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What did Kalpana Chawla do for college?: The Indian Express
Chandigarh, Feb 05: February 1 was the first death anniversary of a former student who took the name of her college to space and pinned it on the world map. But her college, Punjab Engineering College (PEC), chose to forget Kalpana Chawla. Her memory was clouded by the ongoing `feud` between the college authorities and her department - Department of Aeronautical Studies.
Chandigarh, Feb 05: February 1 was the first death anniversary of a former student who took the name of her college to space and pinned it on the world map. But her college, Punjab Engineering College (PEC), chose to forget Kalpana Chawla. Her memory was clouded by the ongoing ‘feud’ between the college authorities and her department — Department of Aeronautical Studies.
‘‘The department has been sidelined. They question ‘what did Kalpana do for the college?’. They have failed to commemorate her memory in the college,’’ says Prof S C Sharma, head, Department of Aeronautical Studies.
‘‘We would have liked to organise a function in the department itself. But, the principal, Baljeet Kapoor, had already issued instructions against this. The department was not allowed to hold a lecture without his permission last year,’’ he adds.
‘‘Last year, when the alumni association wanted to organise akhand path soon after Kalpana’s death, Kapoor refused to give the community centre,’’ adds another professor. ‘‘This time we collaborated with Delhi to hold a function,’’ the professor says.
The principal, alleges Sharma, does not mind showing the markssheet of Kalpana to outsiders ‘‘to prove that she was not a very outstanding student. This is despite the fact that all teachers were impressed by her dedication and love for the subject’’.
Even the MI-8 helicopter that they have brought in her memory is more of a decoration piece, says Sharma. ‘‘It was supposed to be brought to the department. The chief of engines at 3BRD also told me that an extra engine of the chopper is on its way to the department. But this was stopped midway and kept outside the administrative block,’’ he adds.
‘‘We would have liked to organise a function in the department itself. But, the principal, Baljeet Kapoor, had already issued instructions against this. The department was not allowed to hold a lecture without his permission last year,’’ he adds.
‘‘Last year, when the alumni association wanted to organise akhand path soon after Kalpana’s death, Kapoor refused to give the community centre,’’ adds another professor. ‘‘This time we collaborated with Delhi to hold a function,’’ the professor says.
The principal, alleges Sharma, does not mind showing the markssheet of Kalpana to outsiders ‘‘to prove that she was not a very outstanding student. This is despite the fact that all teachers were impressed by her dedication and love for the subject’’.
Even the MI-8 helicopter that they have brought in her memory is more of a decoration piece, says Sharma. ‘‘It was supposed to be brought to the department. The chief of engines at 3BRD also told me that an extra engine of the chopper is on its way to the department. But this was stopped midway and kept outside the administrative block,’’ he adds.