Saving legacy of century-old Khalsa College

Harjeet Kaur calls for restoration of name of ancestral institute

JARANWALA:

Harjeet Kaur, an Indian-origin Italian citizen and great-granddaughter of Sardar Jawand Singh, expressed deep surprise and disappointment over the renaming of the 116-year-old Khalsa College in Faisalabad.

The college, originally founded by Sardar Jawand Singh in 1908, is now known as Government Graduate College.

The institution was built on 119 kanals of hereditary land donated by Sardar Jawand Singh to promote education across the subcontinent.

During a ceremony held in her honour, Prof Khalid Hassan, principal of Government Graduate College, welcomed Harjeet Kaur and praised the unmatched contributions of Sardar Jawand Singh and his family toward education, irrespective of religion or nationality.

Reflecting on the institution's rich history, Professor Khalid shared that Khalsa High School was established in 1908, upgraded to a college in 1927, and later became a refugee camp and telephone exchange during the Partition of 1947.

After Sardar Jawand Singh's family migrated to Batala in India, the institution underwent several transformations: it became Municipal Inter College in 1958, attained degree college status in 1973, and was eventually nationalized in 1978.

In 2014, it was renamed Municipal Graduate College when the Bachelor of Science program was initiated.

Addressing the faculty and students in the college auditorium, Harjeet Kaur criticised the renaming of the college's auditorium and the old Gurdwara buildings after local business donors.

She called for an immediate end to such practices, emphasising the importance of preserving historical heritage over monetary contributions.

She also highlighted her visit's broader aim: fostering exchange visits between India and Pakistan to promote peace, tolerance, and harmony among communities.

Harjeet Kaur was deeply distressed to learn that Punjabi had not been taught at the college for over three decades.

She called this a significant injustice to the millions of Punjabi speakers on both sides of the border and demanded the restoration of Punjabi language classes at the institution.

Kaur further urged the government to reinstate the original name of Khalsa College and protect its adjacent Gurdwara and other historical assets for future generations and historians.

During her visit, she admired a century-old banyan tree planted in 1908 by her great-grandfather, a symbol of the institution's enduring legacy.

Ahmad Raza Punjabi, a Punjabi scholar and historian present at the event, emphasised the need to instill values of tolerance and mutual respect in the younger generation. He advocated for resolving bilateral issues peacefully and dispelling misconceptions of animosity between the two nations.

Prof Hassan promised to reintroduce Punjabi language classes at the college within three months, acknowledging the importance of preserving cultural heritage and linguistic identity.