Salwan Education Trust

The founder, Late Pt. Girdhari Lal Salwan, was born in the year 1902 in a remote village of Kartarpur, Punjab, in the family of Pt. Mool Raj Salwan. The family shifted to Peshawar in the erstwhile undivided India.

After the early demise of his father, he was left in his early twenties to bring up his entire family of six brothers and one sister. 

Having completed only his primary education, Pt. G.L. Salwan worked hard with little means to earn his livelihood. The cruel hands of death snatched away from him all his brothers, in their youth, one by one, and it was now on his shoulders to bring up their families along with his own. 

In the year 1936, due to adverse circumstances the education of minorities took a backseat  in Peshawar. Literacy was at its lowest ebb and attainment of Education was very difficult for the middle and the lower middle classes.

Pt. Girdhari Lal Salwan - a visionary, thus vowed to impart education to all- to the neediest of the needy - irrespective of class, caste, religion and creed - free of cost. 

His pragmatism urged him to venture forward dauntlessly, dreaming to achieve something for the future generation, and so, he set up Salwan Education Trust at Peshawar, Pakistan in 1941. Thus came into existence Salwan Sanatan Dharam High School for Boys and Salwan Sanatan Dharam High School for Girls. These schools, standing tall in Peshawar, till date, are a living tribute to the dynamism of this philanthropic personality who had dared to dream.

Partition unleashed untold misery and suffering. Communal riots broke loose everywhere. The indomitable Pt. G.L. Salwan could not keep himself away from the pain and suffering around him. He supported the minorities in Peshawar and gave shelter to the distressed in his house. His services in protecting the minorities, safeguarding their women and children, and taking them to safer places remains unparalleled in the history of partition.

On partition in 1947, he had to leave his native place and that too after sacrificing his eldest son in the fire of communal riots, while saving a number of families from mob fury. 

The situation worsened and he came to Delhi bringing with him hundreds of his brethren. With his efforts, they were accommodated in tents, in the area which is now called Rajendra Nagar. 

In a scenario where even the basic facilities were not available, education for all was a distant dream. The prosperous businessman of Peshawar had nothing left except his resolve, courage and an undying confidence in himself. 

His dauntless spirit could not be contained by adversity. Honesty and perseverance became the cardinal principles of his work and his determination to provide quality education, to the children of those who were called refugees, was all the more strengthened.

Destiny itself had to bow before the resolve, commitment and enterprise of this Great Man. Providing education to the children of the displaced being uppermost in his mind, his untiring efforts resulted in the allotment of a barren piece of rugged and undulating land, by the Ministry of Rehabilitation for the purpose of establishing a school. Thus came into being, in the year 1949, the Salwan Boys School building, followed by Salwan Girls School in 1952 and Salwan Public School in 1953.

AND TODAY 14 SCHOOLS ARE RUNNING SUCCESSFULLY UNDER THE AEGIS OF SALWAN EDUCATION TRUST

A man of great foresight, Pt. G.L.Salwan had conceptualized partnership in education by introducing the theory of sharing of facilities between Public Schools and the schools for the underprivileged. This beautiful partnership still exists. The schools in Rajendra Nagar are an example of how sharing can help in providing quality education to all, irrespective of class, caste, creed and religion. 

Late Pt. G.L.Salwan knew that running such institutions was not an easy affair. Being a man of wisdom and pragmatism, he ensured that the Trustees and members of Managing Committees of these schools consisted of eminent people from different walks of life – people, who were willing to sacrifice their time selflessly for the noble cause of education. 

All the Trustees and members of the Managing Committees comprise of eminent judges, senior administrators, financial experts, educationists and industrialists.

Many distinguished and eminent personalities have been associated with the Salwan Education Trust - Shri. Dharam Vira, Retd. ICS officer & Former Lt. Governor of Delhi, Shri. T.R.Tuli, Former Chairman Punjab National Bank, Prof. G.S.Randhawa, Former Vice Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, Shri. Justice Hardayal Hardy,  Justice Prithviraj, Shri. S.D.Verma, Justice H.L.Anand, Brigadier M.L. Khetarpal, Lt. General. H. S. Seth, Dr. A.S.Panital, have been the Hon'ble Trustees in the past.