A flower show: From Punjab rains to Pankhrian

Flowers are indeed spreading fragrance and lighting up faces at the chrysanthemum show which was inaugurated at the school on Saturday. The fourth edition of the show marks the 350th martyrdom year of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

Malkiat Singh, for one, is very happy. The 70-year-old is participating with his team, Eco Plantation Association. “This is a nice initiative of the school. We are participating for a second time. We have brought 15 gamlas (pots),” he says.

Prominent among those to visit the show is District Education Officer Ginni Duggal, who is deeply impressed with the colourful collection of flowers. “I would like more government schools to participate in the show. Next year, we’ll fill the entire school ground with flower pots,” she says.

Punjab School Education Board chairman Amarpal Singh goes a step further, promising a pilot project on medicinal plantation in state schools and publication of material to promote herbal plants. “The school should prepare a module focusing on the commercial aspect of medicinal plants. We can do a pilot project in other schools. We can also carry articles on this subject in our monthly magazine Pankhrian (petals),” he says.

Principal Vijay Anand is overjoyed. “The kind of response we are getting shows how collective efforts pay off,” he says.