डी डी पन्त जी----- प्रोफ़ेसर तेजेंद्र गिल की नज़र से

आज ईमेल से प्रोफ़ेसर तेजेंद्र गिल ने, कुमाऊ विश्वविधालय के पूर्व कुलपति प्रोफसर डी डी पन्त जी को याद करते हुए ये ईमेल मुझे भेजी है। प्रोफसर गिल ने जिस किसी को भी एक बार पढाया होगा, उसे हमेशा उनकी याद रहेगी। शायद कई हजारो में से कोई एक ऐसा टीचर किसी औसत दर्जे के विश्वविधालय में मिलेगा। बहुत दिन हुए, नैनीताल छोड कर आए हुए पर अपने विधार्थी जीवन की जो अच्छी यादे है, निसंदेह जन्तुविज्ञान विभाग के प्रोफेस्सर गिल के लेक्चर और पढाने का उनका ज़ज्बा भी उसमे शामिल है।---------नैनीताली

पन्त जी के लिए----------

प्रोफ़ेसर गिल

I was doing the google search for the people I knew while I was at Naini Tal (1954 - 1995), and read about the sad demise of Dr.D.D. Pant. Dr.Pant knew me personally when I was a student in B.Sc. (1965) and M.Sc. (Zoology, 1967) at Thakur Deb Singh Bisht Government College, Naini Tal. In 1970, while I was finishing up my Ph.D. under Dr.S.S. Khanna, one fine morning these two most respectable figures at the time, walked into the lab, and Dr.Pant asked me a question (all in Hindi)........."Tejendra Singh, do you still want to join the army or you want to teach here....". My immediate response was "yes, Sir, I would like to teach as lecturer here". And that was the beginning of my teaching career. I had the necessary credentials and I was a turbaned Sikh. The point I am trying to make is that Dr.Pant offered me the job because in his opinion that was in the best interest of the institution he was heading at the time. He was a visionary, a role model, and a top scientist. His motivation to upgrade the DSB College to the status of a state university was so strong that despite all the hurdles, he succeeded in his mission. The Kumaun University, Naini Tal, is a testimony to the strong will power and tireless efforts of a man who was determined to provide better education and career opportunities to the people of Kumaon. He was an inspiration to thousands of young men and women of the region, and I wish his ideals are upheld and passed down the generations. Not many people make a difference in the lives of the common man but Dr.Pant stood out and spent all his life making significant contributions to the science and socio-economic growth, which have been well recognized. I pay my homage to this great man who showed me, and thousands others the path to a successful career and a more meaningful life. A befitting memorial to Dr.D.D. Pant would be the most appropriate way for the people of Kumaon to express their appreciation for his contributions. (Dr.Tejendra Singh Gill, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA)