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khalsa college
Insecurity fears upset faculty
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Even as there is lack of transparency about the exact statutes for incorporating the proposed conversion of Khalsa College into a university, grave apprehensions have been lurking in minds of those who were once associated with the 119-year-old college as students.
People’s Party belongs to disgruntled leaders: CM
It is a new beginning, says Manpreet
He understands prisoners’ plight
Villagers await return of Gopal Das
No steps taken to check road accidents
Thermal plants showing high performance: Chaudhri
Holograms to check illegal sale of liquor
Pedestrian killed
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khalsa college
A 2,000-foot-long petition, containing 46,698 signatures, gave birth to what we know today as a grand old historic institution named Khalsa College in Amritsar. The holy city was selected over Lahore for establishing the college following this petition apart from hundreds of telegrams to the then Lieutenant Governor and the Khalsa College Establishment Committee (KCEC), which appeared in the columns of The Tribune. According to a brief history of Khalsa College authored by Dr KS Bajwa, the petition was submitted before the KCEC almost 120 years ago, on April 5, 1891. “Rai Bahadur Bhagat Narain Dass, MA, also wrote a pamphlet, ‘Amritsar versus Lahore’ and distributed it among Sikhs to plead in favour of Amritsar.” The iconic Khalsa College then came into being in 1892, played a key role in the country’s freedom struggle and with the passage of time also carved out a niche for itself in the field of education. However, today the 119-year-old grand institution is standing on the crossroads with the college management going full steam to convert it into a private university against the wishes of the college teachers, its alumni and various other sections of society. Interestingly, this is not the first time that the college is struggling to attain the status of a university. Earlier too, attempts were made to convert into a university, but for some reasons, the previous endeavours could not fructify. The first bid was made way back in 1920 during the British rule. However, there is a huge difference between the earlier proposal and the current one. While the present proposal is fraught with apprehensions and sense of insecurity, the one dating back to the British era would have undoubtedly seen the college making it to the list of the most prestigious universities in the country. If the college had become a university in 1920s it would have been funded by the government. The British had mooted this proposal for the Hindus, the Muslims and the Sikhs in view of their sentiments. While Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), both of which are Central universities entirely funded by the UGC, came into being, the Sikh university on the Khalsa College campus could not see the light of the day as a section of freedom fighters from the holy city opposed the move due to its British connection. Unlike the earlier proposal, the fresh plan would turn into a totally private university with no funding from either the state or the Union Government. That the college had aspired to be a university earlier too is evident from the annual report presented by the then college principal GA Wathen to Sunder Singh Majithia, the then president of the Khalsa College Charitable Society, in 1920-21. “The new Governing Body of this college has assumed control at a turning point of history. Is the college to develop into a university suited worthy of the genius of the Sikh community? We who work here feel that this development can and should take place and we may assure our new Governing Body that we expect a lead in the direction from them and we are prepared to follow that lead with all possible energy and enthusiasm,” said Wathen. In 1932, the Sikh Educational Conference held at Lahore applauded the proposal of developing Khalsa College into a university. A Sikh University Fund was started and Sikh philanthropists came out and donated generously for the cause. A sum of Rs 2 lakh was also collected for establishing the university. The donations varied from as high as Rs 30,000 and as low as Rs 50 and it came from 75 donors, the list of whom was also published in the college magazine, The Durbar (issue of April-May 1931). Again in 1933, in his annual report, the then college principal, Bahadur Bishen Singh, said, “The idea of Khalsa College becoming a university deserves to receive the support of all communities and the government, as the college is serving the same purpose as any national or government institution in the matter catering to the wants of all the communities.” The issue of converting the college into a university, funded by the government, was raised in 1969 too when Guru Nanak Dev University came into being in Amritsar. However, at that time, it was opposed, contending the college was legacy of Sikh Panth. A resolution for converting the college into a university was passed by the current managing committee in 2007. However, the proposal was not accepted as at that time the Punjab Private Universities Policy had not come into being. Later, the college again applied for conversion into a private university when the policy was implemented in June last year. This proposal was among 19 such proposals received from other institutions in Punjab.
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Insecurity fears upset faculty
The staff members feel that with the inception of Khalsa University, it would be curtains to the 119-year-old historic Khalsa College, which has not only played a key role in India’s freedom struggle, but has also fought for the cause of Sikhs as well as Punjab on various occasions. They are also concerned about their future as with the college turning into a private university the grant-in-aid from the state government would stop. They fear that the college then would not be able to pay their salaries and therefore it would affect their future. While the teachers claim that the college receives Rs 9.5 crore annually as grant-in-aid from the government, the college’s Governing Council puts the figure at Rs 5 crore. The college has a total of 198 teachers, of which 86 are covered in 95 per cent grant-in-aid. Similarly, the number of non-teaching staff members is 216, of which 77 are covered in 95 per cent grant-in-aid. Apart from it, the Khalsa College for Women has a total strength of 74 teachers, of which 10 are covered in grant-in-aid and out of the 51 non-teaching staff, 14 are covered under it. The Khalsa College of Education has a total of 23 teachers, of which four are covered while out of 22 non-teaching employees, five are covered. They further claim that if the grant-in-aid would stop, the college would have to hike its fee manifold even for normal courses like BA. They contend that the move would lead to a situation where the teachers would not get their salaries while the students will be unnecessarily burdened with a hefty fee. College Teachers’ Union chief SS Rangi said, “Khalsa College is a premier institution of Sikhs, Punjab and the entire India. If the proposal turns into a reality, the college will become a part of history. We are not against the university. However, it should not come up at the cost of Khalsa College. There should be no tinkering with the current form of the institution and it should be allowed to function as it is.” HS Walia, general secretary of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU), said, “Khalsa College is a part of Punjab’s heritage. It has reached this stage with the help of grants from the UGC and the state government. We will not allow the commercialisation of education.” On the other hand, college Governing Council’s honorary secretary Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina said: “We have added nine institutions under the umbrella of the Khalsa College Charitable Society in the past seven years and there is no dearth of funds. We assure our staff that their interests will be protected even after the conversion of the college into a university.” He said the grant-in-aid would continue for another four years till the college’s affiliation with Guru Nanak Dev University would last. The college’s affiliation with the university will phase out over the next four years, as students who have completed their first year in the college will get their degrees from Guru Nanak Dev University, while new students will get admission to Khalsa University.
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Alumni uneasy, students divided
Even as there is lack of transparency about the exact statutes for incorporating the proposed conversion of Khalsa College into a university, grave apprehensions have been lurking in minds of those who were once associated with the 119-year-old college as students. Though the present lot of students viewed it both ways, some take it as just a weird move to smear its historic significance due to “political intervention”, others believe that it will be a right step in terms of well-equipped infrastructure as well as the better faculty. On the other hand, the majority of ex-students showed their staunch reaction against this proposal. DIG (CRP) SS Gill (retd), an alumnus of the 1950s batch and a classmate of Satyajit Singh Majithia, the president of the Khalsa College Governing Council, said: “The question is that after the university comes into existence under the Private Universities Act, how will it sustain itself financially? And if, it will be a private university being run under the tutelage of some handfuls, it will also have to be indulged in nefarious practices of looting poor students by charging a hefty fee and appointing under-qualified staff on meagre salaries,” he said. A former Khalsa College kabaddi team member, former Major Bakshish S. Dhillon, emphasised that this college held a historical connotation after the Sikh holy shrine, the Golden Temple. Varinder Pal Sharma, an ex-student of the college and a lawyer with the Punjab and Haryana High Court, said this move would face legal implications. Gurshabad, a final-year student of BA, said the college had its own existence from the past over 100 years and the moment it would be converted into a university, a fresh chapter would start and the rest would remain as part of the history only on papers. Lovepreet of BA (I) viewed that its sprawling campus should be converted into a university campus as it would offer better infrastructure and facilities.
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People’s Party belongs to disgruntled leaders: CM
Nawanshahr, March 28 Badal distributed grants amounting to Rs 5 crore among panchayats of 92 villages for carrying out development works. Later addressing mediapersons, the Chief Minister said that the new political party floated by Manpreet Singh Badal would have no bearing on the electoral prospects of the SAD as, during the past four years, the state had witnessed unprecedented development in every sphere. "The new political party does not belong to people; rather it belongs to a group of disgruntled leaders who have no principles except furthering their selfish interests," quipped Badal. He added that only those could join it, either from the SAD or any other party, who would be denied the party ticket during the forthcoming Assembly elections. Had these persons not joined Manpreet, they would have indulged in anti-party activities, he said. Terming a political party as a 'mother' to its leaders and workers, Badal said only opportunists ditched their ‘mother’. When asked that leaders joining Manpreet's party had been complaining of "step- motherly” treatment by the party high command, Badal said as per the wish of the party, he had left his Assembly seat for Manpreet. He was made an MLA from Gidderbaha consecutively for four terms. He was made the Finance Minister by the party, even then he continued to defy the policies and discipline of the party. Besides, the party had also given their due to Bajwa and Daduwal.
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It is a new beginning, says Manpreet
Jalandhar, March 28 “My vision of Punjab is not that of a state where roads and minds are so narrow that you have to deferentially make way for cavalcades and the cacophony of red- beaconed VIPs. I would hate to become a part of a government where my cronies and family members call the shots, where decision making is a matter of personal whim, where the voice of dissent or reason is silenced and snubbed,” he said.
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He understands prisoners’ plight
This step will benefit many prisoners languishing in jails across both the countries. Jagsir Singh, who was recently recruited in the Indian Reserve Battalion, said he did not see daylight for over four years when he was in Pakistan and the condition of prisoners was pitiable. Five years after he “disappeared” during a mission in Drass in the 1999 Kargil War and was given up for “deserters”, Islamabad handed over Jagsir and another soldier to India in exchange for four Pakistanis in 2004. “I lost my father and could not even perform his last rites. My wife went back to her paternal house and my daughter refused to recognise me”, he told The Tribune. “If a cricket match can help hundreds of prisoners serving terms in both the countries get freedom, there should be more such matches,” said the 37-year-old former Army man. “I am lucky that my wife did not remarry. Otherwise, the meaning of life would have changed,” he added. Recalling his days in the Rawalpindi Jail, Jagsir said his hair and beard were cut. He was tortured for a fortnight and later kept in a solitary confinement.
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Villagers await return of Gopal Das
Gurdaspur, March 28 The jail term of Gopal was remitted by the Pakistan President, Asif Ali Zardari, on “humanitarian grounds”. A beaming Charan
Das, younger brother of Gopal, said his entire family was overjoyed when yesterday they learnt from TV channels that the Pakistani Government had remitted the sentence of Gopal. However, the family was not sure when Gopal, who has four brothers and two sisters and lost his father Bihari Lal while he was still in jail, would actually come back to the village. Once we get to know the actual date of his arrival at Wagah border, we will go there to receive him,” said Charan. A person close to the family said that Gopal had written a letter from the jail way back in 1999. That letter was addressed to his father. Charan was all praise for the governments of both countries for making efforts for his brother’s release. One of Gopal’s sisters, Krishna Devi, said she prayed every day for the health and prosperity of his brother. “The governments of both countries should secure the release of many more like our brother who are languishing in Pakistani jails for no fault of theirs,” added a nephew of Gopal.
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Mishaps on Nurpur Bedi Road Megha Mann/TNS
Ropar, March 28 “For saving money on toll tax, truckers end up taking priceless lives,” said the police. Last year, 24 accidents were reported on this stretch, causing 19 deaths and leaving 10 injured. Till March this year, seven accident cases had been registered with six deaths and two sustaining serious injuries. In the wake of this, the Anandpur Sahib police has written to the district administration suggesting the imposition of Section 144 on major routes to keep heavy vehicles at bay. “A permanent solution to this problem is widening the stretch to accommodate traffic. Measures suggested are just temporary,” said the Anandpur Sahib DSP, Sant Singh Dhaliwal. The police has suggested that Section 144 be imposed on the new bridge near Bunga Sahib wherein the entry of heavy vehicles be prohibited. Boards should be installed duly notifying no entry for heavy traffic. Deputy Commissioner AS Miglani said though he was yet to receive the letter from the police, he would look into the matter. “If simple and adjustable diversions can save lives, we will do it,” he added.
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No steps taken to check road accidents
Kharar, March 28 point, Mamupur Morinda road, Kharar main bus stand, main bazar Chandigarh Ropar, Niholka turn on Chandigarh-Ropar road, Kurali main bus stand, area near focal point, Chanalon, and power grid, Kurali, near Morinda as the accident-prone areas. Most of these areas are devoid of road safety features such as proper reflectors and signs marking sharp turns or T-points. While Khanpur y-point (where a former minister, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, met with a fatal accident) too is an accident-prone area, it does not find mention in this list of the Punjab police. The Balongi sales tax barrier poses a major challenge for the commuters.Overcrowded with heavy vehicles like trucks, the barrier has little to offer in terms of road safety. Commuters often jump traffic lights installed at this point as there are no traffic cops on duty to check traffic violation. Similarly, Mundi-Kharar-Chandigarh to Ludhiana stretch is known to be a major claimant of lives during road accidents. Earlier, narrow road was mainly held responsible for these accidents. However, the stretch has been widened, but the number of fatal accidents has not gone down considerably. The Kharar bus stand and the Khanpur T-point remain major areas where traffic remains caught up during morning and evening peak hours. While the Khanpur T-point is equipped with three CCTV cameras, traffic cops and an ambulance, chaotic traffic remains a problem of this area. Similarly, the Kurali main bus stand remains a problem area for accidents. Coupled with a narrow bridge constructed over railway line, the bus stand usually has traffic jam around it. Time and again local residents have taken up the issue of the narrow bridge and the resultant traffic jams, but to no avail.
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Thermal plants showing high performance: Chaudhri
Patiala, March 28 PSPCL chairman-cum-managing director KD Chaudhri said Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant (GHTP), Lehra Mohabbat, had generated 230.84 lakh units (LUs) which was an all-time high in a single day and 10 LUs more than the full-rated capacity. PSPCL, Director (Generation), GS Chhabra, said Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant (GGSST), Ropar, and GHTP, Lehra Mohabbat, had not only exceeded their annual generation targets, but had also achieved the distinction with efficient and economic operation. “The station heat rate, which measures heat energy used to generate one unit of electricity for GHTP, Lehra Mohabbat, is 2,426 kilocalorie - much lower than the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) norm of 2,500 kilocalorie. The GGSST, Ropar, too has recorded the most efficient and lowest-ever heat rate of 2,611 kilocalorie,” he said. Chhabra further stated that the planned maintenance of thermal units had been carried out to ensure reliable operation during the peak demand period in summer and paddy season. “Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (Bathinda) unit-2, currently under overhaul, will commence operations by the end of the month. Maintenance of Lehra Mohabbat plant unit-2 planned for April 2011, has already been carried out in February in order to ensure additional generation, when required,” he said. Chhabra further stated that maintenance of unit-4 of the plant will be undertaken in May for mandatory inspections and overhaul. Meanwhile, Chaudhri has also stated that hydel generation was satisfactory and water level in the reservoirs at Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar, which tend to be the lowest at this point of time, are much higher than previous year.
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Holograms to check illegal sale of liquor
Fatehgarh Sahib, March 28 Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner LA Khan said the process would begin in the first week of April. He said liquor being purchased from outside the state would be checked by fixing holograms on bottle caps with serial numbers to ensure that no one should sell liquor here from any other state. He said adulteration by some liquor contractors allegedly in connivance with distillery officials would be checked with these holograms. “Once sealed with a hologram, no one will be able to cut it off to fix again. Liquor contractors will also not be able to sell more than their fixed liquor quota,” he said. Khan said the step would help keep a check on distilleries smuggling liquor outside the state. Meanwhile, Manoj Kumar Banda, a Bassi Pathana resident, has procured information under the RTI Act, wherein he sought that a fine be imposed on distilleries for various irregularities from April 1, 2009, to February 2011 . In its reply, the department said Chandigarh Distillers and Bottlers Limited, Banur, was fined Rs 5 lakh, Piccadilly Sugars and Allied Industries Limited, Patran, Rs 1 lakh and Malbros International Limited, Mansurwal village (Ferozepur) was fined Rs 50,000. The department also replied that no separate review committee had been formed except a panel to review the site plan of distilleries across Punjab.
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Pedestrian killed
Bassi Pathana, March 28 The deceased was identified as Kulwinder Singh, a resident of Badali Ala Singh, who worked in a beverage factory at Sadhugarh village. The police told family members of Kulwinder about the accident. After the post-mortem, the body was handed over to the family members. The police registered a case against the driver of the unknown vehicle.
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The proposed conversion of the iconic Khalsa College into a private university has provoked an angry reaction from its teaching and non-teaching staff, which apprehends that their salaries would not be protected and that there would be no service security once the university came into being.
Patiala, March 28