Money, as is well known, is the first and the foremost requirement of any enterprise. In this case, however, it was to the tune of ‘“a crore of rupees”. How to arrange this mind-boggling amount and from where became the burning issue of the moment. To overcome this hurdle and solve the problem, it was proposed that people, dedicated to the cause of selfless service, should undertake tours, organize public meeting and create an awakening so that people come forward to contribute. Consequently, an appeal was made, the Hindu University Society for funds was formed, deputations were sent out covering the length and breadth of the country, and finally, people from common men to the kings were approached for subscription heralding the start of the project.

The Kashmiri Pandits settled in Utter Pradesh who utilized their spare time, money and energy in acts of philanthropy, charity, social and religious services which included donating money for schools, awarding scholarships, providing free board and lodging to out-station students, giving financial aid to the needy, distributing free medicine, building temples etc., did not lag behind. It may be out of place but tempting to cite a few examples here in passing. Pt. Sunder Narain Mushran of Kanpur donated thirty Bighas (twelve acres) of land besides a handsome amount of rupees ten thousand/for a school in Tehsil Kaim Gunj, District Farrukhabad in 1914. It was upgraded in 1971 and is known as S.N. Mushran Degree College. Pt. Prithvi Nath Chak, a distinguished lawyer, a philanthropist and an educationist of Kanpur, started a school in Patkapur Mohalla in the latter part of the nineteenth century but shifted it to its present site after purchasing the land along with the building on it from the Govt. It progressed, expanded and attained present position in 1959. The college, known as P.P.N. Degree College, Kanpur, is an outstanding memorial of his contribution to education. A statue in the Collectorate Compound, Kanpur proclaims his all-round greatness. Pt. Sartaj Narain Gurtu, son of Pt. Maharaj Narain Gurtu (Allahabad) my grand uncle, donated an amount of rupees one thousand and sixty to Nari Shiksha Niketan Girls’ College, Lucknow in 1966 in the name of my grand mother as ‘Sm(. Mohan Rani Gurtu Scholarship’ with the stipulation that the interest received from the fixed deposit be given to a poor Hindu girl every month. The Kashmiri Samaj, Lucknow operates Pt. Brij Narain Chakbast education fund. Pt. Raj Kishan Langar donated rupees one lakh to the Lucknow Montessory School, Purana Qila. Lucknow in 1991 where his wife Smt. Roop Kumari Langar nee Chakbast, my cousin, was a teacher for building a Library Hall to perpetuate her memory. There is a gold medal in the name of Kumari Munni Gurtu donated by her father in her memory to be awarded by the University of Allahabad to the Kashmiri girl securing highest marks in B.A. Exams. Pt. Sham Narain Gurtu (Allahabad), son of Pt. Kundan Lal Gurtu my great grand - uncle, Tehsildar, tehsil Chhata, district Mathura and a poet (Bahar-e-Gulshan-e-Kashmir, Vol.1) by hobby, distributed free homeopathic medicines. Pt. Iqbal Shankar Kaul son of PL Gauri Shankar Kaul, (Hardoi), my maternal grand father, after retiring from U.P. Govt. Service, Lucknow, gave home-made Aurvedic medicines free. Pt. Jagat Narain Chakbast, father of Smt. Roop Kumari Langar, after retiring from UP. Govt. service, Lucknow and Pt. Chandra Mohan Nath Kunzru of Agra also gave free homeopathic medicines. His father Pt Raj Nath Kunzru provided free board and lodging to outside Kashmiri boys. Major Shivnandan Lal Dar of B.H.U. invited Kashmiri boys living in hostels to his residence to enquire about their welfare and problems and entertained them with home-made food. Pt. Zind Ram Chaudhary Tankha, a Bakshi in the Court of Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah (1775-97) built a Shiv temple known as Bada Shivala in Rani Katra, Lucknow in I 778. It also has life-size idol of Ma Raagyyan Bhagwati. It is famous as Sankata Devi Ka Mandir among local non - Kashmiris. So, when the present opportunity came, the Kashmiri Pandits came forward and offered their services. An attempt is made here to highlight and assess their role in this noble venture.

Pt. Parmeshwar Nath Sapru will always be remembered for his yeoman’s services. He played a prominent role in fund-raising campaigns. His services were sought after for this purpose. As one of the Secretaries of the District Collection Committee, Faizabad, he visited many places from time to time. If he visited Tanda and Akbarpur and Goshain Gunj and Bhitti at local level for subscription he accompanied the Deputation to places as far as Amritsar and Rawalpindi. Shortage of finances being a perennial problem with the B.H.U. in the early stages of its existence his services were requisitioned as late as 1920, when he joined the Committee constituted to raise funds to expedite some important and urgent construction work.

Pt. Iqbal Narain Gurtu, son of Pt. Inder Narain Gurtu, a Sub-judge, Allahabad occupies a very dominant place in the affairs of the University. He was a fund-raiser, a professor and an administrator. He was working as the Headmaster of the Central Hindu School, Banaras when he volunteered his services for fund-raising campaigns during summer vacations. In spite of his delicate physique he braved the summer heat to undertake the tours. He visited many places organizing public meetings at local level. He opened his account in selfless service with a public meeting at Kheri on 21-5-1911. It was attended by well-known and influential people of the area in a very large number. The tours were highly successful. It goes to his credit that the subscription was “One lakh and five thousand rupees in seven weeks”.

Rai Bahadur Pt. Bisheshwar Nath Hangal, a lawyer of Faizabad, a prosperous Zamindar of Akbarpur and a social activist was instrumental in organizing successful public meetings of people with influence and well-known in the area for subscription. A unique feature of the public meeting at Darbhanga (Bihar) held for subscription was a very inspiring poem read by Pt. Brij Narain Chakbast, a reputed lawyer and a renowned poet, prompting the Chairman to give rupees One hundred and twenty five to the poet in appreciation of the poem. The poet donated it besides his own contribution. Pt. Prithvi Nath Takru and Pt. Janaki Nath Chak of Lucknow, a pleader and the younger brother of Pt. Prithvi Nath Chak, contributed rupees One thousand and One hundred and rupees One thousand respectively. Rai Bahadur Pt. Vishwa Nath Tholal, a well-known figure of Kanpur also came forward and lent his services towards fund-raising campaign. In spite of inclement weather he accompanied the members of the District Committee, Kanpur to Tehsil Bilhaur for subscription. The meeting at Almora was presided over by Pt. Bishun Narain Dar who made a forceful plea for donation. He was a successful barrister of Lucknow, a great orator, a political thinker, a social reformer, a well known writer and a Urdu poet, the President of India National Congress (1911) and  member of the Victory’s Legislative Council (1914). He raised a storm of protest which divided the community into Dharam Sabha (Conservatives)   and Bishun Sabha (Progressives) groups when he sailed to London (l884-87) to study Law. Thus when the found collection drive which began from Kheri and came to a close by the end of-Nov. 1912 the amount collected in cash as well as the subscription promised combined together crossed the figure of rupees sixty-seven lakhs.

Encouraged by this spontaneous response another campaign for the subscription of funds was undertaken after some time with the main difference that whereas in the earlier campaign common men were contacted, in the latter the Princely States were covered. The result was as expected .Money rained-in in the form of actual cash, promises of cash, recurring and non -recurring annual grants etc. Dewan Pt. Daya Kishan Kaul of Alwar State was among the notable Kashmiri Pandits to promise a handsome amount of donation of rupees twenty-five thousand towards the University fund.

The next phase which began with the preparation and presentation of the Draft Constitution of the proposed University to the Hon’ble Member for Education for consideration and approval and covered activities like enactment of the B.H.U Act (Act No XVI of 1915) , merger of Central Hindu School and Central Hindu College with the B.H.U., search for the site, acquiring of the land, laying of the foundation-stone of the building by the Viceroy and the Governor-General and ended with the establishment and functioning of the University from the academic session of 1917, found the Kashmiri Pandits once again in the vanguard. They participated with the same zeal and candour as shown by them earlier. This can be said to begin with Rai Bahadur Pt. Maharaj Narayan Shivpuri joining the above mentioned historical Deputation as one of its member and continued when they became a part of the administrative set-up as well as teaching staff along with others. A few of them shouldered additional responsibilities besides being a teacher. It continued even after that and draws them to B.H.U. even now. A unique feature, however, was that quite a few of this generation of Kashmiri Pandits offered to and actually did serve the B.H.U. in an honorary capacity.

When the University Court was constituted Dewan Bahadur Pt. Daya Kishan Kaul, Foreign and Financial Secretary, Patiala State was nominated by His Highness the Maharaja of Alwar from among class II- Donors and  Their Representatives Category. Another member of the Court under the above category was Pt. Raghunandan Lal Dar. He was a public-spirited officer who rose to become Deputy Collector. He was made Administrator Nagar Palika, Banaras (now Varanasi). He was an Honorary Railway Magistrate class I for life .The title of ‘Rai Saheb’ was bestowed upon him. He was nominated by the Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu & Kashmir and he participated in the proceedings of the Court as his representative. Dr. Bal Krishna Kaul, Lahore, who was at that time, among others, on the Board of Trustees of the Central Hindu College, Banaras, was elected as a member of the First Court under class III- Elected Category.

Pt. Gopi Nath Kunzru, a lawyer from Allahabad and the younger brother of Pt. Hriday Nath Kunzru, joined the B.H.U. as the Secretary to the Vice-Chancellor, Malaviyaji. He was a member of the Court and the Council etc. during which period he had to deal with the budget of the University. He was concerned with the twin problems of revenue deficit and overdraft. He took active part in the meetings and was forthright in expressing his views on financial matters. He also served as the legal adviser of the University.

Dr. Hriday Nath Kunzru, a well-known figure in the field of public service, had a life-long association with the B.H.U. He was a member of the Court, the Senate and the Executive Committee. He had the privilege of being a member of the Senate and the Court of the Universities of Allahabad and Agra also. An avid reader, a keen observer and a good orator he took active part in the deliberations. Financial instability of the University was his constant concern and agitated his mind. He was made a member of the Retrenchment Committee to explore ways to reduce the expenses and increase the revenue. Later on he was made a member of the Financial Organisation Committee to find out ways to increase the income. His presentation was clear, focused and forceful. He had the privilege of addressing the twenty-sixth annual Convocation in 1943. He was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters in 1955 in appreciation of his services. He was the President of Servants of India Society, Poona, All India Sewa Samiti, Allahabad and Indian Council of World Affairs. He was a member of UP. Assembly and later on became a member of Rajya Sabha.