning classes and IELTS courses

in these colleges”.

Bhagat Singh, a former social welfare minister in the Gurnam Singh’s government in 1969, was from Dera Baba Nanak and had made efforts to open college in Dera Baba Nanak.