The passing of an Icon - A tribute to Prof Syed Dilshad Hussain by his ardent student
Friday, 17 July 2015 22:10
It was a warm sunny afternoon in early 1954, that Mr. Hugh Catchpole the founder principal of CADET COLLEGE HASANABDAL went on a talent hunt for the recruitment of teachers for the would be Govt Cadet College Hassanabdal. As he was interviewing the prospective would be candidates to become the founders teachers of CADET COLLEGE HASANABDAL that he spotted a well dressed shy and introvert young lad who made a mark on him.
What Hugh Catchpole was looking for was someone who was well groomed, confident, ebullient, punctilious, and above all having a good command of the English language. This young man by the name of Syed Dilshad Hussain was recruited by Hugh Catchpole to be one of the spearhead teachers for the hatchery of Govt Cadet College Hasanabdal. Later on when the buildings of CADET COLLEGE HASANABDAL were made all the military wings of CADET COLLEGE HASANABDAL were amalgamated and regular classes started in CADET COLLEGE HASANABDAL somewhere in late 1954.
Prof. Dilshad Hussain was born in 1933, Meerut combined India and went to School in Lackhnow and did his high school from Batala high School and then migrated to Pakistan in 1947, and joined Govt. College Montgomery in First year and did his BA from M.A Govt College Montgomery. Later on he came to Lahore and did his masters in history from Govt. College Lahore.
Syed DIlshad Hussain joined the Sahiwal wing of CADET COLLEGE HASANABDAL in 1954 and started teaching there. During his distinguished career he served in various positions in the College, as Assistant House Master, House Master, Vice Principal and heading the College as its Principal. After retirement from Cadet College Hasanabdal he headed the Fauji Foundation School for Girls, Humayun Road and then as Principal Fauji Foundation College for Boys.
Except for a small period between 1982 and 2002 when he was heading the Fauji Foundation Colleges (both boys and girls), he literally spent all his life on the grounds of Cadet College Hasanabdal. Prof. Syed Dilshad Hussain, or Dilshad Sahib, as he is more commonly called by his peers and thousands of students said goodbye to Cadet College Hasanabdal 52 years after a long meritorious association with the College in 2002.
Due to his long and outstanding services to the cause of education in general and his contribution to Cadet College Hasanabdal in particular he was also conferred upon with the award of Sitara-e-Imtiaz by the government of Pakistan. At the time of his retirement from CADET COLLEGE HASANABDAL the Alumni of CADET COLLEGE HASANABDAL gave a very big reception in his honor in Islamabad Club in which tributes were paid to his outstanding and meritorious services to the cause of education and CADET COLLEGE HASANABDAL in particular.
My association with him started way back when It was prep time in November 1967 in IQBAL WING, CADET COLLEGE HASANABDAL , when I was in first year SSC that I met him in his office for some problems faced by me as regards some internecine rivalry which usually takes place when you are settling in. Syed Dilshad Hussain who was my house master at that time taking over the position from Mohammad Iqbal Qureshi (MIQ) handled the matter very prudently and diligently and resolved the issue………… but the advise that he gave me that time will ever remain embedded in my hard drive……… “Problems do come in life but you must learn how to live with the problems”……..
My association with Syed Dilshan Hussain remained very cordial and intimate expect for the time when 11th Entry created history and went on strike in CADET COLLEGE HASANABDAL 1968. I cannot forget the stern warning and treatment (canning) we received from our principal that time John Drummond Hay Chapman.
About dozen of us were sent home on punishment and two of us namely Syed Ashfaq Hussain and Sikandar Khattak were rusticated from the college.
After my graduation from King Edward Medical College Lahore I used to see him off and on at CADET COLLEGE HASANABDAL and then when he became the principal as an old boy used to be associated with him now and then.
My real repo with SYED DILSHAN HUSSAIN became stronger when he became associated with Fauji Foundation and my wife Capt Dr. Nabila Babur at that time was the staff surgeon of FAUJI FOUNDATION in Harley Street Rawalpindi. His wife, son and daughters and himself got treatment from my wife and actually she was the chief coordinator between us.
His family includes Daughter Tahmina, Rubina, Son Shahzad and Abrar and has two Son's in Law, Fayyaz Hussain Gillani who is from the 15th Entry and an electronics engineer and the other is Arsalan Rizvi who is working in ARL.
Many Abdalians know him by virtue of their contact with him as his students but very little is known about his personal life. My sleuthing revealed that he was a very religious man and an ardent narrator of DAROOD SHARIF.
One incident I would like to narrate here that his son Abrar Hussain met an accident in E-17, Islamabad on 20th March 1987 and went into Comma because of head injury and there was very little chance of his survival. Syed Dilshad Hussain went into a marathon session of reciting SURAH YASEEN from morning to evening and with the prayers of friends and well wishers Syed Abrar Hussain came out of coma without even a single after affect of the head injury or pain.
Syed Dilshad Hussain played a very good innings of 82 years and because of frail health due to malignancy was admitted in CMH Rawalpindi in the last week of June 2015, and later on went in to comma and breathed his last on 12th July 2015.
His Namaz e Janaza was held at Army Graveyard Westridge Rawalpindi at 2 pm on Monday 13th July 2015. His Namaz – e – Janaza was very well attended and the bulk of the mourners comprised his students, family friends, teachers and faculty of Cadet College Hassanabdal.
In loss of SYED DILSHAD HUSSAIN the educational faculty has lost a great teacher, mentor and motivator but his loss will be felt more than ever by his family members, friends, students colleagues and Abdalian community in particular.
May Allah bless his soul in peace and give him the highest place in FIRDOUS and courage to his family and the whole Abdalian community to bear this irreparable loss.
Mr. Syed Dilshad Hussain has left a vacuum which will not be filled for generations to come.
Dr. Babur Zahiruddin
11th Entry
Cadet College Hasanabadal