TRIBUNE IN EDUCATION: HISTORY
Holidaying for profit

FACT FILE The Dogra rulers ruled Kashmir, in the late 19th century. Gilgit was the northern-most outpost of Kashmir and Baramulla was the major trading station where traders from Yarkand and other parts of Central Asia assembled to exchange goods. Travelogues, such as that by Knight, were an important device of keeping the reading public informed about the happenings in far-flung regions of the British empire.

“Strange people food and bed / Why not stay at home instead // Its cheap and easy to arrange / A Rest is better than a Change//”

As the holiday season peaks I am reminded of this doggerel. Yet there are people who long to travel. One such was E F Knight. Knight was a barrister by profession. But that is neither here nor there for in England of the 19th century any one with some basic education could become a barrister by sitting down to a few dinners with other licensed barristers. This was nothing to be ashamed of and Knight was not alone in this. Our very own Gandhiji and possibly Nehruji too had obtained their barristerships in a similar manner.

We have little record of Knight doing any legal work. He did involve himself with a number of adventures, though. For example, he accompanied the US General Henry MacIver on a filibustering expedition against New Guinea. Accompanied the English Royal Party to New Zealand in 1902. Became the war correspondent to the Morning Post [London] in 1889 in order to cover the war between Russia and Japan.

A cantilever bridge in Kashmir during Knight’s travels

He continued to meet some way out people. One such informed him about a treasure buried by a pirate in Trinidad. In order to discover it Knight went to that far off island, off the coast of Brazil, in a small yacht, the Alerte. The Alerte is reported to be an old but able craft, 64 feet long, and 14.5 feet broad. There were others too who shared Knight’s sense of a good holiday. So he got 150 responses to his advertisement inviting people to accompany him in search of the treasure. The advertisement asked for volunteers who would contribute to the cost of the expedition, would work as sailors on board and as navvies on the island. Each was promised a share of the treasure, should anything be discovered. Knight appointed himself as the Captain for this voyage. He chose 9 of those who responded to his advertisement. None, including the sailors, had much practical experience of sailing on the high seas. But such was the material of which these adventurers were made.

The sketch of a Yacht that Knight thought was fit to sail the high-seas

India’s contact with Knight came about when he decided to trek from Kashmir to Tibet via Gilgit. In the spring of 1891 he came to Kashmir. Those days even in March Srinagar and the neighbouring hills could be less than 40 feet of snow. Reaching Kashmir itself was an adventure. “A Punjabi coachman drove us with true Mussulman fatalist recklessness at a good 12 miles an hour [about 20 kmph!] towards the hills”, he wrote trying to awe his readers. The river Jhelum in those days formed the frontier between British India and the realm of the Maharaja of Kashmir. But it foamed and sprang against the rocks so that the only reasonable way to cross it into Kashmir was by the suspension bridge at the village of Kohala.

The early part of his journey was full of wonderment. He encountered a colony of Sikhs on Baisakhi day. In his report Knight does not remember the name of the day but does recall that everyone bathed in the river Jhelum, feasted and made merry. The only dark spot was the arrival of some “naked fakirs...covered with filth, hideous, evil-featured, with insane fanatical malice glittering in their eyes”. Who these gentlemen were remains a matter of guesswork for us today.

But as Knight spent more time on the journey his patience began to wear thin. By the end of April, two months into his journey, he began to controvert his earlier reports of the Kashmiris being clever, cheery and civil. “These are among the most despicable creatures on earth, incorrigible cheats and liars, and cowardly to an inconceivable degree”, he reported. It was clear that Knight had had enough of travelling, but there was no way out. He had commissioned himself to go all the way to Tibet. That he continued with a heavy heart. I do wonder, though, why have such an extended holiday?

Dr M. Rajivlochan, Department of History, Panjab University, Chandigarh, can be contacted at mrajivlochan@hotmail.com.

Class XI form submission ends today

Chandigarh, June 26
The admission season in local government schools is all set to pick up with the deadline for the submission of forms to Class XI ending tomorrow. The last date for submission of forms was extended by two days keeping in view the late declaration of the results of the Punjab and Haryana school education boards.

Against the nearly 8,000 seats available in the streams of science, arts, commerce and vocational courses, the department has already received nearly 9,000 applications. A lot more are expected to come in tomorrow.

While the science stream has emerged as the favourite among the toppers, the streams of commerce and arts have also attracted students with high percentages though a clear picture would emerge once the applications are sorted out. This year, a large number of students have opted for vocational subjects as well.

The UT Education Department, too, is all geared up to sort forms after tomorrow. The department will be functioning over the weekend to ensure that the lists are ready well before admissions take off on July 2. TNS

Teachers seek benefit of past service
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 26
Members of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) yesterday staged a dharna outside the office of the DPI (Colleges), Punjab, demanding extension of the pay revision notification to cover teachers of unaided colleges. They also demanded release of pay arrears and benefit of past service as per the UGC norms.

The union condemned the decision of the Punjab Government to file an SLP in the Supreme Court against the judgement of the High Court that allowed benefit of past service done in other colleges.

PCCTU members said that they would continue to work to retain 10-plus-two classes in colleges.

PU BA I results
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 26
Panjab University will tomorrow declare the results of the BA I (general) examinations conducted in April this year, an official press note said here today.

Copies of the result gazette will be available at the enquiry counter on all working days. Tomorrow, the results will be available from 11 a.m. onwards.

PU working hours

Chandigarh, June 26
Panjab University will resume its normal working hours in the Administrative Block and teaching departments from July 1, an official press note said here today.

The offices will remain open between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. for five days. During the ongoing summer vacation the administrative offices were open between 7.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. for six days a week. TNS

DISTRICT COURTS
Judicial remand for Maloya godman
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, June 26
A self-styled godman of Maloya, Jai Dev Giri Baba alias Deepak Bhatachariya, of Daronachariya Mandir, who had been arrested by the UT police for allegedly detaining and raping a minor girl, was today remanded in judicial custody by a local court. The suspect was produced before the Duty Magistrate, Mr Phalit Sharma, who remanded him in judicial custody till July 10.

The police has registered a case against the godman following a complaint registered against him by the father of the victim, Achhe Lal, a rickshaw-puller. He alleged in the complaint that the girl was kept in illegal confinement and the accused kept abusing the girl for over four years. The complainant further stated that the baba on the pretext of teaching the girl religious discourse kidnapped her and kept her away from the family. Thereafter she was taken to various places on the pretext of religious teaching. The police had registered a case under Sections 344, 363, 366, 376 and 506 of the IPC against the Baba.

NEW RELEASES
Love triangle by Rajshri

Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor and Abhishek Bachchan. Director Sooraj R Barjatya has gathered three shining stars to weave the glittering tapestry of a love triangle called ‘Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon’. Keeping in line with the tradition of Rajshri to provide wholesome entertainment, Barjatya has reportedly come up with a remake of the Zarina Wahab, Amol Palekar and Vijayendra Ghatge starrer ‘Chit Chor’. This Rs 30-crore blockbuster film opens today at Nirman, Chandigarh, and KC, Panchkula. Extensively shot across New Zealand, Mauritius and India, this spectacular musical love triangle is Rajshri Productions’ biggest and most ambitious presentation. This heart-warming musical love story has a catchline: I will love him till the end of time.

It has soul-stirring sound tracks composed by Annu Malik and supported by singers like Shaan, K K, Sunidhi Chauhan and Chitra.

Produced by Kamal Kumar Barjatya, Raj Kumar Barjatya and Ajit Kumar Barjatya, the film has story, screenplay and direction by Sooraj R Barjatya, lyrics by Dev Kohli, cinematography by Rajan Kinagi, editing by Mukhtar Ahmad, art by Bijon Das Gupta and choreography by Jay Borade among the major credits.

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