Renaming of Dyal Singh College: Old files being reviewed by Trust officials

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, November 20

Amid the uproar over the renaming of Dyal Singh (evening) College, Delhi, as Vande Mataram Mahavidyalaya, the old files, during the time of handing over the college to the government, are reportedly being reviewed by Dyal Singh College Trust Society officials here, so that all options could be explored to retain the name of college.

The college is named after the great philanthropist and educationist, Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia.

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However, all the officials of Dyal Singh College Trust Society here are still mum over the issue but the sources maintained that the land of Dyal Singh College, Delhi, was procured by the trust which had made the college operational. Later it was handed over to the government to run the college.

Retired professors of Karnal’s college had already raised their voice against the move and they had claimed it to be a step towards the ‘bhagwakaran’ (saffronisation) of the educational institutes.

Serving professors and other staff members are also upset over the move and said it has hurt their sentiments. They demanded the Union Government as well as the Delhi Government and Delhi University to consider their sentiments and not to change the name.

One of the serving professors said on the condition of the anonymity that it was a surprise move for all the persons associated with Dyal Singh College.

He said that the land for establishing the college in Delhi was procured by the trust and how its name could be changed by some persons. They should not forget the contribution of Sardar Majithia in the upliftment of the society, he added.

When even Pakistan Government had not changed the name of Dyal Singh College, Lahore, and had just added government word with it, then why was the name of the college in India by the name of a great personality, who devoted all his belongings for the welfare of society, changed, he questioned.

Meanwhile, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee’s (SGPC) former senior vice-president Raghujeet Singh Virk criticised the move and said that instead of focusing on development work, this government was busy in name changing.

He said that instead of renaming the existing college, the government should have opened a new college.

“We have no problem to open a new college by the name of Vande Matram, but we should not tolerate the name change of Dyal Singh College,” he said.

Sardar Majithia was a great visionary person, who always thought for development of the society, he said, adding that he urged the government to think over it.