With St. Stephen’s, New Delhi, in the centre of a controversy, a former student looks back at how much the college means to her and the country at large.

No other educational institution in this nation of 1.25 billion evokes the kind of interest that St. Stephen’s College does. Better known as Mission College among the locals, written with a capital ‘C’, for Stephanians it’s always been ‘The College’. The very idea of an institution where young people from across the spectrum could come together and realise their God-given potential was somewhat an aberration. It isn’t just the people ‘across the road’; for everyone else the college remains an island of privilege where merit is still the master key.

More than the pain that I feel at the kind of harassment that the college has been subjected to by vested interests in collusion with the media, the absolute disdain and incessant attacks that have been mounted, it’s my love for my alma mater that makes me write this so that those who remain on the other side of the Andrew’s Court may get a clear-eyed view of how much The College means to us and the country at large.

16 July 2008: Fresher’s Welcome. A callow me clad in a lemon-yellow salwar kameez and dupatta sat in the College Hall, a set of letters captured my attention “Satyamev Vijayate Nanratam” (truth alone triumphs). That’s where I learnt my first lesson.

A farmer’s daughter, I came from a rural area with very little idea about what was in store for me in this island of excellence. Attending St. Stephen’s is the best decision I ever took. The college helped me live up to my potential. I wanted to study and study some more. The library was full of books and my teachers were always willing to guide me.

The college has been charged for harbouring notions of elitism. If valuing merit and nurturing talent is ‘elitism’ in a nation where most educational institutions are meant to become karkhanas churning out products, not individuals who value critical thinking, then this makes me a firm proponent of such elitism.

When media hounds the College, certain disgruntled elements question its very Christian character and foundational values. Everything from admissions to appointments is looked down upon as ‘minoritism’. For Deenbandhu C. F. Andrews, ‘Christianity’ meant love for all humans irrespective of their caste, creed, or colour. At a time when forcing Dalit students outside the precincts of classroom was very common in the country, the Deenbandhu opened the portals of St. Stephen’s to all.

In a country where such a large proportion of students is used to hearing ‘don’t apply your brain’; where ‘taking dictations’, and ‘assistance via notes’ is almost a ritual meant to be fulfilled by even climbing on the walls of exam centres; where most students are supposed to be ‘consumers and storehouses’ of data and not critically evaluating self-assured individuals, St. Stephen’s is quite the opposite. Reading Philosophy as an undergraduate, I learnt to question the questions rather than search for cut-copy-paste answers on Wikipedia.

Self-deprecation and humour have always been an integral part of Stephania. The College Hall has a Biblical saying engraved in black bold letters: Jesus said “I am the Light of the World…” Legend has it that history stalwart Amin Sahib interpreted it as “ Yesu ne kaha mai Noor Jehan hoon!”

A famous alumnus with a long and distinguished career in diplomacy wrote something in the visitor’s book that meant whatever I am today, I am because of the college. The next one to sign the book happened to be Mani Shankar Aiyar. He replied with this seemingly innocent jibe ‘Why blame The College?’

In the wake of the brutal attacks on Christian establishments throughout the country, there is a sense of fear in not just the Christian community but also among minorities at large. Prime Minister Modi has repeatedly affirmed his government’s commitment to the constitutional mandate, but words must follow action. Social justice is the hallmark of democratic societies.

The father of the Constitution, Babasaheb Ambedkar, envisioned an India that offered an equal chance for all to prosper. Hence Article 14 of our Constitution says “equality before law and the equal protection of the laws”. Hats off to the wit of such legal luminaries who understood that, in a nation mired by inequalities, the British concept of ‘equality before law’ alone wouldn’t work. Hence we incorporated the American concept of “equal protection of the law” where positive discrimination ensured the well-being of all sections. It is in this light that Article 30 of the Constitution needs to be read. It guarantees religious and linguistic minorities the ‘Right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.’

The college has made disproportionate contribution to the overall life of the nation. It boasts of some of the most outstanding alumni including freedom fighters, farmers, politicians, jurists, bureaucrats, writers, sportspersons — people who have made India proud. The Christian character of the college never implied conversions or mindless rituals, rather values of love, compassion, hard work and excellence. Words I heard in the College Hall still ring in my ears “Jesus overturned the tables of the moneychangers…” That was Prophet Jesus (Peace Be Upon Him) who took on usury, greed, lust and malice. The life of Prophet Jesus symbolises truth, sacrifice and justice. It’s either out of sheer ignorance or outright odium that the very ethos of Stephania is questioned. To such interests my humble request is to please go through the recent history of India and judge for yourself; you will find Stephanians and their achievements shining brightly.

Today’s India is home to the largest number of young people on the planet. This App Generation (a term I borrow from Harvard Professor Howard Gardner) needs more St. Stephen’s in the countr; institutions that can make them thinking beings, independent individuals who uphold the idea of India, individuals who refuse to apply monochromatic lenses to their intellects, individuals who value India’s pluralism, individuals who aim for the sky and yet value their roots. While the college is strong enough to counter hatred with love, it’s too precious an institution to be left alone to the winds of derision.

Ad Dei Gloriam!

Ilma Afroz read Philosophy at St. Stephen’s College and Area Studies at the University of Oxford. She also attended Sciences Po, Paris as an exchange student. She is the founder of Hope, a community network aimed at promoting girls’ education.