Delhi University on its 94th Foundation Day programme today took pride in taking its guests to the room in the university where freedom fighter Bhagat Singh had stayed once.
Jutices Rohinton Fali Nariman, Madan Lokur, Arjan Kumar and Faliman Nariman, all alumni of DU, along with their families were taken on a tour of the bunker located underground where Bhagat Singh was incarcerated.
The programme began with flag-hoisting. Nariman recounted the history of the national flag and also explained how it got its present design. In his address, he also mentioned Bhagat Singh and said, "It's nice we remember him like this."
Vice-chancellor Yogesh Tyagi during his address said that, "We must respect the memory of our freedom fighters, sacrifices of people like Bhagat Singh and be sensitive to the feelings of people who are great admirers of Bhagat Singh," while adding that DU itself was "build during the British Raj" but now exists in free India".
Lokur expressed sadness about students in India not being able to do the kind of research they are able to do when they are abroad.
"Indian jurisprudence is right at the top if not the best in the world. It is disheartening that we are not able to do the kind of research our students do when they go abroad," he said.
Four retired teachers, SC Tiwari of anthropology, Rajiva Verman (English), A M Shah (Sociology) and R Ramachandran (Geography) were awarded for contribution to their respective fields and the university. They were not present at the event.
Currently serving teachers like Subhadra Mitra Channa from Anthropology, Physics teacher at Miranda House, Monika Tomar, etc were all awarded too. The event was co-presented by a visually-impaired teacher, Anil Aneja from the department of English and the Equal Opportunity Cell.
The HRD minister Smriti Irani, who was invited could not make it to the event.
