“I wonder how it happens that one is pulled out of a known yet uncomfortable Australian environment and transferred to an unknown Asian environment, to write an account of a city, in this case Delhi; and of its foremost educational institution, St Stephen’s College.”
—D.E.U. Baker
In a short account of the interwoven journeys of St Stephen’s College and the city of Delhi, D.E.U. Baker traces the history of the College from the time that its founders from Cambridge struggled to shape a meaningful educational project in a city rebuilding itself from the ruins of a devastating conflict in 1857 to the end of World War II/1947, when the College’s basic rhythms had been set and it was ready to take its place in the new order of things. Baker’s focus is on the historical shaping of the College’s founding values – discipline, sound learning, well-rounded personality, community, camaraderie, syncretism and service – through the vision and motivation of its early Principals, and Staff; and the underlying dilemmas and challenges that informed this journey through the momentous changes in the city and the country in this period.
Marshalling a range of sources, from the College’s official documents and publications, to reports and letters of the founding scholars-missionaries, and of course, critical secondary writings, Baker writes at once with broad strokes and in sparkling detail, fashioning an evocative history of an institution and its city.
Here is an excerpt from the book:
Vignettes from the Life of St Stephen’s College in the Era of Independence, Partition and Beyond
Delhi
In the early years of India’s independence from Britain in 1947, much of the normal life of Delhi continued, despite unsettled conditions in northern India. But this normal life received a tremendous jolt in 1947 when India was partitioned into two separate States – the larger area still known as India; and the new bifurcated State of Pakistan in the northern and eastern parts of the country.
However, an unforeseen wave of religious fanaticism and violence immediately following Partition put at risk the lives of millions of ordinary folk who, for fear of their lives, were forced to leave their homes and migrate in a movement, probably unparalleled and unprecedented.
Problems Occasioned by the Partition
The main problem in India occasioned by Partition concerned the fact that there could be no provision in advance for accommodating the displaced persons, such that the government faced the problem of housing the 4,95,391 people who arrived in Delhi State from 1947.
Some took shelter in evacuee houses of which the Government was the custodian, and entrusted with allotting it to the refugees, 1,90,000 of whom found accommodation in such houses. Others had difficulty finding accommodation; and arrangements for temporary shelter had to be made in former military barracks and tented camps. Kingsway Camp in north Delhi derives its name from one such camp begun in old barracks nearby, providing shelter for 50,000 refugees.
Tents with thatched roofs were put up in Purana Qila, and cubicles in the walls of the fort were converted into residential accommodation. Many refugees were given shelter in the grounds of Feroz Shah Kotla and the Safdarjang maqbara. A tented camp was set up at Tis Hazari to accommodate 3,000. Kitchens, bathrooms and latrines were built in all these temporary camps.
The Ministry of Rehabilitation prepared plans for housing those who could not find accommodation; and construction on a large scale became necessary. This ministry also set about planning a “Greater Delhi” comprising an area of 3,000 acres, and providing accommodation for 3,00,000 persons.
Many of the new colonies, among them Rajender Nagar, Patel Nagar, Lajpat Nagar and Malviya Nagar, their populations numbering many thousands, were merely one part of the settlement of 3,00,000 people housed by 1950. Together with the efforts of private parties, the enormous problem of housing the refugees was resolved by 1951–2.
College in the Disturbed Conditions of 1947–8
How did St Stephen’s College, its staff and students fare in the disturbed conditions of 1947–8? The College extended its autumn vacation from 9 September to 12 October. It evacuated all Muslim teachers and servants to places of safety, though most returned to their homes in October itself. In the most difficult days of the disturbances of 1947, the College remained united, there being no communal divide. The College gave long leave to all its Muslim teachers and students, though by January 1948 some Muslim staff and nine Muslim students were able to return.
The Staff and the Students from 1948: The Return to Normalcy
Of 455 students on the rolls of the College in 1948, 410 comprised Hindus and Sikhs, 33 Christians and 12 Muslims. The following year students took their University examinations as usual, winning various University prizes and scholarships. That year also student numbers rose to 474, of whom 156 were in residence. College students won the Inter-College cricket and tennis tournaments and shared the Chancellor’s trophy with Hindu College. The College’s playing fields were reportedly well used, with large numbers of students turning up for games every afternoon.
As for Muslim students whose parents had not migrated to Pakistan, most re-joined the College. In 1948, too, students of the College elected a Muslim student, Zaheer Ansari, President of the Students’ Union. By that year also, most Muslim servants had returned to the College.
In a different vein, a special event climaxed the College’s return to normalcy, when Lady Mountbatten, the wife of India’s Governor- General, visited the College with Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, a well-known social worker. They were pleased to see the College and meet its staff and students. Addressing the College, Lady Mountbatten praised the tolerance and selfless service of the Stephanians she had met, working in almost all the refugee camps she visited.
Old and New Buildings of St Stephen’s College
Click here for complete details, chapter breakdowns, and author information.
