An Indefensible Appointment

WHILE the recent revival of the Chair of Philosophy in the Government College, Lahore, which was abolished some years ago, is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, we cannot help thinking that the reported appointment to this Chair of a gentleman whose subject is English is indefensible. Against the gentleman personally we have not a word to say, and we share the general feeling of all who know him that his promotion to the Indian Educational Service is fully deserved. But obviously the proper thing for the authorities to do is to give him an English chair, or, at any rate, some other job where a special knowledge of what is at present a highly technical subject is not required. The decision is all the more amazing in view of the fact that the authorities might for the mere asking have the services for this very post of a distinguished Punjabi scholar who has not only made a special study of philosophy and is the actual holder of high academic degrees, but who for years has been serving as a senior professor of philosophy at the premier College in another province. It is common knowledge that the gentleman is anxious to come back to his own Province, for the reason that the climate of the place where he is now does not suit him. Persistence in this proposal to put a round peg in a square hole, to appoint an “English” man to a Philosophy Chair could only be intelligible on the hypothesis that in the opinion of the authorities concerned the office exists for the man. Let us hasten to add that according to our information the responsibility for this appointment does not rest either with the present Director of Public Instruction or with the Indian Minister in charge of Education. If this information is correct, we do hope they will lose no time in revising the arrangement and setting things right, now that their attention is publicly drawn to the matter.

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