Panjab University Oral History Project:

Launch of Website by Punjab Governor, 2 October 2016

Introductory remarks

Rajesh Kochhar

On 2 October 2016, Sh VP Singh Badnore, Governor of Punjab, in the presence of  Smt Kirron Kher, Member Lok Sabha Chandigarh,  formally inaugurated the oral history website of the Panjab University. The following is the text of introductory remarks made by the website’s administrator/ editor Rajesh Kochhar

Official history of an Institution is written on the basis of official records, circulars, proceedings, government decisions, etc. It is a valuable exercise, but at the same time inadequate. Oral history is now increasingly being recognized the world over as an essential complement to the official history.

In the Indian context, historical players do not generally write diaries or long personal letters nor place them in public domain. What may be common knowledge among their associates or contemporaries is obliterated forever in one or two generations’ time. Oral history would provide these eminent persons an opportunity to tell us their stories.

In addition there are persons who may not figure in official records at all.  Oral history gives us an opportunity to learn about their perspectives

Personal reminiscences and interviews can provide nuggets of information and insights which help place official facts in context, and permit us to develop history as a collectivity of human experiences rather than a mere directory of names, events and dates.

Panjab University began as a refugee university barely 70 years ago and led a rather precarious existence till its transfer to Chandigarh largely accomplished during 1958-1960. Since those were difficult times, archives from that vital period hardly exist.

As a first step we are focusing on the Univ’s  pre-Chandigarh days.  The website begins with an introductory historical essay. It corrects some well-entrenched pieces of misinformation. For example, PU’s second Vice-Chancellor GC Chatterji was NOT earlier the Principal of Govt College Lahore but of Central Training College. Incidentally, there is a photograph showing Chatterji with a small boy who 20 years later  acted in the Hollywood movie Lawrence of Arabia.

We have published reminiscences, finalized after discussions, of three eminent persons who received their degrees in the  mid-1950s: RK Pathria (Physics), Jagraj Chawla (Technical Chemistry)  and Narendra Luther (Political Science, later IAS)  There are many rare photographs from their personal collections  which are being published on the Internet for the first time.

A biography of Dr Manmohan Singh written by his daughter gives some details of his Hoshiarpur days which I have quoted in the historical essay. Some anecdotes on him and Dr BN Goswamy from their Hindu College Amritsar days you will find in the essay by their class fellow, RK Pathria.

There were two noteworthy phenomena in University College Hoshiarpur: Prof. DC Sharma and TKT Club viagra gratuit. Not surprisingly, they meant different things to different students. You would also find something on  Partap Singh Kairon’s sons from their contemporaries.

Some other reminiscences have been commissioned. In addition, I have identified three eminent academics, all former Hoshiarpur students, who are associated with the Univ: Profs SV Kessar, Madan Mohan Puri and BN Goswamy. A preliminary conversation with Prof Puri has already been held. Prof RP Bambah who joined Hoshiarpur as a faculty member is a bridge between the Univ’s past and present. We published an interview with him some time ago in a different context. It will be posted on the website and expanded.

PU Hoshiarpur was a co-ed institution. Which was the first one in the Punjab area? We would very much like to interview who came for higher education when many of their contemporaries were asked to remain at home.

After this first phase, we shall progressively cover more and more recent periods.

The greatest strength of a University is its diversity. How individuals of different attainments, sensitivities, and from different backgrounds view the same phenomenon can be a very instructive exercise. We live in an age which is obsessed with science and success. There is need to go beyond both.

A very remarkable feature of the early Punjab University was that its examination system was brought back on the rails in a very short period. We would like to know more about how this was accomplished. We have focused on Hoshiarpur, but we know very little about Solan  in Simla Hills where the examination branch was located.

We hope that the formal launch of the website would help us contact older former students and employees and their family members to preserve for posterity their recollections and impressions as also photographs, documents etc.

We hope you would find the contents of the website of some interest; give us the benefit of your suggestions and critical appraisal; and help us get in touch with persons who can contribute to the Project.

It goes without saying that the Project would not have materialized without the interest of and support from the Vice-Chancellor. In addition, I would like to thank Dean Research and the Advisory Committee for their advice and support,  as also the Computer Centre and the Library for assistance.

Thank you