An impressive Memorial lecture on Pandit Shiv Narian Fotedar was held today at the
Raipur campus of Gandhi Memorial College, Jammu. A tribute was held in order to
pay our respects to our legendary founders in the establishment of the heritage
institution back in 1942, when the institution was founded as a legacy institution.
Padamshree Prof. Amitabh Mattoo, former Vice Chancellor of Jammu University was
the principal speaker at the event. The event was presided over by Sh. Vijay Bakaya
(IAS). Sh. Kuldeep Khoda (IPS) and Sh. U K Jalali Senior Advocate were also present
during the event, sharing the podium with the main speaker.
Upon welcoming the guests, Professor B L Zutshi, President Hindu Education Society
Kashmir, spoke about the memorial lecture in honour of its founder, Pandit Shiv
Narayan Fotedar. He stated that Pandit Shiv Narian Fotedar had been a great
parliamentarian and was a powerful voice for the voiceless throughout his life.
A warm welcome was extended to Prof. Amitabh Mattoo, the main speaker on the
occasion. Professor Mattoo stated that the government has no actionable plan for
returning the Kashmiri Pandit community to the valley. He stated that Kashmiri
Pandits have been struggling in their own country for the past three decades. At the
time of the early nineties, he recalled the role played by Bala Sahab Thakre in
providing medical and engineering seats to the Kashmiri Pandit community in
Maharashtra. Furthermore, he stated that no political party is interested in advancing
the agenda of Kashmiri Pandits. He wishes the HESK management team continued
success in their future endeavours.
On the occasion, Prof. Ashok Aima, former Vice-Chancellor Central University
Jammu, spoke about the importance of focusing on talent and creating educational
institutions.
Sh. Vijay Bakaya, former Chief Secretary of the J&K Government, presided over the
function and complimented the management of HESK for organizing the event. Upon
entering the campus, he found that the surrounding scenery of the campus has
undergone a dramatic change since he last visited. He spoke about the occasion and
stressed that the community does not have a single face. He admired the dedication of
Prof Zutshi and his team to honour the community’s founder legends.
The vote of thanks has been extended by Prof Verinder Rawal, the General Secretary
of the Society. He stated that I have been encouraged by community partners at every
point in time through phone conversations or social media posts, and that I will
continue to do so. He stated that there has always been a dream of mine to see this
college develop into a large university and since Prof. Amitabh Mattoo announced the
start of Sarwasat university, my dream does seem to be one step closer to becoming a
reality. Furthermore, HESK web radio was created, parks were renamed, and the
concept of literature in exile was adopted.
The event was also attended by Sh. S.K. Raina, Prof. G.L. Koul, Prof. Savita Raina,
Sh. V.K. Raina, Sh. M.K. Jalali, members of the Executive Body of the Society. Sh. A
K Raina, former General Secretary of the Society, and Sh. M K Koul (Gulabi), former
Administrator of the Society also attended the event.
A traditional Kashmiri song was sung by Prof Kailash Mehra Sadhu at the closing event.
