Friendships sans frontiers: Lahore alma mater unveils classroom for Punjab ex-CM

Bathinda: In a rare cross-border tribute, Lahore's prestigious Aitchison College will dedicate a classroom to former Punjab chief minister Harcharan Singh Brar, nearly 16 years after his death, in honour of one of its distinguished alumni and a friendship that survived Partition.The classroom, to be named after Brar, will be unveiled on June 10 at the initiative of Pakistani industrialist and philanthropist Syed Babar Ali, Brar's schoolmate and lifelong friend at the institution, then known as Punjab Chiefs' College.Brar studied at Aitchison from 1936 to 1943 and shared a classroom with Babar Ali, who turns 100 later this month. The former Punjab chief minister, who died in 2009, had remained closely associated with his alma mater and his friend across the border.Tarunjit Singh Butalia, honorary envoy at Aitchison College, said the gesture symbolised bonds that transcended the Partition of 1947. "The room dedication in honour of Harcharan Singh Brar exemplifies a lifelong friendship that survived difficult times and political boundaries," he said.The tribute also revives memories of Brar's visit to Lahore in 1989, when he inaugurated a library dedicated to Babar Ali at Aitchison College.Calling it a matter of pride for both the family and Punjab, former MLA Karan Kaur Brar, Brar's daughter-in-law, said the honour reflected the deep bond shared by the two. "They were more like brothers than friends," she said.Brar's daughter, Babli Brar, has travelled to Pakistan to attend the ceremony.Founded in 1886, Aitchison College is among Pakistan's most prestigious educational institutions. Before Partition, it educated generations of leaders from undivided Punjab. Brar was a school prefect and recipient of the Rivaz Gold Medal during his years at the institution. He later served as Punjab chief minister and governor of Haryana and Odisha.