Gurdev Singh Brar IAS: A Life Dedicated to Education and Social Upliftment..a tribute by Pritam Singh
Babushahi Network
Chandigarh: Gurdev Singh Brar was a prominent IAS officer who remained dedicated throughout his life to the upliftment of the backward sections of society, particularly the spread of education. I met him for the first time in February 2023. I was invited by Guru Gobind Singh College for Women, Chandigarh, to deliver the keynote address at an international economics conference organised by the college. Brar was the Chairman of the Managing Committee of this college.
When he entered the Principal’s room, where I was waiting for him, the first words that came from his mouth were: “I read every article written by you in The Tribune and Punjabi Tribune.” At that time, he was 92 years old. His graciousness humbled me, and I was greatly impressed by the fact that even at this age, he was leading such an intellectually active and alert life.
I had heard and read about him earlier as well. In 1984, as the Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar, he had clearly refused to give the consent of the civil administration for Operation Blue Star because he considered the military action unjustified. This had created a difficult situation for the Government of India as well as for him. Eventually, a compromise was somehow reached by removing him from the post and sending him on long leave. Later, it came to light that the then Governor of Punjab, B. D. Pande, and Chief Secretary K. D. Vasudev were also opposed to the military operation. Therefore, it must have been very difficult for all of them to remove Mr Brar from his post in Amritsar.
When we got an opportunity to sit together for some time in the Principal’s room, I wanted to ask him about the events of June 1984. When, understanding the sensitivity of the situation, I raised the question very carefully, he initially remained silent and then turned the conversation towards his passion for the spread of education. Perhaps he was avoiding praising himself and instead wanted to highlight what he was doing at present, such as managing five colleges in Punjab and Chandigarh and several schools in Faridkot.
The Principal later told me that a large proportion of the college students were daughters of Bihari migrant families living in Chandigarh and the colonies around it. Brar had clearly instructed that no girl who was eligible to study should be denied admission merely because her parents could not afford to pay the fees. He had directed that the Sikh Education Society, which he was leading, would pay the fees of all such students.
We remained in contact with each other. He sent me a book of his articles, in which he had reflected on various aspects of life. I met him again in February 2026, when I went to the college to deliver the keynote address at a conference on the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. He did appear somewhat weaker, but his desire and enthusiasm for life were still intact.
Brar Sahib, who passed away last week at the age of 95, lived a meaningful life filled with numerous acts of goodness and kindness.