In our last edition we put before the readers the first part of the history of our college , in Hindi. We hoped to give them the 2^nd part this time. But because of High cost of printing etc, it could not be made possible. However we are publishing in this edition a graphic account of the history by one of our most illustrious principals who moulded and shaped the course of the history of this institution . This article by Shri Brij Bhushan Lal Kashiva , M.A , L.L.B , A.T.C Ex –Principalis a graphic description of the events which this institution witnessed in its long history of eighty eight years of its existence.

         We are highly thankful to Mr.Kashiva for the interest and pains he took to bring to light the facts and events of the years of which very little is know to us of the younger generation, without caring for his old age and tremendous strain he had to go through.

                                                         -Editor

1. Conditions prevailing at Sikandrabad regarding the educational facilities in years following the establishment of the British rule in this part of the country.

Ans: Private Maktabs and pathshala and those attached to mosques and temples unparted general education up to Primary and Vernacular Middle standard in language Arithmetic, History and Geography. The local Town school under the District Board was probably established some time in the last decade of the last century . (District Gazetteer of Bulandshahr with the collectorate Library may be consulted for detailed account.)

2. Events which led to the establishment of this institution.

Ans: After the failure of first freedom struggle , the so called Mutiny of 1857-58, the British Rule came to stay. The University of Allahabad was established and English Education began to spread steadily among communities like Kayasthas that have a tradition of acquiring dominant knowledge , culture and enlightment. The Kayasthas, a leading well to do community, of Sikandrabad, a small but very important Municipal town and Grant trunk Road and the main life of the E.I Rly; (now Northern Rly) 33 miles north-east of Delhi took the cue and started a Kayastha English Middle school in 1886. The prominent elders who pioneered were M.Jamna Swarup (father of M.Govind Swarup, the first manager), M.Roshan Lal, M.Jawaher Lal (Grand father of B.Bhajan Lal) and M.Bhiron Prasad.

Soon after, the communal name was given of for a catholic one-Anglo-Vernacular School in 1896 (1894), the first of its kind in the district. On receipt of a donaition of Rs.20000 from M.Mukund Swarup Saheb in 1937-38 his name was added to A.V.High School. It rose to an Intermediate College in July 1943 and has been named Mukund Swarup Intermediate College.

3. Name of Managers, Head Masters, Principal in Chrological order with years of their office and their out standing work and contribution to the growth of institution.

Ans: Managers – (1) M.Govind Swarup 1886 to 1917,(2) L.Gokal Chand Vakil – 1917 to April-May 1926; (3) M.Shive Swarup – 1926 to May 1938; (4) Rai Bahadur Jatan Swarup – 1938 to Nov. 1957; (5) The present manager Shri Rajendra Swarup succeede his father R.B Jatan Swarup.

Head Masters – (1) Pt. Balak Ram 1886 to 1917; (2) In session 1917-18 most probably M. Hargyan Singh 2^nd Master, officiate as Head Master (this may be verified from Scholars Registers of that period); (3) Shri R.C Bhargava B.A.L.T – July 1918 to Oct. – Nov. 1918 (Shri N.D Bhatia, B.A.L.T – Nov. 1918 to 1921 (to be verified from S.D.S (5) Mr.(R.L.?) Chandratray, 1921 to 1922 (full name and period of the office to be verified from S.Rs); (6) L.Kashi Ram M.A.L.T, 1922 to July 1926; (7) Shri Madho Narain Mathur, B.A.,L.T July 1930 to June 1935; (9) Shri Brij Bhushan Lal Kashiva, M.A. LL.B.,A.T.C. July 1935 to June 1943.

Principals – (1) Shri B.B.L. Kashiva, M.A.LL.B., A.T.C. July 1943 to 7^th July 1944; (2) Shri Satyendra Prasad, M.A.B.T., 8^th July 1944 to June 1946; (3) Shri P.K Banergee M.A.,B.T., July 1946 to June 1954; (4) Shri B.B.L. Kashiva M.A. LL.B., July 1954 to 27^th July 1961; (5) Shri. K.B.Bhatia , M.Sc., L.T. continuing since July 28,1961 to 1971. Shri K.R. Saxena officiated 1971-72. Then Shri. B.P. Bhatnagar took over the charge.

1. Govind Swarup, Manager and Pt.Balak Ram , Head Master , were closely connected with the foundation of this institution. Under their fostering care and devoted work till 1915, it reached its full glorious statue as a High School with its reputed staff showing creditable results, well-equipped Geography, Drawing and Science sections and an excellent Library with its collection of rare books on all subjects and high fame in Games and sports in the Meerut Division. Its strength in 1911-14 rose to about 500 boys –a great achievement in those days – which it attracted even from far off places and for whom it maintained four or five hostels in the rented big Havelis of the Mohalla. It enjoyed the patronage of the Education Department which awarded it very liberal grants-in-aid.

  For 1915 onwards differences rose between the Manager and the Head Master ending in a complete break in 1917 and setting the school on its career of chequered fortune. A new constitution was drawn up and adopted in place of the old one.

     During eight or nine years regime of L.Gokal Chand, five Head Masters worked in succession for only brief periods. Each one of them put in his best endeavour to keep up, more or less to an appreciable level, the dwindling reputation of the school in competition with the fast growing number of High School in other Tehsils and towns of the District, completion of the Boarding House including the Superintendent’s Quarters, is the main achievement of this period. Shri Gokal Chand’s loss of the managership alienated the support, sympathy and co-operation of the Vaish community of the town.

B.Shiva Swarup got into the office of manager in 1926 and continued till his death in May, 1938.

       Under him Shri Khushwaqt Rai Asthana M.A.,L.T., during his four years of Head Mastership tried to raise the school in the eye of the Department and but for certain handicaps would have achieved something worth while in the matter of Building and equipment grants in-aid.

             Shri Madho Narain Mahur B.A.,L.T. from the very start of his tenure had to face the fury of the Civil Disobedience Movement which the local vaish community skilfully tried to avail for uprooting the institution. But with the influence of B.Shiva Swarup among prominent congress-men and the support of Mr.K.Prasad, then the District Magistrate, the management in the due course, succeeded in the bringing the matters to normally. During this tenure of five years K.Prasad Museum was started, the road boundary wall was built, land adjacent to the Science – Room wing was acquired, a small well on the Southern- side was built to perpetuate the memory of Pt.Dev Sharma’s father in-law donation of about Rs.2000/- was received from Baba, Ram Kinkar Das, the priest of Shri Ram Chandrajee’s temple in the Ahata, and the school and the Boarding House buildings were beautified by flower-beds, plants and creepers. Unfortunately the K.Prasad Museum was allowed to vanish into nothingness unceremoniously bit by bit between 1949 and 1952.

  Shri B.B.L. Kashiva succeeded Shri Madho Narain Mathur. He was Head Master from July 1935 to June 1943 and the school having risen to Intermediate College, its first Principal from July 1943 to 7^th. July 1944, when he resigned. Shri Shiva Swarup having died in May , 1938, Rai Bahadur Jatan Swarup had succeeded him as life manager.

   Inspite of hard competition with the speedily growing sister institution, the Agarwal School, and almost complete with drawl and of support by the wealthy vaish community of the town these nine years saw new activities , new work and progress in various directions. It was a period of discovery of the institution’s glorious past, consolidation and expansion.

The week-long Golden Jubilee celebrations in 1936, were a grand success, the last and the main function having been presided over by Mr.Marshi; I.C.S then the commissioner of the Meerut Division. The celebrations appeals evoked new interest in the management, the staff, the students old and new and in the public at large to work devotedly for and help, the advancement and progress for their Alma Mater. Old boys association and Poor Boys’ Fund were started; co-education and Harijan Education were introduced; night classes for literacy and Adult Education were started in the Mohallas of the Harijan and backward sections; scouting develops to its new heights and its grand rallies attracted the attention and admiration of the whole district; a Radio set, the first in the town, was installed in the renovated Hall to give educational broad-casts and other interesting programmes to students and at times to general public as well; the scouts were provided with the decent flute band of their own; games and sports were given new impetus, the school office record of full 50 years, loosely kept and exposed to dust dampness and wind, were re-arranged, classified and preserved in a cloth bundles, the Library in the chaos were re-organised and added to with costly and useful modern books and publication; new equipment is provided for Geography, History, Science and Drawing sections names of donors of Rs.100/- and above were exhibited in print on a big plastered Board on the outer wall of the Hall facing interior Quadrangle. About 1944 the school become the centre of High School Examinations.

                  Admist these all-round heightening activities, quite insistence appeal to that end, secured for the institution from M.Mukund Swarup Saheb in 1937-38.  They hand some donation of Rs.20,000/- forming the permanent endowment of Rs.25,000/- in Government securities. This led to the some basic amendments in the constitution and change of name to Mukund Swarup A.V. High School. Two years of devotion and hard work bore the crowning achievement of the period. The M.A.V High School rose to Mukund Swarup Intermediate College with the effect from July 1943. It was most probably in 1941 that H.E the Governor of U.P. Sir Maurice Hallet, who visited Sikandrabad for the first and last time to open the M.S. Female Hospital, gave his applanding remark that the “M.A.V. High School has been doing good useful work”- the exact words may be found from the Governor’s remarks in the Municipal Records.

             On 8^th July 1994 Shri B.B.L Kashiva resigned and succeeded by Shri Satyendra Prasad M.A., B.T., who continued as Principal till Jine 1946. I was away for 2 years from Sikandrabad and Shri K.B. Bhatia, the present Principal, has detailed knowledge of these two years.

   Shri P.K. Banergee M.A.,B.T. was appointed principal in July 1946 and retired in June 1954. Most probably in 1949-50 recognition of Inter College classes of Commerce was obtained. The plot of the land on the northern side adjacent to the Geog. Room Block was acquired. The President, Old Boys, Association, Rai Saheb Shri J.P. Kashiva dedicated his service to collect money for college from door to door and from far and near. He collected about Rs.5000/- a sum next only to the donation by M. Mukund Swarup Saheb. The amount was spent on building first two rooms on the first floor, two shops and the watchman’s quarter on the Southern side. Annual full night dramatic shows went on very successfully for few years. The magazine under the cheif-editorship of Shri B.B.L. Kashiva started its publication from 1953-54, the Teachers Association held its meetings monthly and interesting papers were read there in. Expenditure had much exceeded the college income and financial stringency continued for several years even after Shri.Banergee’s retirement.

            Shri P.K Banergee retired in June 1954 and Shri B.B.L. Kashiva who had re-joined college service in July 1946 as vice Principal succeeded him and continued till his retirement on July 28,1961.   

       With the Freedom of India from the British rule in Aug. 1947, gradual progressive changes began in the Govt. Policies and administration befitting a free democratic India. The stereotyped department of Education with its unhelpful bureaucracy had as the years passed on, to yield to public opinion demanding expansion of Education and wide-spread knowledge of Science and Technology. Among the rapidly growing number of school and college in every nook and corner of district, the college maintained its fairly high position curricular as well as extra-curricular activities (games, sports, drama, debates, scouting, P.T., new style shows and exhibition etc.) showing from fair to excellent work in the district, divisional and state competitions. For ever growing number of students and class sections, the Southern wing of the college hostel was used for holding classes. Cobwebs here and there hindering progress were cleared and the course was smoothed for future progress.

     In July 1959 Jatan Swarup Degree College was established under the same management, perpetuating the memory of Rai Bahadur Jatan Swarup. It has a history of its own and the credit goes to two sons of Rai Bahadur Saheb, Shri Rajendra Swarup and Shri Virendra Swarup who provided the necessary endowment worth about Rs.200,000/- and who have been nurturing it like their own offspring.

   On July 28, 1961, Shri B.B.L Kashiva retired on completion of sixty years of his age and Shri K.B. Bhatia, M.Sc., L.T. succeeded him. Under his dedicated service and the fostering care of Shri Rajendra Swarup and Shri Virendra Swarup, the distinguish sons of distinguished father the M.S Intermediate College has been growing from more to more.

     Q.4. Names of those other than the Manager, Principal, or the Head Masters whose wealth and work contribution to the development of this institution.

Ans:-  On the Honour-Board the name of all those who donated Rs.100/- and above are given. The stone-tablets on the rooms of the Boarding House, give the names of the donours, M. Hargyan Singh Saheb, II master till 1917-18 got a big well built in the kitchen area of the Boarding House. The well outside the Boarding House along with the road, was built by somebody whose name is given on the stone-slab in the wall of the well. Baba Ram Kinkar Das of the temple of Shri Ramchandrajee in Ahata, donated about Rs.2000/- in 1933-34. A small well in the school premises, at the instance of Pt. Dev Sharma, was built by his mother-in-law.

    M.Mukand Swarup Saheb donated the hand some amount of Rs.20000/- in 1937-38.

Rai Saheb J.P Kashiva as the President of the Old Boys Association, collected between 1951 to 1954 about Rs.5000/- most of which was spent on the building the two upper story-rooms, two shops and servants Quarters. The Kayasthwara Dramatic Club donated all its costly equipment, curtains and dresses to the school in about 1943.

Q.5. Information regarding the construction and extension of the building.

Ans:-  The major part of the school building was completed between 1910 and 1917. The conflict between the manager and the Head Master in 1915-17 led to the disappearance of this valuable record from the school office. The Boarding House and the play ground stand on what once was ‘Parsa Ka Bara’ (Parsa’s farm). Only the records could tell how and when it was acquired. It was a farm till about 1915. The Boarding House building probably began in 1915-16 and was completed by 1922.

Q.6.  Any outstanding contribution by any member of the teaching staff.

Ans:-  M. Hargyan Singh Saheb, II master till 1917-18, got the Boarding House big well built in loving memory of his father. He was known to be the Chief Collaborator of the Head Master Pt. Balak Ram Saheb in the developing activities of the school in its infancy.

Ch. Kanhiya Lal the Drill Master, and B. Maharaj Swarup Asst. Master, spread no pains and could afford every cota of their time and energy in their labour of love the former for the advancement of Scouting and the latter for that of K.Prasad Museum which flourished for about 15 years.

Q.7. Any event worth mentioning (with year) in the field of games, sports, scouting, debates etc. or any other thing.

Ans:-  In the autumn of 1911 at the great Delhi Darbar of his Majesty the King George V. the combined School Cricket and Football team of 12 members was invited by the Government and its represented the school there. Their beautiful uniform consisting of Black-Serge Frock Coat, white flannel trousers and Kafuri Safa is still fresh in the memory. About 1912 Sikandrabad was the venue for the famous final match of Inter Divisional Foot-Ball Tournament, between the celebrated Gorkha Team Dehradun and that of the famous M. A. O. College Aligarh (now the Muslim University). The match was played at the Parao (the military camping ground, now Sheikh Abdussalam’s Farm) manages and controlled by the A.V. High School, Sikandrabad, to the great excitement and delight of the peole of the town.

These two events indicate the high reputation that the school enjoyed in Meerut Division.

Q.8.  Name of out-standing students and their achievements both as students and as public man.

Ans:-  Of its student out of a host of known and unknown eminent lawyers, doctors, scientists, educationists, engineers, businessmen, Gazetted Officers, commissioned and non-commissioned Military Officers. Humanitarians, Politicians and personalities in other fields, the names of four outstanding students are :-

• Late Rai Bahadur Shri Brij Lal Bhatia, Retd. Collector of U.P., an eminent administrator, famous for his original work in land Records, and a well known public worker in his retired life;
• Late Thakur Nehpal Singh, I.E.S., Deputy Director of Educationist;
• Late Dr. Sir Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, the great Scientist of India fame, the First Director of The Council of Industrial and Scientific Research in Free India;
• Shri Vishveshwar Swarup Bhatnagar (son of late Shri Maharaj Swarup, Asst. Teachers) Asst. Teachers, Govt. Inter College, Allahabad, who is one of the first batch of Teachers selected from all India for their selfless devoted work as teachers and honoured by the President of India by special awards.

Q.9.  Any Photographs of any personality or event worth its place in the History of the institution.

Ans:-  These are in the College Hall, the Principal’s office-room and in the college magazine copies of various years. Three Golden Jubilee Photos of Different occasions are in Principal’s room.

Q.10.  Any other thing.

Ans:-  Had I been at Sikandrabad much more relevant information on wanted points could have been given.