JKUT Govt renames local school as Sarwanand Koul Premi Higher Secondary School, Sof Shali
Sarwanand Koul Premi and his son Verinder Koul, 27, were martyred by the terrorists in April 1990 after they were abducted from their home in Soaf Shali village of Anantnag district.
Jammu, August 12, 2022: The Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory Government has decided to change the name of the Higher Secondary School in Sof Shali in the memory of Martyr Sarwanand Koul Premi, who belonged to this village and was martyred by terrorists in 1990.
The school will now be known as Sarwanand Koul Premi Higher Secondary School, Sof Shali.
The naming of the institutions and other important government places has begun to undo the wrongs committed by the terrorists and erstwhile political governments and to recognise the contributions of the eminent personalities in J&K.
The Recent decision of SAC (State Administrative Council) headed by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to name an educational institution after Sarwanand Koul Premi by the Union Territory administration has rekindled the memories of the late poet, teacher, intellectual, freedom fighter and social activist.
Locals believe that this gesture will serve as a connect between Kashmir’s glorious past and the hoped tomorrow of communal harmony.
Sarwanand Koul Premi and his son Verinder Koul, 27, were martyred by terrorists in April 1990 after they were abducted from their home in Soaf Shali village of Anantnag district.
Premi had ignored the advice of friends to migrate out with the beginning of the militant violence in Kashmir.
As his friends often recalled, he believed in the goodness of Kashmir. He believed that as a teacher and social worker, who had devoted his life to the welfare of his village, how could anyone harm him and why.
Premi wrote about two dozen books. He translated Bhagwat Gita and Tagore’s ‘Gitanjali’ into Kashmiri language.
His prayer room in Soaf Shali village had the Bhagwat Gita and the Quran placed side by side.
32 years after he was martyred by the terrorists, the JKUT government has named the Soaf Shali Higher Secondary school in Kokarnag area of Anantnag district after Sarwanand Koul Premi.
The renaming of the school after such an illustrious son of the soil, who was killed because he represented the eclectic, tolerant and Sufist culture of Kashmir, has been welcomed by all locals of Soaf Shali village and the entire Anantnag district.
“It was long overdue. Sarwanandji had become an icon of our village. The naming of the school after him will become a connect between our glorious past and the hoped future of coexistence,” said Ghulam Ahmad, a resident of Soaf Shali village.
Rajinder Premi, son of Sarwanand Koul said that, “It is a great honour although belated. The deputy commissioner of Anantnag had recommended naming of the village school, primary health centre and the district library in Anantnag town after my father.”
“Anyway, we welcome the decision. The locals of the area including former legislators have requested that the Lt governor Manoj Sinha should personally do the honours in presence of late Premi’s family when an official function is held to rename the school. I as his son and other members of the family promise to be there if the hon’ble Lt governor decides to attend the function,” Rajinder said.
He further said that his family is still void of the actual compensation that they ought to receive post the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley. Although this is the beginning of the recognition of his untiring services to the humanity not only in Kashmir but outside also.
“We hope and pray that full delayed justice will be restored to this front-line family of terrorism. The family is shocked not to find any commemoration for the young Verinder, who also became a martyr. We once again request the LG to give a befitting commemoration to him also” Rajinder added.
He said, “Our respectful salute to this great man Premi ji, the martyred soul who will always be remembered by the posterity for his self-less services by all the generations to come”, said a displaced Kashmiri pandit in Jammu.
“May the spiritual light of this great soul enlighten us all and eliminate the hatred and strengthen the love, peace and brotherhood in the whole of the country, “said Rajinder Koul Premi.
It may be recalled that Dr Man Mohan Singh as Leader of Opposition in Rajyasabha in 2001 had written to the then Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah recommending to rename the local High School, higher Secondary School, Block Health Centre, District Library at Anantnag and a road after Premi. He also further endorsed Opening a Sports Stadium and a Tehsil Level Library at Kokernag in his name.
