FATEHGARH SAHIB:  President on India  Dr A P. J. Abdul Kalam, is  scheduled to inaugurate Sanghol Educational Complex on August 17 at the ancient and archaeologically rich village of Sanghol in this district. The complex was established by  village residents in collaboration with the Shardhanjali Charitable Trust run by NRI Daljit Singh Rana.

Fatehgarh Sahib Deputy Commissioner Jaspreet Talwar confirmed the visit of Kalam. However, she said that district administration is yet to receive exact schedule of the President visit. According to sources President would visit Sanghol around 11.30 AM before visiting other places of Punjab. District police has also made elaborate arrangements for Kalam’s visit.

The residents of the ancient village – also known as Ucha Pind, or the ‘high village’ – have set out to create a village society that fuses rural values and customs with modern scientific ways of life and living.  Their intention includes an endeavour to make Sanghol some kind of national model.

Eminent educationalist and Sanghol Educational Project Director Dr Raj Kumar Sharma informed that the Shardhanjali Charitable Trust has been established by UK-based entrepreneur, Lord Diljit Rana, who was born in Sanghol, and who is at present the honorary Indian Consulate in Belfast. He said that the residents of Sanghol in their enthusiasm for the village’s future as a fusion of modern techno-living with adherence to ancient Vedic values were inspired to join with the Shardhanjali Charitable Trust to establish the Smt Jawala Devi Memorial Trust. Smt Jawala Devi was Lord Rana’s mother.

From all accounts, some interesting details about archaeological finds in and around Sanghol have been collected and described in a book published by the Punjab Government’s Department of Cultural Affairs, Archaeology and Museums.  These finds establish the antiquity of the village.  They established that Sanghol village and its neighbourhood date from at least the time of the Indus Valley Civilization. 

Sanghol, say the archaeologists, was very likely a prosperous and flourishing town around 3000 B.C. – that is, some five thousand years ago.  Subsequently, Sanghol rose to be a major cultural centre in the Buddhist period.  Sufficient evidence of this has been unearthed from artifacts such as pottery and other materials found under mounds of earth that mark the area.  Among other notable things are the remains of a Buddhist Vihara – said to be the only one of its kind found in this region.

As per information received, in this  venture, support is now expected from the Government of India – the expectation is based on a meeting that the trustees of the Shardhanjali Charitable Trust and the Sanghol village leaders are said to have had with former Union Minister of Rural Development, V. M. Naidu.  He is said to have assured them of the Government’s moral support.  A number of other groups and individuals are said also to have expressed willingness to help in the project as effectively as they can.

The project, it may be recalled, had begun on November 17, 2001.Now the college is completed and has been functioning for the past one year. The President will formally inaugurate the Sanghol Educational Complex on coming August 17.

Dr Sharma, said that the project became functional with the starting of Cordia College for Girls in the academic session 2005-06. He said on  a request from Sanghol Panchayat and other eminent persons of the area, the college has now been made co-educational institution from the session 2006-07.  He said that the college is affiliated to Punjabi University, Patiala. Besides degree in arts, a computer course, PGDCA, has also been started. The aim of the project is to provide world class education in a rural area.

He said that the students are encouraged to develop their talent by participating in co-curricular activities. Besides the arts college, Smt. Jawala Devi College of Education is likely to start working in the next 2 weeks. Uma Rana Public School has also started
working with a thrust on english language. The Trust will start an MBA programme and Hotel Management Institute from next session. Efforts are made to provide education with employable opportunities.  Dr Sharma said that  Negotiations were held with international universities for starting collaborative programmes so that students find best job opportunities after completing their education.