Regarding naming Central University of Bathinda as ‘Shaheed Bhagat Singh National University,Bathinda’

 
 
Location of National College Lahore(1922-26),where Bhagat Singh was a student. Photo-Chaman Lal-2007
Sh. Kapil Sibal
Minister for Human Resources Department
New Delhi

Subject: Regarding naming Central University of Bathinda as ‘Shaheed Bhagat Singh National University,Bathinda’

Hon’ble Minister Sh. Sibal,
  I wish to bring to your kind notice that when 15 Central Universities were being established in February, 2009, I had sent a mail from Mauritius (where I was on UGC assignment for few weeks) to Sh. Arjun Singh , then HRD minister requesting him with sound reasons to name Central University of Bathinda as ‘Shaheed Bhagat Singh National University. Though the University has been established and has started functioning also, I again wish to bring it to your notice that this University needs to be named after Bhagat Singh for the following reasons:
1. There are number of Universities in the country in the name of various popular leaders of national movement—Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhash Bose, B.R.Ambedkar,Sardar Patel and many more, but there is not a single University in the country in the name of Bhagat Singh-the icon of Indian youth and one of the most popular national heroes of freedom struggle. With my consistent campaign, first ever Bhagat Singh chair was established in JNU during Bhagat Singh birth centenary, in which Sh. Shashi Bhushan, ex MP and influential member of National programme implementation committee on national anniversaries functioning under the chairmanship of your predecessor Sh. Arjun Singh. However no University till date has been named after Bhagat Singh. There is a dire need to correct it by naming Central University in Punjab after his name.
2. During freedom struggle, National College Lahore ,established by Lala Lajpat Rai in 1922, on the pattern of Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi and Gujrat Vidyapeeth Ahmedabad, established by Mahatma Gandhi as part of freedom movement, being parallel centers of higher education, played a major role in shaping Bhagat Singh and hundreds of other youth towards freedom struggle. Lala Lajpat Rai was Chancellor of this college, Bhai Permanad was Vice Chancellor and Acharya Jugal Kishre was the first Principal. Principal Chhabil Das was 2nd and last Principal of college. Bhagat Singh was student of this college, being run from Bradlaugh Hall, headquarter of freedom movement as well as of Punjab Congress party. Central University of Punjab should inculcate some values of this college and to incorporate that tradition of patriotic training, this University should be named as Shaheed Bhagat Singh National University, on the pattern of ‘Maulana Azad National Urdu University Hyderabad’, the word National here would include the spirit of National College Lahore.
3. Being yourself from Punjab and from an illustrious family of advocates, you must have heard first hand stories of freedom struggle and Bhagat Singh inside your home itself. One can expect more attention in this regard from your person. Keeping in view the Khalistani type movements in Punjab in recent past, it is all the more necessary to orient Punjab youth towards the scientific and rational personality of Bhagat Singh and his ideas. In fact this University should build up an archive and special department to study national movements in undivided Punjab, of which Bhagat Singh was a most illustrious product. The naming of University after Bhagat Singh will go long way in this direction.
4.To make the University popular not only among Punjab students, for rather students all over India and even in South Asia, the name Shaheed Bhagat Singh National University will certainly be more attractive. Followed by equally rigorous academic standards, it can even become another brand name like JNU.
  There are certain matters relating to Bhagat Singh Chair sanctioned to JNU on my proposal, but that needs a separate communication, here I would end by making a fervent appeal to you to take steps in this very session of Parliament to name Central University of Punjab as ‘Shaeed Bhagat Singh National University ,Bathinda’
  I can assure you sir, that this proposal to name University after Bhagat Singh will get widest support, rather unanimous support in Parliament. I hope this request will receive your most urgent attention.
With sincere regards,

Chaman Lal
P.S. My publications and lectures on Bhagat Singh for your kind perusal are given below
  Publications: Books
  History- On Bhagat Singh & other revolutionaries
   
  1. Bhagat Singh Aur Unke Sathiyon Ke Dastavej (Co- edited) (Hindi) 1986/87
  ( Preface by Shiv Verma, close associate of Bhagat Singh )
  2. Bhagat Singh Ke Sampooran Dastavej (Edited) (Hindi) 2004 
  ( Preface by Bhagat Singh’s younger brother Kultar Singh) 
  3. Bhagat Singh ke Rajnitik Dastavez (Edited), NBT, New Delhi (Hindi) 2007 
  4. Shaheed Bhagat Singh: Dastavezon ke Aiane Mein (Edited) (Hindi) 2007
  (Published by Govt. of India Publication Division)
  5 Jail Note book and Other Writings-Bhagat Singh (Compiled and Introduction) (English) 2007
   
  (‘Revolutionary Legacy of Bhagat Singh’ EPW, Mumbai, 15th September, 2007)
  (‘Political Correspondence of Bhagat Singh’ Mainstream, Delhi 22nd March, 2008)
  6. Bhagat Singh:Vicharvan Inqlabi, (Punjabi), Navyug Press, New Delhi, 2009
  7. Bhagat Singh, Medha publications Delhi, 2009
   
  8.. Bhagat Singh:Sampuran Vangmay(Edited) (Marathi ) 2007
  (Preface by Justice P.B. Sawant, retired Supreme Court Judge )  
  9. Ghadar Party Nayak-Kartar Singh Sarabha (Hindi) 2007
  10. Ghadar party Naik Kartar Singh Sarabha (Punjabi), NBT, New Delhi, 2008
  11. Inqlabi Itihas De Sunehari Panne (History) (Punjabi) 2005
  Punjabi Translation of Manmath Nath Gupt’s ‘Bharat Ke Krantikari’ (Close associate of Bhagat Singh) (Serialized in Ghadar Party Memorial Hall Jalandhar’s Punjabi 
  journal ‘DeshBhagat Yaadan’ ,edited by legendary Ghadarite Baba Gurmukh Singh)

Forthcoming in this series (i) Understanding Bhagat Singh (ii) Bhagat Singh Reader (Ed.) (iii) Ghadar Party Hero Kartar Singh Sarabha (All English)
   
  Delivered more than forty special lectures on Bhagat Singh, including thirty lectures during 2006-08, all over the country:
   
1. 28th September,2006( Beginning of birth centenary), Aarah(Bihar)
2. 29th September, 2006 Patna
3. 23rd October 2006 Rohtak(Haryana)
4. 7th November 2006 Indore(M.P)
5. 8th November -do-
6. 23rd December 2006 Ranchi(Jharkhand)
 7. 24th December Ranchi University
 8. 10 February,2007 Mumbai
 9. 11 February -do-
 10. 18th February,2007 Kashi Vidyapeeth,Benaras
 11. 19th February BHU, Varanasi
 12. 24 February,2007 Thanjavur(Tamilnadu)
 13. 23rd March,2007(Martyrdom day)Bhagat Singh College, New Delhi
 14. 23rd March IIC ,New Delhi(NBT function)
 15. 29th March, 2007, Valedictory address at national seminar on Bhagat Singh at Mumbai University, Mumbai
 16. 11th August, 2007 Shaheed smark and research centre, Lucknow
 17. 7th September, 2007 Merchant Chamber Hall, Kanpur
 18. 25th September, 2007 Presentation at GNDU, Amritsar
 19. 26th September, 2007 Presentation at Punjabi Univerity,Patiala
 20. 28th September, 2007 Presented paper at ICHR Bhagat Singh seminar at
  P.U.Chandigarh
 21. 29th September, 2007 chaired one session at P.U. Chandigarh seminar.
 22. 4th October, 2007 Delivered lecture at Sree Krishan Hall Patna.
 23. 22 October, 2007 Presented paper in Punjabi University ,Patiala
 24. 17 November,2007 Delivered lecture at T.D.College Jaunpur(U.P)
 25. 30th December, 2007 Delivered lecture at Hindi Sahitya Sammelan,Bhopal
 26. 17th February, 2008 Delivered lecture at Night College, Ichhal Karanji (Maharashtara)
 27. 18th February, 2008 Delivered presidential address at Undale (Karad) in Maharashtra in freedom fighters meet
 28. 21st February, 2008, Paper presented on ‘The Idea of Freedom in Bhagat Singh’s Writings’ at national seminar in P.U. Chandigarh.
 29. 23rd March, 2008, Delivered book release address to police recruits at Paash Library, Karnal (Haryana)
 30. 26th March, 2008, Delivered keynote address at a national seminar on Bhagat Singh at Pune University, organized by Dr. Ambedkar Chair
31. 15th April, 2008, Organized discussion on ‘1857&Bhagat Singh in context of Indian freedom struggle’ at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi
32. 28th September, 2008, Delivered lecture as special guest at Bhagat Singh centenary day at Gohana (Haryana)
33. 28th September, 2008, One hour long interview on Bhagat Singh broadcasted by Radio Punjabi Canada
34. 18th October, 2008, Presidential remarks in seminar on Bhagat Singh in Khalsa College for Women, Amritsar (Punjab)
35. 24th October, 2008, presented paper on “Two epics on National hero Bhagat Singh’, in International Workshop on Vietnamese Epic held at Buon Ma Thout city of Vietnam
36.3rd March, 2009, Delivered special lecture on ‘Bhagat Singh:The Hero of the Youth’, at University of Mauritius.
37.23rd March, 2009, delivered lecture in a seminar of ‘Contestations of Bhagat Singh’ at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
38.24th March, 2009, Two hour long interview and audience interaction by Punjabi Radio Edmonton (Canada)


  Earlier Lectures on Bhagat Singh(1989-2006)
1).Delivered two lectures in February 1989 on Bhagat Singh and Paash at  
  Shahjahanpur(U.P.) 
 2) Delivered lecture on Bhagat Singh's thought at Punjabi University, Patiala on  
  23rd March, 1994.
 3) Delivered lecture on Bhagat Singh and Paash (Hindi) at Paash Library Karnal  
  on 23.3.1996.
  4 Delivered lecture on Bhagat Singh's Jail note book (Panjabi) at Moga on  
  7.5.2000 (Honoured on the occasion)
  5) Delivered lecture on 'Secular tradition of Bhagat Singh' at Karnal on
  23.3.2002.
  6) Presided over and delivered lecture at a function in memory of Shaheed  
  Bhagat Singh at Yamunanagar on 24.3.2002.
  7) Delivered Lecture on Bhagat Singh ona29/9/05 at Tapti Hostel,JNU. 
  8) Delivered lecture on ‘Relevance of Bhagat Singh’ on 23rd March,2006 at Gandhi  
  Peace Foundation,New Delhi.