Gojra

History

Pre-Independence

Gojra city was established in 1896, when the colonisation of Faisalabad began. The railway line between Faisalabad and Gojra was laid in 1899. The town was given the status of notified area committee in 1904 and upgraded to a B-Class Municipality in 1925. In 1906, the population was 2,589. According to The Imperial Gazetteer of India, "The business done in this rising mart on the railway, which has sprung into existence in the last six years owing to the extension of the Chenab Canal to the surrounding country, bides fair to rival in importance that of Faisalabad itself".

In 1919, following the Rowlatt Act, hartals (strikes) broke out throughout Punjab. Gojra was affected by the serious protests and a member of the Church Mission Society had to be escorted out of the town by loyal residents.

Post-Independence

In August 1947, India and Pakistan achieved independence. Riots and local fighting followed the expeditious withdrawal of the British, resulting in an estimated one million civilians deaths, particularly in the western region of Punjab. Gojra, which was in the region of the Punjab Province that became West Pakistan, was populated by a number of Hindus and Sikhs who migrated to India, while Muslim refugees from India settled in the district.

After independence from Britain, in view of its increasing size, Gojra was declared a 2nd class Municipal Committee in 1960. Gojra received the status of tehsil town and affiliated with the newly established district Toba Tek Singh on 1 July 1982. After the introduction of Devolution of Power Plan, the Tehsil Municipal Administration Gojra came into being on 12 August 2001.

Demographics

Population

According to 2023 census, Gojra had a population of 214,349.

Government and public services

Civic administration

The city was raised to the status of Tehsil town and affiliated with the newly established district Toba Tek Singh on 1 July 1982. After the introduction of the Devolution of Powers Plan, the Tehsil Municipal Administration Gojra came into being on 12 August 2001. The Canal resthouse is the oldest building constructed during British government in 1898.

Culture

Festivals

The arrival of spring brings the annual "Rang-e-Bahar" festival during the month of March, where the Parks & Horticulture Authority of the Gojra Municipal Committee organise a flower show and exhibition at Civil Club, Gojra.

Education

Private institutes

The city has 344 state-run primary and higher secondary educational institutions.

Sports

Gojra is famous for hockey and has produced more than a hundred international players for the Pakistan hockey team. In 2015, Gojra Hockey Club, a local club, won the Jat Tar Singh memorial Under-19 hockey tournament. This high-profile tournament was held in India, where Gojra city team competed again best of Indian U19 hockey teams and won the championship. The Gojra team won this title by defeating Amritsar Academy 4–2 at Ludhiana Hockey Stadium.

In cricket, Gojra's Ehsan Adil has represented the Faisalabad Wolves, Habib Bank Limited cricket team and Pakistan Under-19 cricket team. He was selected in Pakistan's Test Squad for tour to South Africa in February 2013.

Notable people

• Ehsan Adil – cricketer
• Abdul Qadeer Alvi – Politician
• Tariq Imran – hockey player
• Muhammad Irfan – hockey player
• Muhammad Ishaq – former Member, National Assembly of Pakistan
• Chaudhary Khalid Javed – Member, National Assembly of Pakistan
• Mehak Malik – dancer and actress
• Muhammad Nadeem – hockey player
• Muhammad Qasim – hockey player and former Olympic Games player
• Imran Shah – hockey player
• Tahir Zaman – hockey player, former Olympic Games player, Pride of Performance Award winner in 1994

References

References

1. "Pakistan Population (2023) – Worldometer".
2. "Pakistan Population (2023) – Worldometer".
3. "Gojra – Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 12, p. 306". Digital South Asia Library (DSAL), University of Chicago website.
4. "Municipal Committee Gojra".
5. "PAKISTAN: Provinces and Major Cities (Gojra population per 2017 census)".
6. Punjab disturbances, April 1919; compiled from the ''Civil and Military Gazette.'' (1919)
7. Crispin Bates. (3 March 2011). "The Hidden Story of Partition and its Legacies". BBC website.
8. Yasmin Khan. (2007). "The Great Partition: The Making of India and Pakistan". Yale University Press.
9. "Population by administrative units 1951-1998". [[Pakistan Bureau of Statistics]].
10. "Tea stall owner beaten by extortionists". The News International (newspaper).
11. "SCHOOL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT".
12. (2012-08-16). "Gojra has produced 112 international hockey players". The Nation (newspaper).
13. (2005-01-01). "TOBA TEK SINGH: Hockey players honoured (from Gojra)". Dawn (newspaper).
14. "Gojra club wins hockey final in India". Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) website.
15. "Ehsan Adil profile and biography, stats, records, averages, photos and videos".
16. "Obituary – Muhammad Qasim – World Hockey".
17. [http://www.sports.gov.pk/Detail/MTE2ZDk5NGItNjMzNy00MWViLWI2OTUtNjNhYjZjZmQ3NmY5 Tahir Zaman (listed as #34 on the Award Winners List)] Pakistan Sports Board, Government of Pakistan website, Retrieved 17 May 2023