Imtiyaz Chasti
Srinagar, September 10: Kashmir bid farewell to one of its most respected educationists, Late Hirdey Nath Koul, former Principal of Islamia School, Rajouri Kadal. His passing marked the end of a life devoted to teaching and the close of an era when educators were more than instructors. They were mentors, community builders, and moral guides.
Born to Shri Tara Chand Koul of Banamohalla, Habbakadal, and later settled in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, Koul embodied the Kashmiri Pandit tradition of scholarship, discipline, and service. Throughout his career, he showed how education could transcend divisions and bring communities together.
A Life in Service of Knowledge
As Principal of Islamia School, Koul was known for discipline, humility, and kindness. Students remember his classes as lessons not only in academics but in integrity and character. He believed a teacher’s role was to spark curiosity and empathy, a philosophy carried forward by generations he taught.
A Bridge Across Communities
In a Valley defined by diversity, Koul and his contemporaries — including Raina Sir and Niranjan Sir (Neriband) — built classrooms that became spaces of unity. They represented an inclusiveness that once defined Kashmir’s education system, where communal boundaries dissolved in the pursuit of learning.
The Vanishing Tradition
The turmoil of the 1990s fractured that tradition. With the exodus of Pandit teachers, Kashmir lost not only its social fabric but also an entire culture of shared respect and collaboration. Many of these teachers, once central to schools and communities, faded into distant memory. Forgetting them, as observers note, is not just oversight but a collective moral failing.
A Personal Loss
For his students, the grief is deeply personal. Conversations with his son, Shri Daya Krishan Koul, and Meenakshi ji rekindled childhood memories of his affection and dedication. His influence reached beyond school walls, shaping not just careers but character and citizenship.
Honoring His Legacy
There is now a growing call to recognize the contributions of Pandit teachers who served at Islamia School. A suggestion has been made that Mirwaiz Dr. Umar Farooq lead such an initiative, not only to honor their service but to reaffirm Kashmir’s legacy of inclusiveness and gratitude.
The Teacher Lives On
With Hirdey Nath Koul’s passing, a chapter in Kashmir’s educational history has closed. Yet his values live on in the lives of his students and in the schools he nurtured. He will be remembered as a teacher, administrator, and symbol of selfless service.
May his soul rest in peace.
