Satirist recounts how South Punjab’s historic Emerson college survived post 1947 partition troubles

MULTAN:Post-independence migration left an indelible scar on the psych of many refugees who called Pakistan their home, however, generosity and hospitality of the people on this side gave a healing effect and together, they triggered a resilient struggle to take Pakistan forward from scratch.

Renowned satirist, poet, columnist and intellectual Khalid Masud Khan says, he and his family never faced the trauma people had to endure in the course of world’s one of the largest migration from India to Pakistan post 1947 independence.

“I and my family were in Multan then.” “However, I did witness the sufferings of the scores of migrants who chose Pakistan to do life and the hospitality of people of Multan who embraced them with open arms,” Khalid Masud Khan told APP. “People of Multan have big heart.”

Two daughters of Mr. Abdul Rahman, one of the friends of my father Abdul Majeed Khan, were martyred during the course of migration while his son who had fallen ill during the rigours of travel died at the Walton camp, recalled the intellectual.

For Abdul Rahman, it was like losing the whole family in the wake of migration for Pakistan, Khalid added. He said, his father had completed his graduation from historical Emerson college, a prestigious institution of South Punjab, that was established in 1920 and renamed as Emerson college in 1933 after Sir Herbert William Emerson, the governor of the Punjab in recognition of his services to education. Emerson college was recently upgraded to the status of university in 2021.

There was a Hindu librarian called Lala Jee who used to manage the college library.
Lala Jee left Multan after partition leaving everybody wondering who would replace him. There was no trained librarian left at that time and several Hindu and Sikh lecturers and professors had also followed the suit leaving a big vacuum behind, recalls Khalid Masud Khan.

However, college principal of the time Mr. Muhammad Ibraheem, was well aware of my father’s keen interest in books. “My father used to study books regularly at the library and would also help students find the books they would demand.”

Noticing his passion and attachment to library, the principal appointed him as librarian, Khalid said. It was not just Emerson college that faced troubles, Hindu and Sikh teachers and professors from other educational institutions had also left besides officials from various departments, said the columnist better known for his humorous and satirical poetry.

But the large vacuum left by the development infused a commitment among the remaining teachers and professors who resumed their work with a renewed spirit and passion.
Contrary to two to three lectures a day, they would do five lectures from morning to evening, Khalid said and recalled a few of them including professors Peerzada Ejaz and Professor Jalil who belonged to Karachi but dedicated his life to education in Multan.
These were the educated and qualified people who had migrated to Pakistan from India and dedicated their talent, skill and energies in running the system within their respective domains and enabled Pakistan move forward. “Their services and sacrifices can never be forgotten,” said Khalid Masud.