As Lawrence School, Sanawar, turns 175

Col HP Singh

SEND him to Sanawar and make a man of him.” This line from Rudyard Kipling’s book ‘Kim’ was enough to motivate my father to admit me to The Lawrence School, Sanawar. Ensconced in Kasauli hills, Sanawar would become home for those impressionable six years of my life. My alma mater celebrates its dodransbicentennial (175th) anniversary this year, with an inspiring journey in its long march in time.

Founded by Sir Henry Lawrence in 1847 as Lawrence Military Asylum, a charitable institution for the orphaned wards of British soldiers, it is one of the oldest co-educational schools in the world. In 1920, it metamorphosed into Lawrence Royal Military School and thence to its current status of public school post-Independence. Till 1947, the school was open only to English children. When the British left, there was a talk of turning the campus either into a cantonment or to house Panjab University, relocated from Lahore. Fortunately, it was decided to retain the hilltop as it was and the school was smoothly ‘Indianised’.

The school has a rich legacy of inheritance. It’s the first outside England to receive royal patronage and has been presented with King’s colours twice, in 1853 and 1922. The school motto ‘Never Give In’, believed to be the last words uttered by its founder before he succumbed to his injuries sustained during the 1857 uprising, has become synonymous with the school spirit.

The school song is based on this motto with its characteristic tune. The ‘Red over White’ school flag, signifying death before surrender, is hoisted daily by the ‘Prefect on Duty’. The memorial honouring those killed in various wars is saluted by students as they ‘March in unison’ for the morning assembly. Bugle calls regulate various events of the daily curriculum.

With an emphasis on multi-dimensional personality development, Sanawar has produced renowned figures in various walks of life.

It has the distinction of sending contingents straight from its campus to the battlefield in both the world wars; 78 never returned home. The tradition continued after Independence even though the school was no longer a military one. The tally of gallantry awards won includes a Param Vir Chakra, two Maha Vir Chakras, three Vir Chakras and a sizeable number of Sena medals and mention-in-dispatches. The courage displayed in 1971 by 2/Lt Arun Khetarpal in the Battle of Basantar is legendary, for which he was posthumously awarded the nation’s highest gallantry award. While Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat headed the Indian Navy, the school has produced dozens of three-star rank officers.

The adventurous spirit fostered by the school is reflected by the likes of Brig TPS Chowdhury, who led India’s first round-the-world sailing expedition, and Ajeet Bajaj, the first Indian to ski to North Pole and South Pole. Seven boys, while in school, scaled Mt Everest in 2013, which was the world’s youngest team to climb the mountain. The girls, not to be left behind, scaled Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, soon thereafter.

The school has produced some outstanding sportspersons. Marathoner Ranjit Bhatia, a recipient of Order of the British Empire, participated in the 1960 Rome Olympics while Shiva Keshavan became the first Indian to compete in Winter Olympics. Trap shooter Manavjit Sandhu was awarded the Khel Ratna for winning four silver medals in Asian Games. The best performance, however, has been in equestrian events. There were times when the entire polo team of NDA and IMA was represented by old Sanawarians. Imtiaz Anees won a bronze while Rupi Brar won a gold in Asian Games. The latter was awarded the Arjuna Award, along with other polo legends: ‘Billy’ Sodhi, ‘Pickles’ Sodhi, Kuldeep Singh Garcha and VP Singh, all schoolmates.

Public figures like Omar Abdullah (Headboy of my batch), Sukhbir Badal, Maneka Gandhi, Dushyant Chautala and Rao Inderjit Singh have played a significant role in state and national politics. Navin Chawla served as the Chief Election Commissioner and RS Gujral as the Finance Secretary. The school theatre has produced Bollywood stars like Parikshit Sahni, Sanjay Dutt, Pooja Bedi, Rahul Roy, Bikramjit Kanwarpal, Varun Sharma and Apoorva Lakhia (film director).

The corporate world has an impressive number of old Sanawarians: the Wadias (Ness and Jeh) of Bombay Dyeing and GoAir, the Munjals of Hero, Punit Goenka (Zee Entertainment), Bharat Puri (Pidilite industries) and Jyotsna Suri of Lalit Hotel chain, to name a few.

Reverend Parker set the foundation as the first Headmaster, while EG Carter, the last British Headmaster, oversaw the smooth transformation of a military school into independent India’s premier residential school. Major R Som Dutt, the first Indian Headmaster, built upon what he had inherited, giving it the direction in its second phase of existence.

Shomie Das headed the school before handing it over to Harish Dhillon, the first alumnus to take over the reins. The baton would later pass on to two other Sanawarians: Praveen Vasisht and Himmat Dhillon, the incumbent Headmaster.

I fondly remember my teachers for moulding us and providing the impetus necessary for all-round development.

The adrenalin rush fighting the occasional summer forest fires, skiing down the tuck-shop slope in winter snow, the annual hikes and camps, the walking-out passes to Kasauli for ‘Bun-Sums’ (samosa stuffed in a bun) — I passed out over three decades ago, but the school never left me.

Former Prime Minister IK Gujral’s words, “Sanawar is not just a school, it is an institution”, inscribed at the school gate are perhaps an apt recognition The Lawrence School deserves.

“She will also go to Sanawar” was the first reaction on seeing my newborn daughter. Later, my son, too, followed her. Why are you so obsessed with your school, I have been asked many times. I have a standard reply: “If you are a Sanawarian, you will understand, and if you are not, I cannot explain.”  

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