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Ludhiana: Camaraderie, vibrant spirits mark 59th alumni meet at PAU
Alumni from across the world and India gathered together at the sprawling lush green lawns of the college to share light-hearted moments, bonhomie and culinary delights
Sitting on the grass outside the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) canteen, a group of around 20 alumni from the class of 1986 shared a nostalgic cup of tea, reminiscing about their college days, during the 59th meet of the alumni association of the College of Agriculture at PAU in Ludhiana on Friday.
The meet was marked by the vibrant spirits, delightful camaraderie, cultural extravaganza and bright sunshine. Alumni from across the world and India gathered together at the sprawling lush green lawns of the college to share light-hearted moments, bonhomie and culinary delights. The spectacular folk dances of Punjab and other states, mimicry, mono acting, “bhand” and “lammi hek wale geet” dominated the event that saw the alumni and their families in the best of health and ecstatic moods.
Going back to the erstwhile years, the oldest alumnus and the chief guest SS Johl, former chancellor, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda and former vice-chancellor (V-C), PAU, delved deep his good old days, where existed strong bond of love and care among colleagues and friends. Sharing reflections from his exceptional career as an agricultural economist, Johl applauded PAU and its students for the extraordinary display in the upswing of this prestigious University at the national and international level.
Presiding over the event, PAU V-C and patron of the association Satbir Singh Gosal remarked that bonding and re-bonding were a part of life. Entering into 62nd year of establishment, transfer of “roots” from Lyallpur (now Faisalabad in Pakistan) to Ludhiana (Punjab in India); and “label” from food-deficit to food-surplus India has enabled PAU to stand tall with the farmers and alumni because of its indefatigable dedication, he said.
Former V-Cs, comprising Dr Kirpal Singh Aulakh, PAU; Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, PAU; Dr Jai Rup Singh, Guru Nanak Dev University; Dr MS Aulakh, Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda, Uttar Pradesh; and Dr NS Malhi, Guru Kashi University, Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda, also graced the occasion.
Success stories
Clad in formal attires, the former students who are now accomplished businessmen and professionals scattered across countries like Australia, Canada, and the USA, held positions as deans and directors in various organisation, were juxtaposed with a group of teens nearby, relishing their college moments.
Reflecting on their initial days at the university, they fondly recalled arriving in traditional kurta pyjamas as 16-year-olds, a striking contrast to their current statuses. Amid laughter, they exchanged amusing tales of their struggles, from grappling with English conversations to navigating interactions with female classmates.
“We all hailed from rural backgrounds, adorned in desi kurta pyjamas when we entered this university in 1986. It was our teachers who refined us academically, while social interactions with friends enhanced our personalities. Back in the day, we could not have fathomed the lives we are living today, but persistent hard work and lessons from this university have brought us here,” said Dr Jagdish Toor, an Australia-based entrepreneur in real estate development.
Recalling the barriers to conversation and hesitant interactions with female batchmates, HS Kingra, senior agricultural economist at PAU, shared, “There were only two female students in our batch, one from Punjab and another from Arunachal Pradesh. Due to linguistic barriers and general hesitance, we could never interact with them.”
“During our college days, our teachers, besides three of our classmates, were hopeless about our career prospects. They were sceptical about whether we would succeed in life. Fortunately, we all excelled in our careers, with education being our sole tool of progress,” said Prakash Singh, serving as deputy director at the Punjab agriculture department.
The 1986 batch includes Manmohanjit Singh, dean of the College of Agriculture, Ballowal Saunkhri; Arvinder Tiwana, a Canada-based businessman; Manjit Singh, a Brampton-based lawyer and film director; Harjinder Singh, MD of a private laboratory in Canada; KB Singh, director of PAMETI, and other prominent professionals.
