City school prepares to welcome Xi’s wife

Xi and his wife will be in India on a three-day visit that begins on Wednesday in Ahmedabad. On Thursday, the Chinese President travels to New Delhi. Peng will visit Tagore International School on Thursday morning.

Since the last eight years, the school has been running a distance-learning programme with the 104-year-old Jinyuan Senior High School in Shanghai, through which students of Tagore International School teach Chinese children Kathak and yoga, while the Chinese students coach students of the school in Tai Chi and calligraphy.

“Regular activities include yoga and Kathak classes held at Tagore International School, which students in Shanghai join by video-conference. And once a week, students in New Delhi take a regular Chinese calligraphy class from teachers at Jinyuan Senior High School, also by video-conference. We also have short-term exchanges of students and teachers, besides our students going every year to the International Science and Technology Fair in Shanghai,” Sen said.

Former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao had visited the school in 2010 as well. “We are probably the only school in the country running a programme with the Chinese, involving this level of engagement and interaction. That’s probably one of the reasons the Chinese leadership likes coming to the school,” Sen said.

Peng (51) is a singer, popular in China for her patriotic folk songs. She holds a Master’s degree in traditional ethnic music and now serves as the dean of the Art Academy of the People’s Liberation Army. She holds the rank of Major-General.

Tibetans plan protest

Tibetan activists are planning to stage demonstrations across the city on Thursday-Friday in protest against Chinese Premiere Xi Jinping’s visit to India and have submitted a petition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking a “stronger stand” on the Tibet issue. According to Dorjee Tseten, Asia Director, Students for a Free Tibet (SFT), “Protests will be held all over the city. Several Tibetan and Indian activists will participate in the demonstration.” ENS