Step into the past with me, and let us unravel the treasure of a bygone era. On the vintage page of Gordonian Magazine -1916, we find a diverse group of students, each with their own story to tell. The Science Group of 1916, a cohort of 35 enthusiastic learners, eagerly embarked on their academic journey at Gordon College, Rawalpindi, founded in 1893( its history can be traced to 1856, when Christain Grammer High School was established in Raja Bazaar, near Fawara Chowk / Trunk Bazaar ). Amongst them, four were Muslim students, remaining Hindus and Sikhs, including Mulk Raj from Government High School, Bhera (founded in 1882, maybe earlier), district Shahpur (now Sargodha). See details about the school on the website, bhera.org, under the Category, Educational Institutions of Bhera.
As we read the list, we are transported in a time when World War l was going on and the winds of the Bolshivic Revolution ( 1917) were stirring in Russia. Yet, in this corner of the world, a group of young scholars remained steadfast in their pursuit of knowledge.
The page from the Gordonian maybe of interest to those whose ancestors’ names are mentioned. A copy of the page is given below, with courtesy of Muhammad Ali Akbar. See the pictures of Gordon College ( now Government Gordon Graduate College) in video format on Youtube. Links are given below. For more information about the college, see Wikipedia.
Note: I ( Zahid Mumtaz) joined Gordon College in 1969 in the pre-engineering group. Left the college in early 1973 and joined the army. I was born in Bhera, district Sargodha, which is why I have mentioned the name of Mulk Raj, a student from GHS, Bhera. I’m trying to gather information about him. It will be shared.
Zahid Mumtaz