A Brief history of the Kingsway Camp area – the present Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar Ward

After the partition of India in August, 1947, nearly five lakhs displaced persons arrived in Delhi from West Pakistan. A large number of them had no shelter. Pending more permanent arrangements, therefore, these persons were housed in the unoccupied military barracks constructed during the war and in tented camps. Kingsway Camp was one of such efforts to solve the problem of accommodating the refugee population. The camp had to accommodate about 50,000 persons at one point of time. Kitchen blocks, bath rooms and latrines were constructed and additional water supply and drainage were laid to meet the large congregation of population. A fire broke out in Kingsway Camp on May 25, 1948 and caused great damage. The Government then decide to build pucca single roomed tenements in places of tents. The plan was to construct 2950 tenements, each consisting of a room and a cooking verandah. About 200 shops have also been constructed within the colony, most of them being situated on the Kingsway and the Mall. The colony had supply of filtered water through public water taps of the Notified area Committee. As this supply is not adequate for the requirements of the large population, a few tube wells have been sunk to provide for washing and bathing purposes. According to the census of 1951, the population of Kingsway Camp stood at 20,812 persons consisting of 4248 families living in 3775 houses. Kingsway camp was not intended to be a self-contained township providing both accommodation and employment, it was merely intended to provide displaced persons with residential accommodation together with the accompanying social and civic services.

Source: V.K.R.V. Rao, An Economic Review of Refugee Rehabilitation in India, A STUDY OF KINGSWAY CAMP, The Delhi School of Economics

Historic Timeline

Historic Maps Showing GTB Nagar Area

16th Century (1540 - 1560)

  • GT Road was built by Sher Shah Suri. Initially known as Sadak - e - Azam, which connected Agra and Sasaram. Built to link together provinces. Primarily served administrative and military.

Dhaka village

  • The oldest area of habitation in ward no. 12. Most probably the history is related to the ‘Tomara’ clans.

17th Century

  • Extended in the Mughal region. Connected to Kabul to Chittagong. Shift from an administrative link through a trade link.

18th Century

  • Renamed the Grand Trunk Road under the British Reign. Ran from Howhrah to Peshawar. Functioned as a trade route, facilitated travel, and postal communication. Facilitated the movement of British troops from Bengal to North India. Functioned as a colonial artery.

After 1857

  • After the mutiny the British barrack in the civil lines area was formed. Outram Lines & Hudson Lane were part of the barrack areas.

1863

  • Mutiny Memorial was erected by thr Public Works Department for the memory of those who fought in the Delhi Field Force, during the Rebelion 1857.
  • Located on the ridge so as to showcase the power of the British.

1865 approx.

  • Dhaka Gaon was larger and it existed earlier also. The boundary was different (it was larger)
  • Malikpur Gaon was formed

1887

  • Delhi Durbar was held in the Coronation Park.
  • Queen Victoria proclaimed the Empress of India. -Intellectuals and Maharajas attended the event. -Official event, and marked the transfer of power from East India Company to the Crown.

1881

  • Municipal Committee passes Building Bye Laws.

1903

  • Accession of King Edward VII in the Coronation Park.
  • Dry land converted to a tented city.
  • Infrastructure including water, drainage, sanitation, electricity and rail communications supplied to the venue from different locations in the nearby city.
  • Post offices, telegraph and telephone communication provided.
  • Announcement of viceroy’s residence.

1903 Coronation Park

  • Precursor to the Viceroy’s residence before it was shifted to Raisina Hill.
  • Known as the Kingsway because the King passed through this route to access the Coronation Park.

1910  

  • Survey of India

1911 Coronation Park.

  • Third Durbar of Delhi.
  • Coronation of King George V as Emperor India.
  • Laid the foundation stone for the new capital of Delhi.

1922 Delhi University

  • The university had its humble beginnings with just 3 colleges.
  • St.Stephens, Hindu College and Ramjas College.
  • Presently it comprises of 77 colleges.

1929 Police Lines

  • The British set up the police lines as a residence for their officers.
  • It was also used as a training area for the officers.

1932 Harijan Colony

  • Harijan Sewak Sangh for Dalits started by Gandhiji.
  • The campus includes a Valmiki Bhawan or Gandhi’s one room Ashram and Harijan Colony.

1936 R.B.Tuberculosis Hospital

  • Established for the speciality treatment on Tuberculosis.
  • The position of the hospital aids in the treatment of the disease, as an open environment is beneficial for the patients.

1947-1949 Kingsway Camp

Post-Independence, it became the largest refugee camp in Delhi. -Housed over 3,00,000 people.

1948

The Hindu bengali co - operative association got the land and registration for plots in Tagore Park was done.

1950-1969 Kingsway Camp/Nirankari

Rehabilitation townships were developed like Nagar,Kingsway Camp, Nizamuddin, Jangpura extention, Lajpat Nagar, Gandhi Nagar etc. -Planned on 80 sq. yard plots for each family, built with modest single storey asbestos cement sheet roofed houses.

1952

Vijay Nagar area came up as a refugee rehabilitation area.

1961 Model Town

The entire neighbourhood was developed as a posh locality by DLF.

1968

People started living in Tagore park. -Bhai parmanand colony & Mukherjee nagar also came up during the same time. Muherjee nagar was a Refugee Rehabilitaion area.

1980s

Refugees stayed here in temporary habitation till the 1980s. Later residential colonies in Hudson lane and Outram lines were established by DDA. The lottery by the Government for the allotment of houses happened in 1985.