Dyal singh college: Alumni stand up against renaming

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, November 21

The proposed move of renaming Dyal Singh Evening College, Delhi, as Vande Mataram Mahavid-yalaya, has created disappointment among the alumni of Dyal Singh College, Karnal, as well as a former General Manager (GM) of Dyal Singh Trust Society.

They urged Delhi University not to hurt the sentiments of people who were associated with the institutes named after great philanthropist and educationist Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia. Dyal Singh College, Delhi, once run by the trust society, and was handed over to the university in 1978.

Brig (retd) NK Bhandari, who had served as GM of Dyal Singh Trust Society for around 10 years and was a member of Dyal Singh College governing body for the last 20 years, criticised the move.

Claiming the step as breach of trust, he said, “It was shocking for me. The move must be withdrawn and the name of the legendary personality should continue.”

“It is the moral responsibility of members of the governing body to ensure the ethos and values envisaged by him are protected and propagated. To change his name is the greatest sin and demeaning his contribution. It must be opposed tooth and nail,” said Brigadier Bhandari, a former student too.

“We will hold a meeting of alumni of Dyal Singh College, Karnal to take the issue with the Union government as well as the Delhi University,” he said.

“It is a tribute to him that the name of Dyal Singh College flourishes as a public library in Lahore and its name has not been changed,” he added.

HG Khurana (79), alumnus and retired LIC AGM, criticised the move. He said Majithia was a great nationalist, patriot and secular person who donated everything for the welfare of society.

“I was a student of the college between 1954 and 1958 and was inspired by the work done by Majithia. Instead of taking his name forward to inspire coming generations, some people are changing names of institutes named after him. The Delhi University VC should not consider this proposal,” he said.

Rajan Lamba, alumnus and treasurer of the alumni association, said it was shocking news for him as well as other former students. “We are not former students of the college, but have great respect for Majithia, who had donated everything for the welfare of society,” he said.

Serving a 15-day ultimatum on Delhi University, he said the alumni association would write to President Ram Nath Kovind, PM Narendra Modi and the university VC, requesting them not to change the name.