Justice G. D. Khosla’s 1961 address to students ( Former Chief Justice, Punjab High Court ).

The Sutlej Archives (1961 )

A Resume of the Address, delivered at the Annual Prize Distribution of Government College, Ludhiana  on 11th March, 1961, by Mr. Justice G. D. Khosla, Chief Justice, Punjab High Court.

( From the  in house magazine of Govt College, Ludhiana ( Now Satish Chander Dhawan Government College, Ludhiana  ).  

It was a rare privilege for the staff and students of this institution to listen this year to a memorable address by Mr. Justice G. D. Khosla, of the Punjab High Court.

Presiding over the Prize Distribution of the College, Mr. G. D. Khosla, Chief Justice, Punjab High Court, observed that the aim of Education was to develop a harmonious, integrated personality. Education has a two-fold aim. Firstly, to fill the mind with facts to be useful in later life, in other words to impart knowledge. Secondly, Education is a process of analysis and synthesis. directed towards the integration of such knowledge, in other words it imparts wisdom. The latter was even more significant because, as a poet has observed, “knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers”. He exhorted the youth to equip themselves adequately because as they would enter the university of life, more trying tests and trials would be awaiting them.

Mr. Justice Khosla declared that he had no intention to inflict advice like Polonius or the con-vocation speakers. Nor did he wish to ‘mislead the youth of the city’ as Socrates was accused of doing. He would also not indulge in familiar maxims or homi-lies. He attempted, however, to reach their hearts and invited them to think and feel with him on some of the problems of life. An old Persian King questioned a hoary sage bent with experience and wisdom as to what was the hardest thing to do in life, and quick came the reply. “Not to have anything to do.” Justice Khosla suggested, therefore that we should keep our minds engaged with our job which should be done well. There is, however, something about the mere doing of one’s job-something by way of self-expression in some channel, besides the routine. The joy of creating something was indeed most re-warding to the mind and the soul. A hobby, therefore he thought, was a good way of making the best use of our holidays.

Justice Khosla further suggested that young people should develop the habit of writing a Diary and stick to it with a measure of secrecy and regularity. The Diary, he observed, would not be for publicity. It would be a record of events and faithful chronicle of our thoughts and feelings. It can also serve as a good reference book. It would also be desirable, he observed, to keep a Scrap Book to be used for recording something one would wish to preserve a poem, a saying, a thought, a pretty phrase. All thinkers, writers, artists, he maintained, have been doing so.

Speaking on the prevailing spirit of youth, Justice Khosla observed that the youth should examine, rather than accept this was in fact a healthy way of life and meant breaking away from the ashes of the past, from its orthodoxy, and its suppression of the human spirit. However, he regretted that there were some undesirable things that the youth sometimes did. He warned against some our young people becoming the Teddy Boys of the west. The practice, he remarked, was thoroughly unsocial and unacademic. Teddy Boys in the west have seldom been to a university and lead a very irresponsible life with the money they manage to earn through dubious means. Such a practice, he warned, would be ruinous to us in India. These

In the end Justice Khosla pointed out that a really integrated man should rise above materialism and should lead a balanced life. The youthful spirit, though rebellious and self-assertive could yet be disciplined, and made socially useful. youth could best channelize their exuberant energy That way the and zeal for constructive purposes bringing good to themselves and to their fellow men.

=-=-======-==

All credits to The Sutlej (1961 issue ) placed in the library of SCD Govt. College, Ludhiana.

—-Preserved by Brij Bhushan Goyal , Org Sec Alumni Association Of the college.