Bapu’s deep links with St. Stephen’s college to Valmikis

Alas, Gandhi ji’s classes were ended when he left for Birla house couple of miles away from here on the advice of Pt. Nehru and Sardar Patel as Hindu and Sikh refugees from Pakistan had started living in campus of Valmiki temple after the partition of the country

For Mahatma Gandhi, both St. Stephen's College and Valmiki Mandirr in capital have very special place. When Mahatma Gandhi visited Delhi for the first time in Delhi in 1915, he stayed in St. Stephen’s college campus. If you visit inside the Principals’ room of St. Stephen’s college, you would definitely see a sepia coloured picture in which Gandhi ji is sitting with faculty and students of the college. Well, the St. Stephen’s college had hosted him when he was visiting Delhi for the first time from 12-14 April, 1915. He was then only MrMK Gandhi. But, why he stayed at St. Stephen’s College campus only? What was so special about the St. Stephen’s college? Well, there is a story behind Gandhi’s tryst with this college. “Actually, Gandhi ji has already become known name as a crusader for the rights of people of Indian origin in South Africa. He also took up the fight against racial oppression there in South Africa. “Principal of the college, Prof. S K Rudra knew about his work in South Africa mainly through his friend and former colleague Deenbandhu Charles Freer Andrews, “says Father George Solomon of Delhi Brotherhood Society (DBS) which established the St. Stephen’s college. Andrews already met and stayed with Gandhi ji in Durban in 1904. Andrews was deeply influenced by the Gandhian doctrine of Non-Violence.

Now, St. Stephen's College is moving towards Haryana after making a huge contribution in the field of education and nation building since 1881 in Delhi. After more than 140 years of establishing the college where several great luminaries, including great peasant leader Sir Chotu Ram, fourth President of India, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad and former Pakistan President Zia Ul Haq have studied, is turning into school too.

Well, the Delhi Brotherhood Society is opening a school at Rai in Sonepat, Haryana from the coming academic session i.e. 2024-25. The School would be known as St. Stephan’s Cambridge School.

According to Brother George Solomon, who is associated with DBS for the last over three decades, “ Our school would remain committed to the ideals and principles of Gandhi ji. The school building is very modern with very rich library, Science laboratories and huge play ground.” The St. Stephan’s Cambridge School will be a Co-educational school from 1st class to 12 th class.

It may be recalled that the members of Delhi Brotherhood Society (DBS) were at the forefront during freedom movement of India. Deenbandhu C F Andrews was among the founders of DBS.

Meanwhile, for Ganddhi ji 214 days stay at the Valmiki colony at Mandir Marg in capital was unique in a way that he became a teacher. He had started teaching kids of Valmiki families there at his own. He stayed there from 1 April 1946 to 10 June, 1947. Well, he taught English and Hindi by choice when he started living there. That was perhaps the first and only time when he became a teacher in true sense of the world. Of course, he knew that the life of Valmikis can transform only through education. He had deep empathy for my community.

When you visit Gandhi ji’s small room inside the Valmiki temple, you would see several old sepia coloured photographs of Gandhi ji with Lord Mountbatten and Lady Mountbatten, Acharya Kriplani, Frontier Gandhi, C. Rajgoplachari, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad and Pt Nehru. However, one painting would tell you the story of this venerable room. In this fading painting, several kids are talking to Bapu in a very animated manner. While the name of the painter is not there, but he has done wonderful job to reflect the mood of the room which has a great past.

Here in this carpeted room, you would also find a wooden desk in the centre that Gandhi ji use to write. And on the right side is the bed that Gandhi ji would use. Gandhi ji’s charkha is also there close to his bed. This charkha is a small one. But for him everything is still there in a same position.

Krishan Vidhyarthi, 63, cleans the class room of Bapu and black board there daily without fail where his elders used to study more than 75 years ago. For Krishan Vidhyarthi, the caretaker and priest of Valmiki temple, the class room is a sacred place. “ Of course, it is not an ordinary class room as here Gandhi ji used to teach, “ informs Vidhyarthi.

When Gandhi ji moved to Valmiki temple, very large number of Valmiki families used to live in Jhuggis there. They work as sweepers in areas like Gole Market, Irwin Road ( now Baba Kharak Singh Marg) and Connaught Place.

Once Gandhi shifted to Valmiki colony, he started interacting with Valmiki families. He was shocked that they were all illiterates. Nobody had seen even school. Then he asked local residents to send their kids to him as he would teach them. With Bapu’s offer, elders started sending their kids in his classes. Vidhyarti’s father and uncles were also attended Gandhi’s classes.

And he ensured that his classes took place both in morning and evening without fail. He was such a conscientious teacher that he often used to delay his meetings with stalwarts of freedom movement in order to finish his classes. That starts before prayers. So during his classes and later prayers, he didn’t meet guests. Writes Louis Fischer in his brilliant biography of Gandhi ‘The Life of Mahatma’, “Once I reached at the Valmiki temple from my hotel Imperial to interview him. But, he met me only after the prayers.” Fischer spent over one month in Delhi to collect notes for his biography on Bapu in 1946.

Well, Gandhi ji was a hard-task master. He used to chide students if any of them attended his class without taking bath. Not only the residents of Valmiki Colony, many students studying in schools like Raisina Bengali School, Harcourt Butler School and Delhi Tamil Education Association school (DTEA) too attended his classes from time to time. It was basically free for all classes. It is said that he knew all students by their names.

Naturally, those lucky students of Bapu are not around to narrate their experiences, their kids are still there to share the stories of Bapu as a teacher.

Alas, Gandhi ji’s classes were ended when he left for Birla house couple of miles away from here on the advice of Pt. Nehru and Sardar Patel as Hindu and Sikh refugees from Pakistan had started living in campus of Valmiki temple after the partition of the country.

(The author is Delhi-based senior journalist and writer. He is author of Gandhi's Delhi which has brought to the forth many hidden facts about Mahatma Gandhi)