73rd Independence Day was celebrated on 15th August 2019 with great enthusiasm. Our senior teacher Mrs. Antariksha Chatterjee hoisted the flag while the school band played the national anthem.
The students trained by Mrs. Manisha Gopale and Mrs. Aparna Gorad put up a street play on current issues and sang patriotic songs .
Mr. Dominic Rose our office staff delivered a touching speech bringing out the essence of the occasion.
”
Today we celebrate 72 years of Independence that was won for us by the blood and toil of many of our known heroes and we pay homage to all of them and some of them are so well known and loved by us like Lokmanya Tilak, Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Azad, Bhagat Singh, Mahatma Gandhi who shook the British empire with his non-violent and Non Cooperation Movement. We also pay tribute to the unsung, unknown heroes who were men and women who raised their voice against an oppressive rule. Thanks to the gift of this freedom India has come a long way. It is with great joy that I share with you my aspirations for our Motherland India. India is a young nation today with over 65% of our population below 35 years of age yet 2/3 of Indian employers report that they struggle to find workers with the right skills. So I urge you boys to get the best of your education, qualify and train yourself so that you are an asset to the nation and you can educate and train others who are not as privileged as you, because we can get the best of our people through education and training.
Discover, explore the wonders of Science. Be curious, ask questions, seek answers, take on responsibilities, find solutions and make problems for those who oppress and exploit others. Don’t waste your precious time only playing video games and on your gadgets they will only make you passive and inadequate. Go out play and get involved in some sport. Read and open your mind to the ideas of the brightest and noblest so that you can dream big dreams. A P J Abdul Kalam scientist, philosopher, philanthropist once said ‘A Dream is not what you see when you are sleeping but something that does not let you sleep.’ Don’t be small minded and petty and fight with each other but enjoy friendships that enrich your life. Be kind and sensitive to the less fortunate. Respect and support women, any society that fails to do that can never reach its full potential.
Today Secularism is at risk as there are many forces like Communalism and Regionalism that are trying to divide and rule. Poverty and hunger still exists despite being self-sufficient in food production. Sadly Corruption, Illiteracy, Superstition, Gender Inequality hamper our progress. We are the 3rd largest economy on purchasing power parity but we rank 60th out of 148 indicating that there is great potential to be unlocked. We can progress in leaps and bounds if we empower rural India and make it self-sufficient, they have been our true keepers of the rich cultural heritage that we are so proud of. The challenges and magnitude of our problems cannot be solved by the government alone we require a collaborative approach involving people from all walks of life especially you our children and youth. Each one of you has the potential to be a future leader. Don’t complain about the shortcomings of the education system and the pressures you face. Challenges build your tenacity which makes you stronger. If you want to change things aspire to be in a position to be able to do that. Respect your Parents, Teachers and senior citizens. Many a time we fail to understand the importance of giving respect to our Teachers and Parents. They are the ones who would mould you and prepare you to face a better tomorrow. Let us strive hard to make our Motherland a vibrant, resourceful and determined Country, driven by the power of our youth, so as to aspire for a peaceful and prosperous country living in a world of unity and harmony. On the other hand there is much that we can be proud of. We are the 4th largest Military Power and have one of the most sophisticated Missile programmes. Polio has been ended among 1.3 billion people. Despite all our differences we are still a Unity in such a vast Diversity. We have women as Political leaders, Entrepreneurs and making a mark in the fields of Education, Science and Technology, Sports, Art and Cultural feats. Over 200 million have been brought out of illiteracy. The Indian software industry has grown more than a 100 times in 20 years.
By all means let us celebrate these and the many other achievements we can be proud of but this quote by Pundit Nehru puts things in perspective ‘The achievements we celebrate today are but steps, openings of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that await us. Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp these opportunities and accept the challenges of the future.’ So let us resolve to work towards achieving our aspirations for a happier, healthier, safer and better India. My prayer for each of you today is that you all strive hard to fight for what is right and understand the meaning of true justice. Be confident of your abilities to make a change. Don’t walk away from responsibilities. Remember YOU are the future of our Country. Long Live our Motherland India. JAI HIND!”