The People Behind Its Founding (Episode 02)

The first historic meeting for the establishment of the Model Town Cooperative Housing Society Lahore was held on Sunday, 27 February 1921, at Lahore Town Hall. During the meeting, it was decided to establish a new cooperative housing society with the aim of creating an organised, healthy and pleasant residential settlement for Lahore’s middle class.
The meeting was chaired by Lahore’s prominent engineer and social figure Rai Bahadur Ganga Ram, who was later awarded the title of “Sir” in 1922.
The duties of secretary were performed by Dewan Khem Chand (Barrister-at-Law), who two years earlier, in 1919, had laid the intellectual foundation for the idea of a model suburban town through his pamphlet “Suburban Town of Lahore.”
Around 200 prominent citizens from Lahore, Amritsar, Sialkot, Sheikhupura, Gujrat and other cities attended the meeting. They unanimously passed a resolution for the establishment of a “Model Town” — a cooperative residential settlement inspired by Europe’s Garden City Movement and adapted to local social and geographical conditions.
As a result of this meeting, an initial 19-member Preliminary Committee was formed, consisting of experts, lawyers, engineers, medical professionals and prominent social figures from different cities of Punjab.
Source: Punjab Cooperative Societies Record, File No. 1931/33 (Lahore); Dewan Khem Chand Report (1923)
Rai Bahadur Sir Ganga Ram (C.I.E., M.V.O., Lahore) — Chairman of the Meeting and Patron
Dewan Khem Chand (Barrister-at-Law, Lahore) — Founding Member and Honorary Secretary
Khan Bahadur Sheikh Abdul Qadir (Barrister-at-Law, Editor of Makhzan) — Vice President
Dr Bikram Jit Sahni (D.P.H., L.R.C.P. & S., Lahore) — Member, Health and Sanitation
Sheikh Dil Muhammad (M.A., Senior Sub Judge, Sheikhupura) — Member, Legal Committee
Sardar Lehna Singh (Executive Engineer, Lahore) — Member, Engineering and Survey
Pandit Karta Kishore (B.A., Honorary Secretary, Clerks Association Lahore) — Member, Administrative Affairs
Major Gulabat Rai (M.S., Lahore) — Member, Medical Affairs
Sardar Mehtab Singh (Barrister-at-Law, Public Prosecutor, Lahore High Court) — Member, Legal Adviser
Syed Mohsin Shah (High Court, Lahore) — Member
Nanak Chand Chopra (Barrister-at-Law, Lahore) — Member
Raja Narendra Nath (M.L.C., Lahore) — Member, Legislative Affairs
Engineer R. B. Bwantro (Executive Engineer, Gujranwala) — Member, Public Works
Sheikh Niaz Muhammad (Lawyer, High Court Lahore) — Member, Legal Panel
Major M. L. Puri (I.M.S., Lahore) — Member, Medical Section
Dewan Ram Lal (B.A., Barrister-at-Law, Lahore) — Member, Advisory Board
Captain Ram Rakha Mal Bhandari (Barrister-at-Law, Government Pleader, Hoshiarpur) — Member
Mr Sundar Das (B.A., Barrister-at-Law, Lahore) — Member
H. B. Wazir Chand Chopra (Superintending Engineer, Amritsar) — Member, Infrastructure Committee
The initial committee of the Model Town Society originally consisted of 19 members. In 1922, after Lala Prem Nath Trilok Chand and Mehta Singh were added, the total number of members increased to 21.
This committee formed the intellectual, organisational and administrative foundation of the Model Town Cooperative Housing Society Lahore. Between 1921 and 1923, it supervised all major stages, including the preparation of bylaws, acquisition of land and approval of the development plan.
As a result of the continuous efforts of these members, the Society prepared its rules and regulations and obtained registration with the Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Punjab, in November 1921 under the Cooperative Societies Act, 1912.
In the following year, 1922, the bylaws were submitted for approval. In 1924, the Society held its first formal election, and Khan Bahadur Sheikh Abdul Qadir was elected its first president.
Later, following the introduction of the new Punjab Cooperative Societies Act, 1925, the Society was reapproved under the new legislation.
In this way, for the first time in the subcontinent, an organised urban development project in the form of a cooperative Garden City took practical shape under the name of Model Town Lahore.
Note
The Model Town Society was registered in November 1921 under the Cooperative Societies Act, 1912. Later, following the introduction of the Punjab Cooperative Societies Act, 1925, it was reapproved in accordance with the new law.
The members of the committee that helped establish Model Town Lahore came from different religious and social backgrounds. They included Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs.
The aim of the Society was to create an organised and shared residential community where people from different communities could live together. This reflected the atmosphere of Lahore at the time, when urban development and collective cooperation were often given greater importance than religious differences.
These office bearers not only played a fundamental role in establishing the Society but also created a new example of shared civic consciousness, interfaith cooperation and modern urban planning in the subcontinent.
Model Town Society was founded on this vision and spirit and later became an urban ideal for residential development across the subcontinent.
To be continued... The remaining story will follow in the next episode.