History
Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia
The great visionary, a farsighted genius, a philanthropist, a social reformer, an educationist, an economist, a leader of liberal tendencies, a reverential social figure and a man with high moral grounds, our founder Great Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia was born in a noble landed-family of Punjab. Sardar Dyal Singh’s knack in the field of education and liberal learning trace its roots to his own exposure to Liberalism in England from where he pursued his higher education. When he returned to his homeland, he carried back with himself an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and insight. He became a rolling ball of fire of intellectualism and liberal learning. It is commendable to note that he didn’t want his knowledge to die with him, rather he wanted the coming generations to learn to live a life based on liberal ideologies and school of thought. He initially deliberated opening of a school; however, he couldn’t realise this dream of his in his lifetime. Great men may die, greatness doesn’t.
Dyal Singh College, boasts of such an illuminous and far-sighted vision as its founding ideology. In the Will of our founder Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia (1848-1898), which was opened on 12th September, 1898 (3 days after his death), he mentions the establishment of a “First Class Arts College” in the province of Lahore (now in Pakistan) because he strongly believed in the emancipating impact that liberal education and intellectual activity creates in the life of an individual. The college was to be established with the agenda of “Spread and Dissemination of a Sound Liberal Education” and of “Pure Morality”. Hence, Dyal Singh College was established in Lahore on 3rd May, 1910. The inauguration of this mighty educational institution was done by Sir Louise Dane, the late Lieutenant-Governor of the erstwhile undivided Punjab region. As destiny unfolded Dyal Singh College was reconstituted in Karnal, Haryana, in 1949, under the enlightening guidance of late Dewan Anand Kumar. Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia’s Will also mentioned the establishment a library of fine academic and scholarly taste.
He was also a sound businessman and an able patronage of his widely spread inheritance. Most of the people in India today would be aware of the mighty Indian bank the Punjab National Bank, and the widely-circulated English daily The Tribune; however, not many would know that their establisher and founder is none other than Sardar Dyal Singh.
Dyal Singh College, Karnal, strives to carry on the legacy of this mighty personality whom we call our forefather and founder. His vision to establish an educational institution of scale and impact par-excellence is the driving force of our institution. We also seek to instil the qualities of intellectual fervour, liberal thinking and emancipated existence in our students so that with each passing generation the legacy of Sardar Dyal Singh becomes mightier and more glorious.
Dewan Anand Kumar
(1894-1981)
In an age where great men and the quality of greatness have become a far off dream, to write about a man who was great in the real sense of the term seems like a mere exercise in romanticism. But with the kind of life that Sahab Dewan Anand Kumar lived and all that he stood for, this exercise in romanticism becomes worthwhile. After losing nearly everything in Lahore post-Partition, he began from scratch in India. But even in hopeless times like that it would have taken great strength of character to not only live for oneself but for one’s society and nation.
Dewan Anand Kumar was born on 6th February, 1894 as the youngest and only son in an aristocratic Kashmiri Pundit family. They were cousins to the great Nehrus in India. Like Sardar Dyal Singh, Dewan Anand Kumar was born in royalty and privilege, yet he chose to achieve his own mark in the world. An amusing anecdote would make a perfect example of the impulse of independence in him- after returning from England, where he studied at the glorious Cambridge University- Dewan Sahab decided to polish his own shoes. It was an act of blasphemy in the class-conscious Indian setup where duties and roles are preconceived. Hence, it is a matter of privilege and pride for Dyal Singh College, Karnal, to call him our guiding light.
Owing to his academic and scholarly brilliance, he was nominated to the exclusive ICS. He could have chosen a life of power and riches by serving as the highest civil servant in the country or by running a successful political career. Rather, what he chose to do was to become an educational administrator and builder of academic institutions of high repute and excellence. The greatness of his mind and soul reflects in his achievements as an educationist. Like Sardar Dyal Singh, Dewand Anand Kumar sought to promote the ideals and values of Liberal Humanism through his contributions in the society.
Dewan Anand Kumar was the heir to a whopping 6000 acres of land in Lahore. However, all his land, properties, books, manuscripts and other belongings were left in Lahore when Partition occurred in 1947. B.K. Nehru remembers Sahab’s words as he landed in Delhi, “I have come…but there is nothing left”. Indeed, nothing was left, as his family was allotted a small house in Sundar Nagar and 300 acres of Barren land in Ambala, Haryana. Through all the hardships and challenges Dewan Sahab never let go of his calm and composure and looked forward to better times ahead. The strength of his character and farsightedness of his vision led to him not only re-establishing Dyal Singh College in Karnal but also such other establishments as Dyal Singh College, New Delhi; Dyal Singh Library, New Delhi; National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal; Thapar Engineering College, Patiala; Medical College, Ludhiana; and F.C. College for Women, Hissar.
He also held such reputed high positions as Honorary Secretary of Dyal Singh College Trust Society; Dean of University Instructions at Panjab University, Lahore; Vice Chancellor of Panjab University, 1949-1957; Chairman of Inter-University Board, 1955; Member of University Grants Commission, 1958-1964; President of Vishveshvaran and Vedic Research Institute, Hoshiarpur, etc. He also served as the Director of many industries and mills e.g. Ballarpur Industries Ltd., Malwa Sugar Mills Ltd., Jagajit Cotton Mills Ltd., etc.
Dyal Singh College finds pride and honour in calling this man its guiding light who was great in its true sense, yet disdained blowing his own trumpet. Whoever remembers him recollects him fondly and with cherished memories. His vision and passion to create a legacy of excellence that would stand the test of time is reflected in the motto and ideology that Dyal Singh College, Karnal, lives by.