Changing college name like negating Dyal Singh’s legacy, says Rajouri Garden MLA

NSUI sought to know how two day colleges can function from an 11-acre campus. Express

A day after it was decided that Dyal Singh (Evening) College would be called ‘Vande Mataram Mahavidyalaya’ once it is converted to a morning college, Rajouri Garden MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa opposed the move. Sirsa — who is from the Shiromani Akali Dal, a BJP ally — said the name change would negate the legacy of Dyal Singh Majithia, after whom the college is named, as it was his efforts that resulted in the college getting its land on lease in 1960. “Dyal Singh (Evening) College is an important part of the Dyal Singh Trust. Changing the name is like negating his legacy,” Sirsa said. “We will not let the name change happen. If it is not revoked, it would result in unpleasant protests,” Sirsa said, adding that he had spoken to the chairman of the college’s management committee to not initiate the process.

Student organisations also hit out at the move, saying it was a tactic to divert attention from the fundamental issue of lack of infrastructure. Calling the name change a “jumla”, the Congress-backed National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) said they “will welcome this new trend of renaming colleges if students are provided proper infrastructure and facilities”. They also sought an explanation from the college’s Governing Body on how two day colleges can function from an 11-acre campus. “There are 6,000 and 2,500 students in the Morning and Evening colleges respectively. The evening college students have been promised a separate building, but nothing has been done so far.”

Neeraj Mishra, communication-in-charge of NSUI, said: “The annual exam is held in the canteen due to lack of space. The library can barely accommodate 50 students. In a classroom meant for 30 students, 70 are forced to sit and attend lectures. Some classrooms are separated by steel cupboards instead of walls. Changing the college’s name is just a smokescreen to distract students from these issues.”

The All India Students’ Association (AISA) also said the move is an “attack” on Majithia. The ABVP, however, asked why there was a problem with the name. “Why will anyone have a problem with Vande Mataram? It is neither the name of a person nor of a political group. It is the national song of the country. Who can hate the name?” Bharat Katana, ABVP Delhi state secretary, said.

–PTI inputs