The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

National Children’s Festival concludes
Tribune News Service

SAS Nagar, November 9
Thousands of children participating in the four-day National Children’s Festival bade a tearful goodbye to their host families at SAS Nagar and Chandigarh on the last day of the festival held at the Shivalik Public School Phase VI, here today.

The camp ended with a show of state dances of the children and a Bharat jodo activity with the children uniting India on a linguist life-size map. Later, the organisers of the camp thanked the parents of the local children who had housed the children from other states with them for these four days.

For the children the experience at the camp was something they said that they would remember for the rest of their lives.

The children exchanged addresses promising to keep in touch. Children gave gifts to their host families.

While the guest children stated that they thoroughly enjoyed living in Punjabi houses, the host family children said they would be going to Goa next year from the school for the IV camp and live there with Goan families. ‘‘I want that Tanaiya should stay for some more days with me,’’said Amrit, a Class VII student of Shivalik School, who had a Marathi student living with her for four days.

They said they would be writing to their new friends in Assam. ‘‘Banita is from Assam and I am going to miss her,’’said Jeevanjyot, another Class VII student.

‘‘The camp was one thing but the evenings at home were equally enjoyable. We took Sundari who has come from Tamil Nadu to the lake and Rock Garden,’’ said Konika.

‘‘It’s the food that Morumi loved here. She liked the paranthas a lot and we also took her out to dinner,’’ said Jashanpreet who has a student from Assam staying with her.

HAMARA SCHOOL
Manav Mangal a name to reckon with
Geetanjali Gayatri
Tribune News Service

Rohit Sharma, Class VIII-A

Snober Singh, Class-V

Shivam Bhardwaj, class IV-B

Madhu Sudan, Class IV-B

Manav Mangal High School, Sector 21, is a name to reckon with. Serving society with zeal for over three decades, the school has come a long way, growing and evolving with its students since it began with 30 students from residential premises in Sector 9. The school, at its present location, was inaugurated on April 28, 1968, by the then UT Home Secretary.

Manav Mangal started a CBSE-affiliated English-medium co-educational institution at the site allotted by the Chandigarh Administration and expanded its educational service to Panchkula by opening another school in Sector 11 at a 3-acre site allotted by HUDA.

The school which was granted CBSE affiliation in 1983 has been producing brilliant academic results, speaking volumes of the classroom teaching. Out of 148 students who appeared in the board examinations, 99 students were placed in first division. The school has had 100 per cent results in class X examinations. This year, the first and third place in the class VIII examination, conducted by the UT Education Department, was won by students of the school.

The achievements of students are equally commendable in sports especially in terms of state and national levels, with the students getting the first position in the under-14 inter-school table tennis match and the Cluster-11 CBSE under-17 award from among the teams of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and the city.

While stress is laid on academics and sports, there is a guide of co-curricular activities ranging from debates, art competitions to dance and song competitions that is drawn up for the year.

The latest acquisition of the school has been close-circuit cameras for supervision. With over 1500 students and a teaching faculty of 60 members, the school also imparts free education and offers books and other assistance to poor children. At present nearly 30 such students are enrolled with the school.

The school plans to begin computer-aided teaching from this session. Starting from class III, all students are given hands-on training and taught to update information through the use of computers.

Focus on student-centric approach

In recognition of his contribution to education, the Principal of Manav Mangal High School, Mr Sanjay Sardana, was awarded the State National Award by the UT Administration on the eve of Teacher’s Day. Basking in the glory of the award, Mr Sardana says he can’t rest on past laurels and has a long way to go.

A gold-medallist throughout his student life, he is of the opinion that nothing in the world is as important as the children, nothing is more interesting and foundations of a well-rounded personality are laid in school.

On education: Education means preparing an innocent mind to do something and be something in life by choice rather than by force. When my students refer to me as “Sanjay Sir”, I know I am reaching out to them and being able to guide them properly.

On disciplining students: We are all members of the Manav Mangal family and teachers are instructed to be second parents to the children. Since no strictness is employed and punishment is not the done thing our effort is to convince students that we are their well-wishers and our advise is in their interest.

On role of co-curricular activities : Just as the playway method is employed in educating students of junior classes, co-curricular activities do the same for senior classes and students learn more in the process. Also, they get some relief from academic pressure and classroom teaching. We have chalked out an activities schedule for every class and encourage participation in every activity.

On study schedule: Individual attention to students plays a big role in the outcome at the end of the session. We identify bright and weak students as early as September, right after the tests. Then, begins the grooming of both categories of students in special classes conducted by teachers before and after school. This enables the teachers to come down to the level of the students which is not possible when taking a class of 40.

On tuition menace: Students are wasting time at tuitions and, in the process, losing interest in classroom teaching which is, enough to see a student through the examination with flying colours. At school, we hold extra classes for weak students during zero period. The teachers make efforts to raise the standards of such children.

Poems by students

My Sweet Teacher

My teacher is so nice

like a tasty slice

She loves all very much

And shares things with us

She is very good

like a sweet fruit

She cooperates with us

even though we create fuss

She teaches us nice things:

manners and discipline

She cheers us when we are sad

And comforts us when we’re unwell

Kapil Garg, Class III-B

Blessed Mother Teresa

An angel of mercy

with a soul so kind

To the poor and the helpless

shelter, food and care she gave

She dared to do what none would

So, God exalted her name

Not for fame or glory

but for God alone did she work

Her beatification has cheered many

A Saint already in the hearts of all.

Indians are proud of you

May her noble work never end

`God before self’, was her motto

`Service to the poor’ her work

Karanveer Kaushal, Class VII-B

Life Without Education

Life without education is a bore

It is like a sea without any shore

We can do everything with education,

can bring good name to our nation.

Education helps us to learn and play,

Is education a curse or a boon?

Be educated and get the answer soon,

Education results in better awareness and care.

To defeat or cheat you nobody will dare

Education makes us aware of our rights,

Uneducated lives are like lamps without lights

Vinni Sareen, Class VII-B

Computer-You are Really Great

Computer you are really great,

You are always first and I am late

You can’t think but the work is done,

You can please each and everyone

You need proper protection and care,

As dust and moisture, you always fear

You can work without any brain,

Remember things without any strain

You can work day and night

But you just fail without light

Himanshu Negi, Class VII-B

My Struggle

The day I was born

I struggled for survival

To learn how the talk `n’ walk

When I entered the field of education

I struggled for marks and position

When I grew up, I struggled for name and fame

But after a long struggle

I am again and again humiliated

by my surroundings

For I never struggled for peace

Join me in my endeavour

to spread peace and happiness

Amitoj Sandhu, Class IX-C

CULTURE

In sync with their gurus
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 9
Growing out of the shadows of legends is not an easy task to do. But Rajnish and Ritesh Mishra, sons and disciples of the celebrated vocalist duo of the Banaras gharana, Pandits Rajan-Sajan Mishra, are not only trying to keep the tradition alive, but also moving beyond regimentation to carve a niche for themselves in the increasingly commercial world.

Regular presenters for SPIC MACAY, Rajnish and Ritesh Mishra were in Chandigarh today on the invitation from the Triveni Sangeet Sabha. They presented a classical music concert at Sector 16 this evening. Earlier, talking about their musical journey and their current pursuits and involvements, Rajnish and Ritesh Mishra, the brothers in rhyme, talked about the strict regime which they have to follow as disciples of Pt Rajan-Sajan Mishra.

“Imbibing music is no less than a challenge. It requires patience and a religious routine that spells balance in every way. We grew up amidst musical influences. Naturally there was no way we could have escaped the divine impact. Now that we are a part of melodic affair, we might as well love and enjoy it. And we do that all the time.” Just returning from a 10-day-long classical music workshop organised by Asian Music Circuit which they conducted for children in London, Rajnish and Ritesh Mishra talked about the Western reactions to Indian music.

“Their children are fast learners. They grasp musical tones like anything. That was why within 10 days of training we could structure a full-fledged show with them. The show had myself and Ritesh playing the part of accompanists. It was a virtual role reversal for us. It was also a learning experience,” said Rajnish.

Proud to be a part of the 300-year-old lineage that flows down from maestros like Swami Hari Das, Rajnish and Ritesh Sharma are now assisting Pt Rajan-Sajan Mishra in the documentation of classic compositions that form a part of the Banaras repertoire. The task at hand is phenomenal and the time is less, because both brothers keep busy with concerts. “But things have to be balanced. We are also planning to record all compositions which we have inherited from the maestros of our gharana. Besides, when our gurus are performing, which they often are, we also have to look after the issues of Gurukul, the residency classical music school they run in Dehra Dun,” said Ritesh.

As for the style, the brothers are struggling to evolve one. It is, however, not a conscious effort. “Like our gurus, we also try to avoid monotony of rhythm. Banaras gharana has its own rich traditions which, in no way, are less prominent than those of any other gharana. We make sure that we sing everything from khayal to bhajans. The focus is to avoid cliched presentations so that the gharana does not get branded as “the one that excels in light classical forms”. We have had some outstanding classical singers and the whole world knows that,” says Rajnish, the elder among the brothers.

Talking about their latest records, Rajnish and Ritesh Mishra mentioned Sangam, which features them along with their gurus Pandits Rajan-Sajan Mishra, besides U. Srinivas and Michael Naiman with his band. They are also open to lending background scores for films, provided the projects that come their way are classic.