No backtracking on renaming college, says governing body

NEWDELHI: Amid opposition over renaming of Dyal Singh College (Evening), the governing body of the college said there cannot be any backtracking on the decision.

The evening college was recently turned into a day college in July this year and renamed as Vande Mataram Mahavidyalaya on November 17 even as a section of teachers and students protested the move saying two colleges cannot run from the same campus.

“It’s not just any other name. It’s a clarion call to nationalism. There cannot be any backtracking on this topic,” said Amitabh Sinha, chairman of the college. He dismissed the opposition to renaming of the college and said that it was a “bogey issue being raised by some people”.

“People who are getting irrelevant these days are raising this issue out of frustration. There is a bankruptcy of issues among these people and they are resorting to this,” he said.

Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh opposed the move and tweeted: “Strongly oppose renaming of Dyal Singh College as #vandemataramcollege. Founder Dyal Singh Majithia was a progressive visionary. We should preserve his great legacy instead of indulging in petty name changing games.”

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa had filed a police complaint against the principal of the Dyal Singh (Evening) College and the chairman of their governing body over the change in the institution’s name. He has alleged that the governing body violated the norms of the 1976 transfer deed between the Dyal Singh Trust and Delhi University by renaming the college.

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) also passed a resolution against the move, stating that it has hurt the sentiment of Sikhs.

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh has also condemned the move and said the move is disrespect to the sacrifices made by Sikh warriors and leaders who sacrificed their lives for the country’s freedom.

›

It’s not just any other name. It’s a clarion call to nationalism. There cannot be any backtracking on this topic. Those opposing the renaming of the college are trying to raise a bogey issue. AMITABH SINHA, chairman,Dyal Singh College