Dr Anoop Kumar, once a student and later a teacher at DAV College from 1993 to 2015, returned as Principal in January this year. Recently, he launched an initiative to revive
old connections.
I invited the retired faculty of DAV College, Jalandhar, for an informal get-together. No agendas, no speeches weighed down by protocol-just an earnest attempt to reconnect, to listen and to remind those who built the institution that they are still very much a part of its living story.
The idea was simple yet profound: To seek their blessings, draw from their vast reservoir of experience and above all, make them feel wanted. In an age that moves on rather quickly, this pause was both thoughtful and necessary. And they came.
More than 30 stalwarts walked back into familiar corridors-some perhaps with a touch of nostalgia, others with a quiet smile of recognition. The eldest among them, Prof GC Mago, 88, a legendary figure in the English department, embodied the timeless grace of academia. At the other end was Dr PK Sharma, who had barely stepped into retirement four months ago-still carrying the rhythm of daily attendance in his stride.
Others in the gathering included HK. Bajaj, BPS Bedi, Sanjiv Sharma, Renu Gupta, Archana Oberoi, KL Saini, Usha Uppal, Anurag Sharma, RD Tewari, KL Angi, Hemant Kumar, Satish Sharma, AJ Behl, CJ Behl, GC Kaul, KN Kaul, AK Trivedi, YR Sharma, PC Chopra, SK Malhotra, FC Sharma, SM Sharma, Surinder Kaur, RC Mohinderu, KK Plaha, VK Sareen, Rajiv Sharma and Asha Verma.
Delighted, I expressed my gratitude for their presence, acknowledging that their time, their goodwill and their continued association were invaluable to the institution.
The event was coordinated by Dr Kunwer Rajeev, Vice-Principal and Head of Physics, ensuring everything flowed as smoothly as a well-delivered lecture. The programme was hosted by Prof Sharad Manocha, who, true to form, kept the tone engaging and warm-never letting nostalgia become heavy, always letting it breathe.
The reception committee read like a roll call of the college’s present leadership: Prof Sonika Dania (Vice-Principal & HOD English), Prof Ashok Kapoor (Registrar & HOD Commerce), Dr Manu Sood (Bursar & HOD Physical Education), Staff Secretary Dr Rishi Kumar, Joint Staff Secretary Sahil Nagpal, Staff Representative Prof Manoj Kumar, along with other Heads of Departments-all coming together to welcome those who once held these very reins.
The formal part of the programme was held in the Hall of Fame-quite appropriately named for the occasion. But as often happens in such gatherings, the real event unfolded over tea. What followed was not just a high tea, but a high tide of memories. Stories resurfaced, anecdotes found new listeners and laughter echoed with the ease of old familiarity. Time, for a brief while, agreed to stand still. In reconnecting with its past, DAV College, Jalandhar, did something quietly significant-it strengthened its present. And perhaps, set a precedent for the future.
