G.D. Langlands’ philonthropic approach

The article written by Arosa Shaukat, published in the Express Tribune has dealt with the educational contributions of G.D. Langlands quite comprensively in the backward areas of Razmak and Chitral, I would like to add a few points regarding the humanitarian approach of Major Langlands as I had an opportunity of working for six years as a teacher under his tutelage. During his tenure in the educational administration, compassion was observed to be the hallmark of his personality. It was his concern for the needy that obliged him to deliver educational services for the most deserving people of the mountain-locked district of Chitral in spite of its harsh climatic conditions. As excessive benevolence has its pluses and minuses in the worldly plane so was the case with him though the pluses were far greater than the minuses. In spite of coming from a martial background, he proved to be an empathetic Christian rather than being a Spartan administrator. He felt the pains of the less-fortunate and assisted them according to his means. He even spent his pension money on the staff when they sought his help. His commiseration for the needy caused his organization overstaffing which was often criticized by the district administration to be a burden on the school budget but he adamantly opposed the idea of downsizing as he could not think of depriving the families of his employees of their subsistence. The district management had to vanquish the idea of downsizing in compliance with the orders of his students at the helms. Sometimes his mild nature also served as a shield for the few insensitive staff members as he deemed everyone to be the prisoner of his conscience. At times the school was called a black hole by having absorbed a huge amount of public money but raising billions of rupees for a school in the far-flung district of chitral was made possible only by the person of Major Langlands.]]>