LITIGANTS, LAWYERS AND JUDGES continues...

My friendship with Dr. Carter Speers started when I was engaged by the Forman Christian College in their lengthy litigation with a number of persons from whom a vast area of land had been acquired for the new site of the College. I helped them as much as I could and finally, using my influence with the opposite parties, I got an early settlement so that the building of the college was not delayed. Owing to my efforts the college building was completed within a short period of three years. On behalf of the college, Professor Speers wrote to me on 30 April, 1942 :
“Of all the many bills that passed through my hands, your very occasional token bills are the only ones that it is really a great pleasure to pay. You have always been so generous to us in giving us your time and invaluable advice that one hardly knows any way in which it can be acknowledged. I have repeatedly acknowledged it in reports etc., but this always seems an entirely futile way of acknowledgement of so great services. I can assure you that we feel very great appreciation for your help.
“We have been helped by many people in putting through our new scheme. Of these, of course, we owe most to Dalip, but after him you undoubtedly come next, for without your constant help and advice, the job just could not have been done. Thank you.

Lala Karam Chand Thapar—now the biggest Punjabi industrialist—asked me to make a bid on his behalf to buy the Punjab Pulp and Paper Mills at Jagadhri, then being sold by the liquidator of the Peoples Bank. I was able to buy the mill for him at quite a reasonable price. It is now a flourishing concern.

In 1936 litigation had started between the other trustees of the Tribune and Professor Ruchi Ram Sahni, who was also one of the trustees.

to be continued....

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