The events began with Dr. Urvashi Sahni hoisting the National Tricolour after which the congregation sang the National Anthem with great fervour, as the entire fraternity paid tribute to the Nation.
The Principal, Mrs. Shalini Sinha congratulated the Study Hall community with conscious restraint and her speech was relevance personified. Her appeal to all was focused on nurturing and ensuring the safety of the daughters of India and caring for the aged.This was followed by the Vice-Head Girl Saumya Tandon’s address where she elicited the true meaning of a ‘republic’ and touched sensitive chords in every heart. After her, the students of Class VII recited the poem ‘Brainstorming’ which was an exemplary exercise in correct intonation and enunciation. Indeed, the diction was superb! The students of Classes VI and VII melodiously experimented with the song ‘One Love’ which everyone enjoyed a lot.
The much awaited ‘Inter-House Hindi Debate’ began with tremendous fervour. The speakers spoke with conviction and courage. The motion, ‘Abhivyakti ki swatantrata par niyantran avashyak hai’ was very apt and contemporary. Kudos to its selectors! The speakers exhibited logic, restraint, humour, sobriety – they had it all and were indeed very convincing and impressive. Manoram Agarwal of Fire-Flame House was adjudged the winner for the proposition while Sansriti Sen of Jacaranda House was declared the best speaker from the opposition bench. The Winning House was Jacaranda and the Runner-Up was Cypress House. The rebuttal rounds were the best as the participants were extremely refreshing and reassuring in whatever they said. They seemed impressively decisive and probably swayed decions in favour of the speakers.
After the Debate, Dr Sahni addressed the congregation and in accordance with the topic of the debate stated the dilemma that we all contend with – freedom of expression precariously and pleasantly balanced with restraints and censorship. She went on to say that freedom of expression must be there but it must not cross into or be offensive to the fundamental rights of another. She concluded by saying that if we are to remain a vibrant democracy then we must be open to debate as well as well supported by serious implementable laws. Dr Sahni not only declared the debate results but also the much awaited results of the Student Cabinet elections. Dharam Pravartak as Head Boy, Arman Kuckreja as Vice Head Boy, Rohina Dass as Head Girl and Aiman Jafri as Vice Head Girl stand elected for 2013-14. The outgoing cabinet congratulated the newly elected student representatives and unanimously cautioned them that they must not let the badge control them. Instead, they must lead the school forward to conquer new realms.
Next on stage were three Prerna Girls who stole the show with their thought provoking and extremely sensitive expressions in verse. They left us wondering, ‘why we write in the lives of our daughters a long dark endless night’.
Summing up the morning’s proceedings was the emotionally wrought and extremely forthright address of Parth Shukla, the Vice Head Boy and the congregational song ‘Mera mulk, mera desh mera yeh watan’ full of patriotic flavour.
Sweets and muffins for all were the ultimate on the list before the children went home to spend the rest of the day with their family.
Article written by Anusha Sharma
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