In 75th year, Mumbai's Khalsa College rekindles Ambedkar memory

Records reveal that the founder of the Dalit movement, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, had not only established Matunga's Khalsa College, but at one point, seriously considered conversion to Sikhism. This year, Guru Nanak Khalsa College celebrates its platinum jubilee.

Ambedkar's interest then waned, though the reasons are unknown, and he finally converted to Buddhism along with half a million followers.

Around 1935-36, Dr Ambedkar envisioned establishing a college for the city's underprivileged. Principal of Khalsa College Dr Ajit Singh said, "This was the same time Dr Ambedkar had expressed his desire to embrace Sikhism.  He wanted to set up a college for those neo-Sikhs in Mumbai (then Bombay).  So, he met the Sikh religious leaders in Amritsar (Punjab)."

The Sikh leaders, especially Sarab-Hind Sikh Mission of Amritsar, agreed to come together and in 1935-36, a plot of 27,000 sq yards was purchased by Dr Ambedkar from the Bombay Municipal Corporation on lease. To erect the building, Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), the apex Sikh body at Amritsar, transferred the funds from Gurdwara Nanakana Sahib (now in Pakistan), the birth place of Guru Nanak, as per Section 127 of Sikhs Gurdwara Act of 1925.

When Ambedkar dropped the idea of embracing Sikhism, he transferred this property to Sarab-Hind Sikh Mission in 1938. Sarab-Hind Mission transferred the property to Gurdwara, Nanakana Sahib in 1939.

Gurudwara Nankana Sahib remained the owner of the college and no one really took cognisance until 1975 when SGPC requested the government of Maharashtra to grant the fund to college. The Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee owns Khalsa college.