REMEMBERING DEAN A S ATWAL: THE HONEYMAN OF PUNJAB (1927–2014)
Today (25th June, 2022) is 95th birthday of Dr Avtar Singh Atwal, popularly known as Dean Atwal. He was born at village Khanewal (District Multan, Pakistan).
Atwal graduated from Punjab Agricultural College and Research Institute, Lyallpur (now Faisalabad in Pakistan) in turmoil-torn 1947 securing First Position in The University of The Punjab. He obtained Ph.D. from Adelaide University in 1954. From 1955 to 1957 he was a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at National Research Council of Canada. As Entomologist to Punjab Government and State Locust Control Officer (1961–1963), he successfully introduced aerial spraying for controlling locust swarms. He was Foundation Professor and Head, Department of Zoology-Entomology, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) from 1963 to 1966.
As Lecturer, Atwal was a member of the team which did the arduous preparatory work for starting classes in the newly established Government Agriculture College Ludhiana in September 1949 following partition of India. The College served as the nucleus for establishing PAU.
During the formative years of PAU, Atwal provided visionary leadership to Agriculture College as Dean from 1966 to 1973; and again from 1975 to1979. He was a vital cog in successful switch over from the traditional annual system of education to the trimester system with continuous internal evaluation, internalizing best practices of US Land Grant Universities. He led efforts to develop and modernize course curricula and infrastructure for improving quality and relevance of higher agricultural education.
For broadening and deepening the impact of agriculture education and research, he established five new Departments/Sections viz., Agro-Meteorology, Ecology, Food Science and Technology, Forestry, Landscaping and Floriculture. Other innovative actions included writing laboratory manuals, book bank, earn-while-you-learn scheme, student aid fund, and a vibrant Alumni Association. These were subsequently mainstreamed in other Agricultural Universities of the country by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Under his leadership the College won the prestigious Best Institution Award of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry in 1977.
Although mandated to perform the triad functions of teaching, research and extension, PAU statutes enshrined primacy of education. In terms of hierarchy, the position of Dean Agriculture was considered next to Vice Chancellor (VC, President in the US universities) in 1970s. All Dean and Director Appointments were to the age of superannuation.
On the recommendation of his classmate G.S. Kalkat, Chief Minister (CM) Syed Mir Qasim appointed Atwal Agriculture Advisor to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Government and Vice Chancellor (Designate) for setting up an Agricultural University. There was stunned silence when VC Randhawa announced “Dr Sukhdev Singh is the wisest man on the campus. I appoint him Dean, College of Agriculture” at Atwal’s farewell dinner in November 1973 as everyone was expecting that Dr N.S. Randhawa (future Director General ICAR) will bag the coveted position. Sukhdev Singh thus succeeded Atwal after serving as Director of Research (DR) for almost seven years. And Randhawa did not have to wait for long. He was elevated as Agriculture Dean from DR in February 1974 when Sukhdev Singh relocated to New Delhi as Deputy Director General, ICAR.
While Atwal was carrying out the ground work for setting up an Agricultural University in J&K, political developments culminated in Indira Gandhi–Sheikh Abdullah Accord. To operationalize the Accord, Chief Minister Qasim resigned; Sheikh Abdullah became CM and shelved the proposed Agricultural University. Atwal returned to PAU in 1975 necessitating an administrative shake up. His equation with VC Randhawa never touched the 1973 high water mark.
For converting Dean/Director positions from permanent to four year tenure, two positions of ‘Super Dean/Director’ were created with a special salary just below that of VC; and Dr Atwal was elevated as Dean Postgraduate Studies and Director Ecology, Forestry, Agro-Meteorology and Plant Protection in 1979. He promptly rectified the weaknesses, laxities and infirmities which had crept in the postgraduate programs after departure of Dr D. Sundaresan. He was Full-Time Member, Agriculture and Rural Development, Punjab State Planning Board from 1985 to 1989.
Atwal published 15 books and 250 research and strategy papers. His book ‘Agricultural Pests of South Asia and Their Management’ remains a popular text book. Another book ‘Mellifera Beekeeping and Pollination’ was acclaimed as a master piece.
Atwal was the first entomologist in India to successfully introduce Italian honey bee, Apis mellifera, in 1962 by deploying the technique of inter-specific queen introduction. Unlike introduction of Mexican wheats in 1965, this was a small scale sophisticated, tender operation. The first lot died before landing at New Delhi. Using refined protocols, the second consignment was safely transported to Nagrota Bagwan in Himachal Pradesh. After nurturing in cool climes, Italian bees were shifted to Ludhiana in 1965. After a decade of persistence, learning while doing, the first honey bee colonies were given to Punjab farmers in 1976, and subsequently to other states.
For his pioneering path breaking work on acclimatization, adaptation and rearing of Italian honey bee in the Indo-Gangetic plains, opening new vistas of commercial or livelihood-supplementing beekeeping, Atwal is deservingly regarded as ‘The Father of Modern Beekeeping in India.’ It is a tribute to his foresight and hard work that Punjab emerged as the Honey State of India, contributing more than 25% to national production, and exports to more than 35 countries. Early apiculture research was partly funded by his family trust.
Dean Atwal was a stern, hard task master and did not compromise on quality, thoroughness and timeliness in completing the assigned tasks. He had an eagle eye for spotting talent among students and young faculty. He encouraged and facilitated meritorious students, promising sportspersons, and budding artists to give off their best.
In an era when terms like student feedback were unheard of, Atwal used to call students and encourage them to frankly tell him about the quality and relevance of classroom, laboratory and on-farm teaching; fairness, transparency and objectivity of evaluation by the teachers; and financial or other hardships faced by them. The feedback was used to re-orient teaching, evaluation and student support services.
Sitting on selection and promotion panels, Atwal ensured that merit, track record and professional integrity were not ignored. He was markedly different from some of his contemporaries and successors who did not hesitate to pack PAU with their progeny, relatives and friends, some meritorious and deserving, and a majority not so. He encouraged and empowered competent Heads of Departments. He had the capacity to call the spade a spade, and hated incompetence and sloppy work. He discouraged servility and sycophancy. Resultantly he was often not viewed as a politically-correct administrator. The best interests of PAU, Agriculture College and Punjab peasantry were very dear to him, and guided his views and decisions. Although sometimes his approach was mechanical, he changed his views if you convinced him with logic.
Atwal did not hesitate to plunge in choppy waters if the situation warranted. At the height of Naxalite Movement a student died in police firing at Moga in 1972. Agitation spearheaded by the Punjab Students’ Union (PSU) paralyzed Punjab, and public anger was widespread The PSU was headed by a brilliant PAU student Prithipal Singh Randhawa. To break the prolonged impasse, Atwal secretly fixed his meeting with Chief Minister Giani Zail Singh at Chandigarh, keeping district administration out-of-the-loop to avoid sabotage. As they reached Samrala, police swooped on them and arrested Randhawa. A shaken Atwal rushed to the Chief Minister, politely told him police action was breach of trust, and he could not return to PAU without Randhawa. A shrewd politician, Giani Zail Singh ordered his release. An honourable solution, acceptable to the PSU for withdrawing the agitation was reached, and normalcy returned to Punjab.
After marriage in 1964, Atwal and his family took a momentous decision that he would continue to serve PAU and Punjab agriculture, and his family will remain anchored in Canada. Every year he spent summer break in Vancouver, often visiting their Meditation Centre in Victoria. They also ran a school propagating the teachings of Jiddu Krishnamurti, the world famous philosopher, speaker and author. They operated a Charitable Hospital at Aur (Jalandhar). They donated a big chunk of their property to PAU. Atwal attended Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan, the oldest festival of Hindustani Classical Music in the World, at Jalandhar every year.
Dr Atwal died on 26th September 2014 at Chandigarh after a brief illness. His wife, Dr Sarjit Kaur Siddoo, preceded him in death. She was the first Canadian doctor of Indian origin. Her friends included Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. “Jewels of the Qila” by H. J. Johnston revolves around her family. They are survived by daughter Dr Chanda Siddoo-Atwal.
Atwal was an upright administrator, and made outstanding contributions in agricultural education, research and development. My personal view is that after Thapar and Randhawa, Atwal was the Best Vice Chancellor the PAU never had. Every time his name appeared among the contenders, tyranny of circumstances conspired to ensure he did not get stewardship of the university despite being a deserving candidate. The closest he got was in September 1989 when Governor S.S. Ray could not decide between him and Dr S.S. Johl. If Ray had appointed either of them, the PAU might have had charted a different trajectory. This did not happen. Sukhdev Singh was given extension till 31st December. Chaudhary Devi Lal became Deputy Prime Minister on 2nd December 1989, Governor Ray resigned a week later, and the rest is history. Sometimes vicious innuendoes were spread against Atwal with tacit blessings of some VCs who perceived him a hurdle in getting the second term or succession by their mediocre protégés. Sadly the practice has not stopped!
Next time you use honey as a sweetener, or add honey and warm water to brandy to give relief to your aching throat on a cold winter evening, spare a thought for the Unsung Hero of Punjab Agriculture.
I am closing this Post with a Public Disclosure: I had known and worked with Dean Atwal since 1967 which may have clouded my views. He was my guide and mentor. The last time we met was in 2011. At 84 health challenges had cropped up, but his enthusiasm for bouncing off innovative, practical and out-of-box ideas for betterment of PAU and re-energizing Punjab agriculture had not ebbed a bit. Not implying any parity with such an accomplished Guru, we were bonded by three commonalities: University Gold Medal in B.Sc. Agri., Ph.D. from top notch Australian Universities at a young age, and Dean Agriculture — Dr Avtar Singh Atwal for the longest duration and I for the shortest.
Occasionally, we enjoyed late dinner at his favourite Dhaba across the road from Ludhiana Clock Tower. At the time of Bangladesh War, I was in 2nd trimester of M.Sc. (Soil Science) studies. On 13th December 1971 Atwal called me to his office late in the afternoon, and we went to his residence (6/1) in his Mercedes Benz car. We had Saron-Da-Saag, Ghar-Da-Makhan and Makki-Di-Roti for dinner. He suggested that I should start studying at night in one darkened room of 6/1 so that my studies do not suffer due to frequent black-outs. That was Dean Atwal’s way of grooming meritorious students from struggling farming families for leadership roles. Luckily, the Pakistan army surrendered three days later!
