A tribute straight from the heart

PUNE, Sept 22: For the 200-odd, sprightly Class X girl students of the SNDT Kanyashala, it was a deep-hearted communion with the war hero...

PUNE, Sept 22: For the 200-odd, sprightly Class X girl students of the SNDT Kanyashala, it was a deep-hearted communion with the war heroes who laid down their lives for the country since independence, at the National War Memorial on the morning of September 22.

Their affection and awe for the martyrs clearly crossed the boundaries of a mere formality of a school project, as they paid whole-hearted tribute through poetry, songs and speeches 8211; all of which were surcharged with the spirit of devotion, dedication, affection and seemingly spiritual interaction.

For them, the manifestation of such immense love for the brave soldier came in the form of letters that they sent to the many soldiers fighting in the Kargil action, in the month of June. And to their surprise and delight, they even received replies. The correspondence did not end there. They sent rakhis to these heroes and some of them received money orders, as a gift.

And therefore in a spirit of brotherhood, all these girls, keeping their minds off from their crucial study period the SSC examinations are just five months away, congregated before the impressive 50-feet obelisk, for a good two hours.

Their teacher and compere for this programme, Jyotsna Sardeshpande said, 8220;The reason for our visit is two-fold. We have come to offer shraddhanjali and also to derive inspiration from our brave soldiers who have been fighting in difficult terrains ever since India8217;s independence, while we sleep peacefully in our homes.8221;

A wreath was laid by Seema Gosavi, senior staff member of the school and two minutes silence was observed.

The programme began with a patriotic number, an original one, composed by the teachers and students together. Not only did the air resonate with glorious notes but even the sun managed to peep through the veil of monsoon clouds when the school choir sang: Akhand Desh Ke Liye, Jawan Tum Badhe Chalo. This was followed by a fiery speech in English by Tejaswini Inde and a heart-rending poem by Archana Agnihotri. Another inspirational song in Sanskrit followed and the grand finale came in the form of Vande Mataram.

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But there was more to come. These wide-eyed teenagers thronged the marble plaques, microscopically going through each and every name of the martyr and grilling the members of the Friends of the War Memorial Committee, about the ranks that preceded each name. 8220;Why aren8217;t there any names of women?8221; 8220;Which institution can we go, if we want to become soldiers ourselves?8221; 8220;What do you think about the Kargil action?8221; Such queries from the innocent hearts spoke much about their concern for the soldier. Teachers found it hard to wean them away from the memorial, as curiosity and affection got the better of them.

The event was an integral part of social service, the subject mandatory for every student. This year, the theme was Kargil8217; and so since the month of June, various discussions were held and clippings have been collected by the students. A visit to the National War Memorial, located at Morwada Junction, was the grand finale of this project, which the students seem to have truly enjoyed. States Sardeshpande, 8220;It is such a beautiful place and since our girls have been working on this theme, they got instantly familiar with it.8221;

The scrap book containing the photocopied replies of the jawans, fluttered in the monsoon breeze. One jawan, signing off as Veer Jawan, was so impressed by a letter from a girl of this school, that he aptly wrote Aapko Salute Karne Ka Jee Hota Hei I feel like saluting you. We also felt the same, that morning.