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Government College for Women, Karachi

This writer has visited the Urdu Bazaar and its adjoining areas on countless occasions solely for the purpose of discovering classically constructed colonial buildings. Inexplicably, one beautiful work of art and historically important piece of architecture never revealed itself the way it deserved. Fortunately, the readers of this column often write in to us to appreciate the column or to point out mistakes. One such reader, Talha Nasir, drew this writer's attention to a structure which I had thought was a post-partition piece (primarily because of some of its newer blocks which are visible from the main road). It is the Government College for Women on Shahrah-i-Liaquat (formerly Frere Road). Our profuse thanks to Mr Nasir, because had the institution not been covered on these pages, it would have been an act of gross neglect both on personal and collective levels.

Burnes Road is an extraordinary place. Full of chaotic life, untapped energy, yet lovable! Moving towards Regal from Burnes Road there's an intersection. If you turn left, you will end up at Urdu Bazaar; turn right, you will reach the Sindh Assembly Building. Do not opt for the latter; legislators are busy trying to find chinks in their opponents' armours. Stay left, because here lies the beautiful, if somewhat (understandably) hidden, Government College for Women.

Walking into the institution from the bazaar side will hardly spring any surprises. The blocks of buildings that you see are not that old. Walking further into the premises unveils a lovely area where three magnificent stone-made blocks dignifiedly stand. There have been modifications and alterations, perhaps for restoration reasons, but they do not look odd. The lovely square windows, the spacious rooms with high ceilings and the teak wood furniture from the time the institution was constructed combine to paint a heartwarming picture of a setting which is fast gaining the reputation of a classic.

The visit to the administration block is a must. It is exactly that part of the college which contains all the important historical facts related to the building(s). Here you will find evidence galore for donations granted for the construction of different rooms by eminent early 20th century personalities. There are also rooms made in memory of some dignitaries.

An inscription on the top of a door to one such room reads, “This room has been built in memory of Mr Wadhumal Udharam.” A little distance from that space a commemorative plaque gives away the early days of the institution. “This school was founded in the year 1920AD by Rupchand Bilaram, Additional Judicial Commissioner of Sindh. In this was merged Vasant Patshala founded by Messrs Hirdaram Newaram and Jamshed Nusserwanjee.” Stand there and look down on a tiled piece of floor in the same corridor. You can clearly read “Indian Girls High School, 1933”. Step out and face the admin block from the outside. On top of the structure ‘Carneiro Indian Girls High School, 1933' is written in faded letters. Is all of it confusing? Not at all.

According to a write-up penned by superintendent of the college Mirza Athar Baig in a magazine Horizon published on the occasion of the college's 61st anniversary, “In 1917 an education society for women was formed. It laid the foundation for a school called Vasant Patshala and later Carneiro Indian Girls High School on Burnes Road. The management committee of the society comprised noted individuals who generously donated to the construction and establishment of the institution. They included Rupchand Bilaram (chairman of the committee), Lady Nusrat Haroon, I.J. Carneiro (founder of Karachi Bank), among a host of others. The college started functioning on June 1, 1949 on the same premises where Indian Carneiro High School for Girls and Vishnu Devi Naraindas Maha Kanya Vidyala (estd 1936) were running in pre-partition days. After partition the institution was turned into the first girls' college in Karachi called the Central Government College for Women with Ms Zeenat Rasheed as its first principal.”

Mr Baig takes a profound interest in the history of the institution he works for. He says: “If you want to know about the maintenance of the buildings I can tell you that in 2004 sandblasting was done to refurbish it a bit. Overall, all the structures are in decent shape. What we need is a little bit of help in improving the condition of the B.B. Qureshi block which has Lady Nusrat Haroon Hall. That part of the college needs care, as even the name of the lady who generously donated to the institution and worked for its betterment cannot be seen from afar. Then there is this very aged Bhag Fountain which needs a touchup job,” says Mr Baig.

Architect Arif Hasan says: “This area was developed in the 1930s. By that time reinforced concrete in construction work was already in use; however stone was also being used. The stone buildings in this vicinity got damaged largely because of serious plumbing failures or improper waterproofing of the roofs. This institution was established in the first half of the 20th century and therefore has historical significance.”

Someone once commented, “Education is all a matter of building bridges.” Indeed; building bridges between the past and the present.

[Source: Dawn Newspaper | Coordinates: Talha Nasir | Photos from Google Map users]

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