50 years ago, we the students of newly established university attended classes for sometime at the Dingle Estate on Cart Road down the hill near Gorton Castle (AG office). Before the HP University came into being, a regional center of Punjab University for PG classes used to run here. This center was quite nearer to most of the students. Soon, varsity PG classes were shifted to Summer hill campus where temporary tin sheds were put up. We happily shifted to university new campus. All through nearly 4 years ( right up to M.Phil degree), classes were held in temporary structures. Those were the golden days of the university.
The eminent educationist, Dr. R,K. Singh was the first vice-chancellor and there was hardly any political interference. Dr. Singh had a connection with the state. His wife was from Nahan. He was personally picked up by Dr. Y,S. Parmar, the then chief Minister of the state. Dr. Singh was a academician to the core. He engaged top academicians and made HP university the par excellence. Professor P.L. Bhatnagar in Mathematics (later conferred with Padam Bhushan), Dr. DD Narula in Economics, Dr. Shanti Swarup in Political Science. Prof management SR Mehrotra in History, Dr. Baldev Singh In Saskrit, Dr, Bachchan Singh in Hindi, Dr, Tiwari and Dr, R Singh in business to name a few.
Even after five decades, the sweet memories of the emiment teachers scholarly loge style still storm my mind. I still remember how ministerial staff used to remind Prof Bhatnagar for classes. He would remain too engrossed to books unmindful of even his wofe presence. His wife was a simple lady and would always bear with her husband academic pursuits. On being told about impending clss, Dr. Bhatnagar once came in lungi wearing chappal. He was reminded midway by his colleague.
I still remember Mrs Shanti Swarup searching for her husband who used to spent most of the time in university library. Can't forgot our 'bhulakkad' teacher Dr, Narula, More often, Dr, Narula had to attend national and international conferences and he had to board a train from Summer hill as there was no flight from Shimla. The booking of tickets was done at Mall Road counter in advance. On the journey day, Dr. Narula would board the train but would often forget the ticket at home. He had to buy another ticket. Dr. Bachchan Singh of Hindi department was qite popular with girl students. He was quite affable and girls used to enjoy tea and snacks at his home.
The Mehrotra couple (SR Mehrtra and Eva Mehrotra) alwata remained nearer and dearer to students. The had no child and would rear students as their child. Both remained wedded to the university and hills. Prpf Mehrotra often used to tell us that he would live to die in salubrious hills. He breathed his last in Shimla last week. And finally. the sweet memories of short-stature Dr. R.K. Singh never faded in my memory. He would often walk silently into classes to watch the proceedings. That was his style to monitor the teaching standard. Whenever, he found us loitering in the campus, he would advise us to sit in library.
Dr, Singh was a renowned educationist. He helped me out on many occasions. Once, I was to attend an interview for scholarship at IIM (Indian Institute of Management) Ahmedabad. I never visited the Gujarat capital and was little scared of barding and lodging. I went to Dr. Singh house (always accessible. His daughter Kunju would offer us sweets). He gave me a letter ( mind you, it wasn't a siparshi letter) addressed to the Dean of the institute (Dr. Tripathi). It worked so fast that I was the only candidates who was alloted campus accommodation.
HP University was on top during RK Singh tenure, He introduced semester system not only in university but for colleges and M.Phil, He saw to it that campus remained free of political activities. Sadly, all his efforts were went haywire after his unceremonious exit. He was succeeded by a man (Dr.Jogi, a bureaucrat turned agriculture expert) who was more of a politician than an academician. During this period, most of top names left the university, He was succeeded by Dr. Ganpati Chander Gupt, a hindi professor linked to RSS. University became hotbed of politics during his stint.There is no point of return since then, Today, my Alma mater cries fr its golden days.
(Chander Sharma)