On July 28, 2009 — 150 years after Bishop George Edward Lynch Cotton founded
Bishop Cotton School in Shimla — the institution and its alumni paid homage to this
man by erecting his bust on the campus. The school continues to remain focused
on the welfare of its students, writes G P Sahi

July 28 is Founder’s Day of Bishop Cotton School, Shimla. It is a day when the school and its alumni internationally pay tribute to a remarkable man — Bishop George Edward Lynch Cotton ( 1813 -1866), sixth bishop of Calcutta (1858-1866). Bishop Cotton clearly understood the vital need for integrated and trusting communities in the war-ravaged north Indian plains. Cotton, therefore, created a visionary educational blueprint—for it is education that removes cross-culture ignorance and misunderstandings— pivoting on an apt biblical quotation, "Overcome Evil with Good," which essentially means replace destruction with creation.

Bishop Cotton School, Shimla, is the only school in India Bishop Cotton actually founded before his tragic death. On July 28, 2009—150 years after Bishop Cotton founded the institution — the school and its alumni paid homage to this man by erecting a bust (commissioned in part by the batch of 1956, and in part by the school) on the school campus.

This batch — headed by Chaatar Singh and me—had a strange, quiet and successful way of doing things promptly without any hue and cry or fuss, and for this all the group members need a well-meaning pat on their backs.

I, surrounded by my batchmates, formally unveiled the bust.

The international status of the school was further underlined later when Capt Vivek Chander Bhasin (1970 batch), on behalf of the Old Cottonian Association (UK Chapter)—which funded the project—formally inaugurated a set of three magnificently-carved and painted doors leading into Irwin Hall (erected in 1930 and named after Lord Irwin, the 16th Viceroy — 1926-1931).

But Bishop Cotton School is not only concerned with homage to its past. The school is also very focussed on the future of its pupils—in India and internationally — and plays an active role in educational leadership within the local community. So, on the same day, Bishop Cotton School hosted nine local schools in a "renewable energy- themed competition." Standards in creativity and exposition were high, and the competition intense.

The memorable day closed with the 11th T M Whitmarsh Knight lecture. The keynote speaker in this sesquicentennial year was Rohit Gandhi (famed film documentarian), involved greatly with the issue of climate change. The topic was "Climate Change: Are we overpowering our environment?"

Four other panellists gave views, which were provocatively different but relevant, and all dwelt on the same fundamental issue—we must change patterns of behaviour, exploiting the environment now, or face total social disintegration in the near future. During the course of the evening, it was also made known to all present that the school is the only one in the world to have been accorded by the UN the logo—Seal the Deal, Copenhagen, 2009— which could be used in all correspondence.

This logo is and will be used by the school in all its correspondence henceforth to draw attention to the issue of climate change. Bishop Cotton School, Shimla—whilst continually implementing the immortal vision of its founder—has sailed through 150 memorable years, and is looking forward to negotiating the forthcoming years with even greater success that it has achieved in the past.

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