Amid Master Tara Singh lecture row, PU says schedule set to be revised

A day after Panjab University, Chandigarh, cancelled a scheduled memorial lecture in the honour of Master Tara Singh, varsity authorities said a revised schedule would be given later.

Speaking to The Tribune, which highlighted how a March 19 inaugural Master Tara Singh Memorial Lecture was postponed by the PU at the last minute yesterday, Jasbir Singh, chairperson, PU History Department, said the formal invitation, which some guests were citing, had not been officially issued by the varsity.

“We had not issued any posters or invitation cards,” Jasbir Singh said.

He, however, acknowledged that the event was planned for March 19 and calls about its postponement were made to guests, including Prof Salil Misra in New Delhi, who was to deliver the lecture, and Prof Joginder Singh, former professor and head, History Department, GNDU, Amritsar, who was to preside over the lecture.

Singh said the invitation being circulated had been printed by Guru Nanak Research Institute Birmingham, which instituted the Master Tara Singh Memorial Lecture and approached the PU for collaboration. “We agreed to collaborate,” said Jasbir Singh, adding that the lecture had been postponed and fresh dates would be announced later.

Meanwhile, former Rajya Sabha MP and chairperson of the National Commission of Minorities Tarlochan Singh sent another message today to PU Vice-Chancellor Renu Vig.

In the message, he said, “There is no justification of postponing the lecture. Knowing well that this function was to be held in one auditorium without disturbing any classes or functions already planned. There is no large scale involvement of students in this seminar. There is resentment in all circles here and abroad of this hasty decision. I have received so many comments from MPs, ex-ministers, vice-chancellors and senior citizens. I hope you will announce the fresh date immediately and will provide necessary facilities to the History Department of your university.” Vig had yesterday said the event was postponed due to ongoing student activities at PU — Jhankar and Vimarsh.

On a Tribune query on why the lecture was scheduled for March 19 at all when the dates for Jhankar (March 16 to 22) were already known, Jasbir Singh cited a March 17 circular which required that other events be postponed.

“We postponed as students get engaged in these activities and may not be available for the event,” he said. He also said he had informed Kiranjot Kaur, the Amritsar-based granddaughter of Master Tara Singh, about the postponement as also the family of Subhash Parihar who was to be conferred with a lifetime achievement award.

The university could, however, not offer any reasonable justification for making calls on March 18 about postponement of an event to be held on March 19.

Master Tara Singh led the Sikh community to opt for India, rejecting the offer of Mohammad Ali Jinnah to join Pakistan in 1947.