Chandigarh: At 104, Sahi Ram Bishnoi is PU’s oldest living alumnus and the oldest surviving MLA from undivided Punjab. His extraordinary life — spanning undivided Punjab, Partition, displacement and the early years of independent India — was first documented in a detailed report by this newspaper. On Saturday, PU will formally acknowledge that legacy for the first time.The university will confer a Citation of Honour on Bishnoi at his residence in Sakta Khera village near Dabwali, marking an unprecedented deviation from its long-standing practice of conferring such honours only during the Global Alumni Meet on campus. This is the first time PU will present a citation at an alumnus’ home. VC Renu Vig confirmed the decision, saying it was taken in view of Bishnoi’s age and the historical significance of his life, which mirrors the university’s own journey from pre-Partition Lahore to post-Partition Chandigarh.Born in Jan 1922, Bishnoi studied law at the undivided Punjab University in Lahore before completing his degree at East Punjab University, Solan — the institution that later became Panjab University, Chandigarh. His education coincided with one of the most turbulent phases in the subcontinent’s history.His family was uprooted from Bahawalpur during Partition and resettled in Sakta Khera. Amid violence, mass displacement and administrative breakdown, Bishnoi emerged as a young organiser who helped displaced families navigate relief, rehabilitation and rebuilding — work that later shaped his commitment to public service, education and ethical leadership. In 1957, in the early years of the region’s democratic governance, he was elected MLA and went on to be regarded as a principled representative with a strong focus on education, rehabilitation and community welfare at a time when institutions were still taking shape.The university’s decision to honour him follows this newspaper’s earlier report that highlighted Bishnoi’s life as a living archive of undivided Punjab and early independent India — and pointed to the lack of formal recognition from his alma mater despite his unique historical standing.On Saturday, a PU delegation led by registrar YP Verma and dean (alumni relations) Latika Sharma will visit Bishnoi’s residence to present the citation. They will be accompanied by Dinesh Bishnoi from the department of laws, assistant professor Jaidev Bishnoi from the English Department, and university photographer Vikas Kinha. For PU, the honour represents long-overdue recognition of an alumnus whose personal journey is inseparable from the institution’s own pre-Partition roots.
