Our Historical Past
The words of Madan Mohan Malviya(quoted above) prove beyond doubt why he considered himself to be extremely fortunate to have visited the institution. The pioneer in women education and women liberation in India, Kanya Maha Vidyalaya finds mention in the book Arya Dharam by an American scholar, W. Jones. Tranquil and serene, dazzling in pristine white, K.M.V. is the sovereign shrine of women emancipation, as well as a sacred monument of patriotism. Its history is like a sacred pilgrimage into the past. It is not simply a plain building of bricks and stones, but each brick is bathed by the sweat and blood of innumerable patriots. The very atmosphere of the building breathes the spirit of sacrifice, devotion and liberal education. It is an institution steeped in rich antiquity.
A glimpse at its glorious past takes us more than hundred years back. During the British rule, the country was also reeling under the burden of an orthodox, retrogressive society, where women were the targets of infinite atrocities like ‘Sati Pratha’, ‘Child Marriages’, ‘Pardah System’. The Vedic women, emancipated and educated, fully disappeared under the shroud of pseudo-social values and baseless norms. It was in this suffocating atmosphere that great men like Raja Rammohan Roy, Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar,Swami Dayanand Sarswati et al began to think and feel about the unfortunate women. They believed that only if the other half of humanity, the women, are educated and liberated, the nation can progress in the true sense of the term.
At such a juncture appeared Lala Dev Raj Ji. He took up the cudgels on behalf of the hapless, illiterate women relegated mercilessly to the background. He fought tooth and nail to educate women, to make them self reliant and independent. To this end, he established the first school exclusively for girls in Jalandhar in 1886. As he went from house to house to bring the girls to the Vidyalaya, he was rebuked and driven off by the parents, for whom women-education was an untenable idea. But Lalaji was an indomitable man. His Bal shiksha Vidyalaya started with 8 girls students in 1891. To attract more students, he gave them education absolutely free. The expenses were borne by the noble Arya Samajist families of the city who donated liberally for the cause.
Lala Dev Raj Ji initiated a self sufficient system of education. He got his own text books prepared and trained the teachers. It was not affiliated to any university then. Hindi and Sanskrit were the primary subjects. Above all, the Vidyalaya was dedicated to the fiery spirit of nationalism. The degrees conferred on the students were not only certificates of education, but also of patriotic zeal and selfless sacrifice to the cause of freedom. The students of this august institution helped the famous martyr Bhagat Singh to escape when he was arrested by the British. The name of Sushila Devi, who died a martyr’s death fighting against the British rule, is etched in the pages of history of the Vidyalaya for ever. When the great national leader, Lala Lajpat Rai was in jail in Dharamsala, the students of this institution sent him Rakhi. They led several processions against the British atrocities. The teachings of Gandhiji were fully incorporated by the Vidyalaya students. Following Mahatma’s footsteps, the girls heartily spun the ‘Charkha’, the symbol of the ‘Swadeshi Movement’. Khadi was worn by all and sundry associated with the Vidyalaya. In spite of strong British opposition, the National Flag was hoisted regularly. The students also took part in the significant 1929 session of the Congress where the resolution of ‘Purna Swaraj’ was passed.
Just as the national movement was assuming new momentum, the tiny sapling i.e. the Bal Shiksha Vidayalaya was being nurtured into a full fledged ‘Tree of Knowledge’. Under the able guidance of Lala Dev Raj Ji, it had different branches in the form of an Orphanage(1897) and Widow Home (1907). The Vidyalaya shifted to its present premises in 1910. The foundation stone was laid by the Maharaja of Kapurthala. The sacred soil of Haldi Ghati was specially brought and added to the foundation of the Krishna Hall.
With time, the institution carved a niche in the history of women education and women liberation in India. It became a guiding star for women education. On November13, 1920, when Gandhiji inaugurated the Gujarat Peeth in Ahmedabad, he said that it was “ formed after the model of Kanya Maha Vidyalaya”. Almost all the national leaders-----from Lala Lajpat Rai, Dr. S. Radha Krishnan, Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya, Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru, Smt. Sarojini Naidu, Smt. Indira Gandhi, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Shri Morarji Desai, Shri. Atal Behari Vajpayee, Sri. Inder Kumar Gujral, to Dr.A.P.J Abdul Kalam-----have visited this august institution. Steeped in moral values and culture, synchronizing successfully tradition and modernity, Kanya Maha Vidyalaya is one of the famous institutions of India. Under the committed stewardship of Lala Dev Raj Ji and his illustrious successors----- Rai Bahadur Badri Dass, Smt. Savitri Devi, Smt. Shanno Devi, and the legendary Archarya Lajjawati ji, the Vidyalaya emerged not only as the nerve centre of patriotism, but also as the premiere institution of women education in North India. As a trailblazer and also a trendsetter, it is an institution of unparalleled excellence.