Between the years 1889 and 1902 Indrajit Singh, the son of Raja Sir Harnam Singh, was a student of the College. Subsequently he went to Cambridge and took his degree in medicine and was appointed to the Indian Medical Service. Early in 1914 he was attached to the 57th Wildes Rifles and when the War broke out he accompanied the regiment to France. In November 1914, he was killed in action and was buried at Bethune, where the writer of this account visited his grave. For his gallant conduct in the filed he was awarded, posthumously, the Military Cross. The College Magazine for November 1914, gives an account of the Memorial Service held in the Hall. His memory is kept alive in the College by an endowed scholarship, known as the Indrajit Singh Scholarship, which was founded by his father and is awarded to a Christian student preparing himself for the profession of medicine. During the War two other former students won military distinction and were awarded the Military Cross.
Text: S. K. Datta’s “The History of the Forman Christian College: Selections from the Records of the College 1869-1936”.
Image: Photograph by H. D. Girdwood (1878-1964) of British and Indian officers of the 57th [Wilde’s] Rifles taken on 6 August 1915. In the possession of the British Library.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_and_Indian_officers_of_the_57th_Wildes_Rifles_(Photo_24-277).jpg
Note 1: According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (www.cwgc.org), Capt. Kanwar Indrajit Singh of the Indian Medical Service died on 24 November 1914 and is buried in grave 1. A. 23. in Bethune Town Cemetery, France.
Note 2: Capt. Dr. Indrajit Singh MC was not the only son of Raja Sir Harnam Singh to attend FCC. According to http://www.royalark.net/India/kapurth3.htm, at least three more of his sons were Formanites:
- Raja Raghubir Singh, OBE (c 3.6.1919). b. at Kapurthala Palace, Badshah Bagh, Lucknow, 3rd May 1876, educ. Harrow Sch, Mdsx and Forman Christian Coll, Lahore. Joined the ICS, Asst Cmsnr Punjab 1902, Deputy Collector Ludhiana. Succeeded to the title of Raja on the death of his father, 20th May 1930. Rcvd: Delhi Durbar silver medal (1911).
- The Hon Kunwar Sir Dalip Singh. b. at Kapurthala Palace, Badshah Bagh, Lucknow, 2nd June 1885, educ. Forman Christian Coll, Lahore, Pembroke Coll, Cambridge (BA), and Lincoln’s Inn, London. Barr-at-Law in private practice at the Lahore High Court 1912-1926, Sec Punjab Legislative Assembly 1921-1922, Assist Legal Remembrancer Punjab 1922-1924, Advocate-Gen Punjab 1924-1925, Additional Judge Lahore 1926-1930, Puisne Judge Lahore High Court 1930-1943, Presiding Officer of the Judicial Cttee and Judicial Adviser for the Mandi, Suket and Simla Hill States 1943-1946, Chair UN Cttee on the Progressive Development of International Law and its Codification 1946-1947, Legal & Treaties Advisor at the Ministry of External Affairs 1947, Agent-Gen for the GoI in Kashmir 1947. Trustee of “The Tribune” newspaper 1948-1963. Chair Forman Christian Coll Brd of Directors, and Punjab Public Library. Presdt Punjab Lawn Tennis Assoc (PLTA) 1932. Vice-Presdt All-India Lawn Tennis Assoc. Sec Assoc of Commonwealth Univs (Lahore). Fellow Punjab Library Assoc. Mbr Punjab Public Library Cttee, etc. Rcvd: knighted (23.2.1943), Silver Jubilee (1935), Coron (1937), and Indian Independence (1947) medals.
- Kunwar Jasbir Singh, CIE (12.6.1941). b. at Kapurthala Palace, Badshah Bagh, Lucknow, 16th June 1887, educ. Forman Christian Coll, Lahore, Balliol Coll, Oxford, Pembroke Coll, Cambridge (BA), and Lincoln’s Inn, London. Barr-at-Law 1912. Joined UP Civil Service 1913, Deputy Collector Gorakpur, Magistrate and Assist Settlement Officer 1913-1920, Under-Sec to govt of UP 1920-1922, Special Magistrate & Mngr Balrampur Raj on behalf of the Court of Wards 1922-1932, Collector Benares 1933-1934 and Saharanpur 1934-1937, Deputy Cmsnr Lucknow 1938-1940, Sec UP Dept of Information 1940-1942.
Note 3: The January-February 1942 edition of Folio, Vol XXXIII, No. 2, has the following paragraph (p. 40):
This institution has lost a great friend and thoughtful adviser in the death of Raja Raghbir Singh, a member of the Board of Directors and the eldest son of the Late Raja Sir Harnam Singh. The Raja Sahib had been on the Board for several years and was one of its revered members. Our deepest sympathies with the illustrious family especially Mr. Justice Kanwar Dalip Singh, who is not only a very distinguished alumnus but also a much valued member of the Board. EDITOR. [Om Prakash Sharma.]
