Born in early 1940s, Vijay Dhar’s educational odyssey began in Rangteng government school in the old city where he spent some time but his father’s decision to send him to Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) in Delhi at a tender age marked a pivotal moment. Despite initial challenges, Dhar excelled in education, imbibing values that shaped his worldview. His experiences at Tyndale Biscoe School, where he learned swimming and performed the ‘Dal Cross’ feat, left an indelible mark on him. These early years laid the foundation for his later commitment to education.
“My early life firstly started from Rangteng government school in the old city in 1947 as my father went to the same school. I was in class 1st or 2nd primary when I was sent to Delhi in 1948 or 1949 at Jamia Millia Islamia. Agha Ashraf Ali, the great educationist, convinced my father to send me to JMI,” recalls Dhar.
Being the only son and ‘Chiraag’ of the Dhar dynasty it was very difficult for anybody to go outside for education at that age. “When I landed in Jamia Millia in class 2, there I learnt to offer Nimaz. I had no knowledge about the Nimaz but Zakir Hussain Sahab was the principal of the institution and Agha Ashraf Ali was my mentor and I learnt Nimaz and Quran,” says Dhar.
As Dhar was about to start his academic journey at JMI, his grandmother was upset with the decision.
“There in Jamia Millia they used to give us one thalie with big Roti and karchi on daal and we had to wear khadi as the freedom movement had taken off,” says Dhar.
I was there for two years and my paternal aunt (Buwa) came to see me there, and when she saw me, she started crying and on her return, she asked my father to take me back to Kashmir.
“So, I was again back in the Valley when Bakhshi Sahab was our Deputy Prime Minister. I remember our flight from Delhi took seven hours to reach Srinagar. The flight would stop at Amritsar, Pathankot, Jammu, and then land in Kashmir,” he says.
But the education at Jamia had a long lasting impact on Dhar’s life.
“It was tremendous and when I asked my father why he sent me to Jamia, his answer was that you will understand one day,” Dhar says.
After coming back from Jamia, Dhar again ended up in Rangteng school till class 6th. Later, he was enrolled in Tyndale Biscoe in class 6th for two years and then in between was sent to Presentation Convent as well as those days Presentation Convent School, which was a co-education school at that time.
“I was in the Presentation Convent School in my class 8th and I remember that I did not have a good hold on English. When my Principal asked me to say a few sentences in English I could not. So, I was demoted to class 6th,” recalls Dhar.
But then I learnt English very fast and got double promotion and got again shifted to Tyndale Biscoe in class 8th.
In Biscoe it was altogether a different experience of so many things like swimming and other activities.
“The teacher teaching me swimming would tie a rope and put me in the swimming pool. As I was Mantri’s (minister’s) son he would give me extra time but one day he got very angry as I could not learn swimming and he kicked me deep in the pool with a rope tied to me. And I landed up straight deep in the pool and I learnt how to swim on my own. Then I did the Dal cross as it was part of the school curriculum,” he says.
Dhar, as an alumnus of Tyndale Biscoe School, is all praise for his alma mater as he holds great respect for the school as an institution that kept education going in the worst times.
“I cannot take credit for providing education. I think Mr Kaul and his wife did superb work all the time. They had to face bad times too but they stuck to provide a good education. When I passed my class 10th from Biscoe that is when I entered the society and realised the value of education I got in my life,” he says.
At this age Dhar could sit across with others and understand their part of religion and his part of religion. It was easy to show respect to the person offering Nimaz and reciting Quran because he had that background to respect other religions.
To start Delhi Public School, Dhar took inspiration from Mr Parvaiz Kaul and his wife and the education he got in Tyndale Biscoe.
“I can’t say that we can copy that but we tried whatever we could pick up,” says Dhar.
Dhar later joined Amar Singh College Srinagar after passing his class 10th exams.
WITNESSING COMMUNAL HARMONY IN KASHMIR:
Dhar emphatically recalls growing up in Kashmir, highlighting a constant theme in his life – communal harmony. He asserts that despite changes over the years, he has never encountered discrimination or disrespect in the region due to his Hindu identity. This theme of harmony becomes a guiding principle throughout his life.
“It is a very interesting scenario which I think has not changed since I was a child. But of course there have been many changes like changes in education and other things,” says Dhar.
GLOBAL EXPOSURE AND EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS
Dhar’s travels to various countries enriched his perspective on education. He expresses admiration for Moscow’s teaching methodologies for kindergarten. However, he confronts a paradox – despite Jammu and Kashmir being the first state to make education compulsory in 1952, the region struggles with low educational standards. Dhar underscores the need for a robust teacher-training programme to elevate education.
FOUNDING DPS SRINAGAR
Motivated by a desire to contribute to education, Dhar, along with his family, returned to Kashmir in 1992. Recognising the deficiency in educational standards, he decided to establish a school. The journey led him to approach the Delhi Public School (DPS) Chairman, seeking affiliation. Despite a challenging encounter regarding his religion, Dhar succeeded in establishing DPS Srinagar in 2003, heralding a new era in education in the region.
“We went from here in 1990 like what everybody else did. But we came back in 1992 only because of my mother, that is a long story,” recalls Dhar.
On their return, with a huge security, Dhar still remembers the warmth and reception they were given by the local Kashmiris.
“We stayed here for five weeks with pathetic security. But the reception and love from our people was such that we never prepared our breakfast or dinner at our home. During those five weeks we were offered everything by our Kashmiri people here,” recalls Dhar. “Because of the security issues, a decision was taken that we will not visit their house and they will not enter our home. But they would prepare breakfast and dinner for us and deliver it at our gate. For five weeks they served us everything, such was the warmth of the people.”
The reception, warmth, and the respect attracted the Dhar family towards Valley.
“So we kept on coming here and in 1992 we were again here. I think it was in 1996 when we found that education was lacking here except for a few schools, particularly missionary schools, rest of the schools did not show that good education,” recalls Dhar.
This was the moment when they decided to start a school. The initiative however was not a cakewalk for them but somehow they succeeded in it.
“We opened the school in 2003 but basic things started in 1998 and 1999. It took one long year to decide as I wanted to have a big name for it and we approached DPS New Delhi. We wanted to have a national curriculum and we spent six months in Delhi to get the affiliation. Once I was waiting to meet the chairman, one gentleman of the office asked me about the area where I have to set up the school. I said Kashmir and then he asked me a very annoying question about whether I am Hindu or Muslim. This irritated me and I asked him to tell his chairman that if this is the criteria then I do not need the affiliation,” Dhar vividly recalls the conversation.
“So when I met the chairman I narrated the incident to him and said if this is the criteria then I do not need it. I told him that you have given 11 schools affiliation in Jammu and none in Kashmir. He gave me certain reasons and then I gave him a lecture on Kashmir for five minutes. He stood up and apologised for being asked about my religion.”
Such was the impact of the conversation that the chairman deleted 26 out of 29 clauses and declared that anyone from Kashmir who seeks affiliation should fulfill only three clauses instead of 29.
“He said that I was the first person who gave him a real picture of Kashmir. This is how we established DPS Srinagar,” says Dhar.
He says that his grandmother and Tyndale Biscoe School were the inspiration for him to set up a school in the Valley.
“My grandmother used to tell me that if you ever can do anything, build a school, then a hospital, after that think of building Mandir or Masjid.”
CURRENT EDUCATIONAL LANDSCAPE IN KASHMIR:
Dhar reflects on the improvements in the present educational scenario in Kashmir but stresses the need for a comprehensive teacher-training programme. He advocates for incorporating emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the curriculum, a vision realised by introducing AI in DPS Srinagar from the third grade.
“The grading factor for education is the teacher for whom we should have a teacher-training programme. We need to educate the teacher first and then we can talk of education. Contemporary education has changed but when it comes to technology we are lacking in it. The most important part is AI which we are lacking,” says Dhar.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL UPLIFTMENT
Dhar’s commitment to education extends beyond DPS Srinagar. He initiated collaborations between private and government schools, aiming for mutual growth. He emphasises the importance of the government recognising the value of private schools and leveraging their facilities for broader educational development.
Dhar, advocates for a collaboration between the private and government education sector which he believes is the way out to improve the overall education sector in Jammu and Kashmir.
“I don’t understand why the government considers private schools as parasites, instead the government should use our facilities. I suggested to the government that each private school should adopt one or two government schools in their vicinity,” he says.
Dhar recalled how the initiative was sabotaged in 2008, when DPS Srinagar in 2008 adopted one government school at Sonwar Srinagar.
“We adopted Sonwar School and upgraded it. I remember there were 36 teachers and 80 children. We brought down the teachers to 18 and the student numbers increased to 180. There was a nearby school and we asked the government to combine these two schools. But after three years the government did not give any hopes of continuing with it,” he said.
“We have proposed to set up a college in the Valley and teach courses like AI and other technical courses rather than teaching history or geography. I can get you 10 professors from England using online mode of teaching. Let them (government) allow us to set up private colleges here,” says Dhar.
VIEWS ON ARTICLE 370 ABROGATION:
While refraining from labelling the abrogation of Article 370 as strictly good or bad, Dhar acknowledges the positive developments in health and overall development in Jammu and Kashmir post the abrogation.
“I cannot say whether abrogation of article 370 was the best thing, a good thing, or a bad thing to happen but one thing is that after removal of Article 370 and Article 35-A there has been tremendous development in Jammu and Kashmir. Particularly in the health sector,” says Dhar.
RETURN OF KASHMIRI PANDITS:
Dhar is of the opinion that there are various options for the government to bring Kashmiri Pandits back but says that it has been 30 years now since they left.
“Their children are settled outside and abroad and if they are coming back they must know that they are coming to what,” he says.
Dhar says that there must be a nostalgic factor associated with parents and grandparents but raises apprehensions about the young generations.
“There are KPs working as teachers and also in other departments. But we must ask them if they are happy,” he says.
LEGACY AND INSPIRATIONS
Dhar’s life journey, from a student at Rangteng School to the chairperson of DPS reflects a transformative era marked by technological advancements. His inspiration stems from dedicated teachers at Tyndale Biscoe School and the teachings of his father, D P Dhar, emphasising the importance of giving back to society.
“The teaching of my father to me was very little but only one thing which is the motive of DP Dhar Memorial Trust is ‘Learn to Give’. He always used to tell me that giving money to someone was easy but we should learn to spend time with people. That has been a great teaching for me,” recalls Dhar.
Dhar is satisfied with his life as he has been able to provide a platform of education to people and has around 700 employees.
“If you ask me if I have done something great in education, I will say I have not, but at least I have projected a better standard,” says Dhar while recalling an incident of a mother who approached DPS management for a form to admit her kid in the school.
“When the lady came to me in 2003 and asked about the fees, I said it was Rs 1200. She returned and said she cannot afford it. After a few days she again came to me and asked for the form but I reminded her of financial constraints. She said I will do whatever possible at my end but will ensure that my kid studies here at DPS Srinagar because I trust you,” he says.
TAILPIECE
Dhar’s profile encapsulates a remarkable individual who, driven by a passion for education and communal harmony, has left an indelible mark on the educational landscape of Kashmir. His commitment to fostering a new generation equipped with the latest technologies and values continues to shape the future of education in the region.
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