Kashmir’s prominent Government College for Women on Srinagar’s Maulana Azad Road has changed the name of the auditorium from Lalla Arifa to Lal Ded, in the wake of protests lodged by Kashmiri Pandits.
“Good to see now the name changed from Lalla Arifa to Lal Ded Auditorium at Women’s College, Srinagar, Kashmir. When will the other names be restored? Lal Ded, the mystic saint, will live forever for Kashmir,” Ravinder Pandita, Head of Save Sharda Committee, said.
The women’s college hosted a function on Wednesday (October 15, 2025) at the auditorium, now named as Lal Ded. It was attended by J&K Education minister Sakeena Itoo on completion of 75 years of the college.
In August this year, Abhay Sopori, a prominent Kashmiri Pandit Santoor player, composer and conductor, refused to perform at the college over naming the auditorium after 14th Century poet Lal Ded, described as “Lalleshwari” by Kashmiri Pandits and “Lalla Arifa” by Muslims.
“Good if the name has been changed. Lal Ded is the name that is equally regarded by both the communities. I did not perform at a musical festival of the college after the name of the auditorium was pointed out to me. I cancelled my performance in protest,” Mr. Sopori told The Hindu.
The college had planned a festival on India’s classical musical heritage from August 23 to 25, 2025 in the auditorium, then named as “Lalla Arifa”.
Referring to the past three decades, Mr. Sopori said, “Kashmir has seen a lot and time has come not to invest in names that cause friction. I will always stand for the culture of Kashmir.”
When contacted, Prof. Yasmeen Farooq, principal of the college, refused to comment on the issue.
Besides, Mr. Sopori, Kashmiri Pandit Conference (KPC), a body of Kashmiri Pandits, also resented the move to name the auditorium as Lalla Arifa. “Lal Ded is not merely a poetess but the mother of Kashmiri Shaivite philosophy and the soul of Kashmir’s cultural and spiritual heritage. She was a great Brahman woman, a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva, and a fearless philosopher of the Shaiva cult. Her divine Vakhs carved the foundation of Kashmiri literature and continue to guide humanity with wisdom, courage, and truth,” the KPC had said, in a statement.
It described the renaming as Lalla Arifa “not only a gross historical distortion but also an insult to the Kashmiri Pandit as well as entire Hindu community and an act of cultural appropriation
Meanwhile, Ms. Itoo lauded the college’s rich legacy and its transformative contribution to the intellectual, cultural, and social development of Jammu and Kashmir. “This institution has, over the decades, been a cornerstone of women empowerment, nurturing generations of leaders, educators and professionals, who have contributed meaningfully across various fields,” Ms Itoo said. She also unveiled a Coffee Table Book depicting 75 years of college.
Published – October 16, 2025 04:45 am IST
