Down The Memory Lane
( Prof P K Sharma )
Twentieth Century still haunts a lot because of its varying moods and colors offering fantastic a contrast of times “then” and” now.” Going back to those golden days indeed leaves one into an amazing and a rare sense of contentment, cheerfulness and belonging, an era really worth adoring.
Oh yes, I am elated even now while remembering in a flash back my two years stint spent in a nursery known for producing icons in various walks of life- Dr. Satish Chander Dhawan Government College, Ludhiana and my stay in Room No 110 of New Hostel with its balcony facing Rose Garden- a brain child of Dr.MS Randhawa an iconic figure, with its wired temporary fencing, its rosy common boundaries touching Hostel premises for attaining my MA English degree !
The English Department having very glorious traditions to its credit was then headed by Prof Surinder Singh Narula- a fictionist with a very learned and dedicated team of our esteemed guides: Professors RN Matta, LS Malhotra, Mohan Swarup, Tejwant Singh Gill, PK Sood, K S Gill,
KS Abhilashi, NK Aggarwal and IS Toor.
The English Department had a very fine custom of having English Literary Circle that tended to offer rich exposure to the teachers and students alike by hosting extension lectures of then celebrated scholars of English Literature. During my two year MA English Studies span from 1973 to 1975,after almost more than two decades of post independence budding “ldea of New India Phase”, I had the pleasure and privilege of gaining a lot from two extension lectures hosted by the English Literary Circle.
The two unforgettable occasions for us were when Panjab University Chandigarh came all the way to Dr. Satish Chander Dhawan Government College, Ludhiana on an invitation by the English Literary Circle. Dr. Jagdish Chander of the Department of English, Panjab University Chandigarh delivered a lecture on the Dramatic Art of William Shakespeare. In the second instance, it was Dr. M L Raina, Department of English Panjab University who visited us to deliver a lecture on Modern Fiction. Dr. Suresh Chander of Hindi Department of our college taking keen interest in English Literature too used to attend these extension lectures.
Then English Literary Circle had a laudable convention of remembering its fellows even after they left their Alma Mater on being getting some posting or career placement. After attaining my MA English degree, I started my career as a Lecturer in English from Govt. College Ropar. Then Secretary of the English Literary Circle Ms. Rashmi Verma invited me to attend Literary Circle special meet at Ludhiana in the year 1976 . S D College, Barnala from where I graduated too used to have English Literary Circle culture. When I served there too as a Lecturer in English, it did recognize my contribution to it as a Student Editor(English Section) of “The Stream” our college magazine.
Gone with the twentieth century are the graceful days of the English Literary Circles barring rare exceptions in the colleges of Punjab, where special extension lectures were infact exceptional occasions providing too many golden opportunities to students and teachers alike to polish and update their knowledge afresh in the realms of English Literature as well as Language listening to and interacting with the literary giants of the day !
Contributed by :
Prof PK Sharma Freelance Journalist
Associate Professor of English (Retired),
Pom Anm Nest, BARNALA(Punjab)