Phillaur, February 3
Punjabi University, Patiala, has ordered a high-level inquiry into the mysterious disappearance of some papers of immense historical importance belonging to Shaheed Bhagat Singh. The papers were once kept in the Art Gallery and Museum, located on the campus.
Dr S. S. Boparai, Vice-Chancellor of the university, disclosed this to The Tribune, in an exclusive interview here today, after attending the inauguration ceremony of a course ‘Vertical Interaction Programme on Stress Management’ at Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Police Academy.
He was replying to a query on why no action was taken against any person for the mysterious
disappearance of the papers from the museum. The papers had gone missing more than a decade ago, but, curiously, no one has made any efforts till now to trace them. The papers are said to contain hitherto “untold” details about the life of Shaheed Bhagat Singh. Some of his personal letters were also there in the papers.
The Vice-Chancellor said he had formed a committee to investigate the case. He declined to give details about the committee members saying the members should be allowed to work quietly.
With the issuance of these orders, the Fine Arts Department of the university, that was in the news for the unsavoury Saru Rana episode, is once again at the centre of a new controversy. The department maintains the museum from where the papers went missing.
‘‘It is criminal,’’ Dr Boparai said while commenting on the issue. He said it was not only an issue of grave concern for Punjabi University but also for the country. ‘‘ I was stunned to know that such papers were missing’’ he added, while asserting that he would go in to the details of the issue.
In another development, the controversy over the shifting of the archival records from Rajindra Kothi, Baradari Gardens, Patiala, has taken a new turn with Dr Boparai claiming that the records will now be housed in Punjabi University. The shifting of the records had sparked off a row as archival records of immense historical value were being shifted out of Rajindra Kothi to ready the place for a painting
exhibition.
Dr Boparai said the records would be housed in a new building to be constructed beside the existing museum on the campus. The shifting of the records, highlighted by The Tribune, is, however, against the rules. During the merger of the erstwhile PEPSU with the state of Punjab, it was decided that the archival records would always remain in Patiala.
After the report in The Tribune, the state government had ordered that the records would not be shifted. However, Dr Boparai today said that the record would now be housed in the university. He said the move was discussed with the Chief Minister and he had given the green light to it.
Dr Boparai also said that the university would introduce a number of new job-oriented courses from the next academic year besides increasing seats in some existing and popular courses. These were almost all science, forensic science, and management courses.
