In Retirement continues....

The D. A. V. College, Jullundur, which was started by efforts of the late Pandit Mehr Chand and late Pandit Lakhpat Rai, is one of the biggest and finest institutions in Northern India. Principal Suraj Bhan, M. A., M. L. C. is in charge of it. He had been a life member of the D. A. V. College Committee and had retired after 20 years of service as a life member, as Principal of the D. A. V. College at Sholapur.

After partition he became an Assistant Educational Adviser in the Government of India and then became principal of the public School near Ooti. On the retirement of Principal Gian Chand from Jullundur, he was persuaded by the D. A. V. College Managing Committee to take over as Principal of their college at Jullundur. He agreed to this and has been a great success there. He had been keen that I should preside at its prize distribution which I could not do for a number of years. After my retirement I could not refuse him and presided over the convocation of the D. A. V. College, Jullundur on 22 March, 1955.

The Leader of Allahabad in its issue of 27 March, 1955 had the following leading article on the convocation speech which I delivered at the D. A. V. College, Jullundur:

“It is a healthy sign that distinguished public men, comparatively free from official pressure, are coming into the open and expressing their sense of concern for certain ills the country is confronted with. How ironic it is that while abroad India is manfully standing for high .values, at home one finds a lamentable lack of standards. Thinking men are frankly agitated over the malaise that mounting lapses in individual conduct and collective behaviour account for.

“They shudder to think of the decline in national character as it cannot be compensated by material prosperity. Political freedom, social justice, economic equality, cultural progress-all of them can only be contributory factors to national greatness but can never be substitutes for a sense of discipline among the people and their devotion to accepted values.

To be continued...