The Punjab of To-Day

An Economic Survey of the Punjab in Recent Years Vol I A copy from Indian Empire Society , a London-based lobbying organization It was formed in 1930 to promote the cause of the British Empire in India and came into being at a meeting in July 1930 held in the Caxton Hall, London, at which the prime mover was Sir Michael O'Dwyer, a former Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab Author: Hugh Kennedy Trevaskis "A hundred years ago this person would be the Director of Punjab Records, an amazing person named Hugh Kennedy Trevaskis, known as a “most competent, loved and cherished” ICS officer of the Punjab, yet he was “a problem to his superiors and a joy to his sub-ordinates”. He was known as the “man who could suddenly without notice appeared on his horse outside the ‘patwari’s’ house deep in the Punjab countryside, always unannounced” early in the morning and checked all his books. His office was next to the Lahore Museum where every visitor was warmly welcome and served the same tea and biscuits as the ‘Gora Sahib’ was entitled to. He ended up being the Inspector General of Records and Director of Land Records of the Punjab.

In short he was a man who saw through the ills of colonialism and in meetings ‘bluntly spoke his mind’. One document tells us of the Governor of the Punjab instructing all officers at meetings ‘to be on their toes’ when Hugh Kennedy attended. As one scans the colonial period of the Punjab, one sees him stand out, but avoided by the elite. His quote that “comic relief was indispensable for sanity in India, for you will find plenty of stupid people in Lahore’s bureaucracy” attracts researchers like me." https://www.dawn.com/news/1678522