Independence Day.. India celebrates 66 years of freedom on August 15.
'Independence Day celebrations too 'sacred' to be changed'
NAGPUR: Change is the only constant thing in life, goes a saying. But this does not seem to be the case with the Independence Day celebrations
in our schools. For nearly as long as one can remember, the routine has
remained the same. Flag hoisting, national anthem, garlanding of the
portraits of national heroes, and then speeches, parades and cultural programmes in varying order.
Most school heads are of the opinion that the 'customs' followed on
this day are too 'pious' to be changed. "The order in which these things
are done have always remained the same, and will remain that way. It is
because the flag is the most important symbol
of our nation, and it comes first. So, saluting it is first and the
foremost duty of any citizen," said Deaven Dasture, director, South
Point School.
"Yes, we do tend to do almost the same things every year on Independence Day. The speeches, songs are aimed at inculcating a feeling of pride and empathy towards leaders who fought for our freedom. Our Independence Day is way too sacred to have changes affecting the way it is celebrated. Change, here, should only be brought in if it is definitely for much better," said Kana Roychoudhary, consultant, Centre Point Group of Schools.
While the celebrations largely remain the same, most schools do have their own 'traditions'. "While in other schools a choir or groups sing patriotic songs, in ours the whole school sings 'Saare Jahan Se Achha' together. And Independence Day is more of an occasion to remember our leaders, while Republic Day is a celebration of the democracy, of people's power. That is why we have cultural programmes on January 26 only," said S Prabhuraman, principal, Saraswati Vidyalaya.
While most schools focus on freedom fighters, Prahar Military School tries to bring the unsung heroes of our armed forces in limelight on these national festivals. "We know Gandhiji and Jawaharlal Nehru, but do we know our Param Veer Chakra winners? Do we know the people who have helped preserve our freedom and afforded us comfortable sleep in the night? That is why we have presentations on these awardees by our students on Independence Day," said Shubha Mohagaonkar, principal.
Things which don't change are often discarded as obsolete, but the Independence Day celebrations seem to have retained their charm, and educationists feel their importance has only increased. "Especially in these days, when children have no direct connect to the freedom struggle, it is very important that they realize the importance of what their ancestors have done for them. I was once shocked to hear somebody say that their profession was bigger than the country. This is not the way we want to bring up our children," said Dasture.
"We always wear white on this day. And all the decorum and respect of the day is always followed to the T, as it is very important that the children realize the importance of the day. But at the same time, we bring in something new to ensure that the children identify with the relevance of celebrating the day," said Rachana Singh, principal, St Ursula Girls High School.
She added that this year, her NCC students were joining their colleagues in a rally against Chinese goods, while blood donation camps too have been conducted. "There is a limit to how much we can change these celebrations. Some things must be left untouched, to maintain their sanctity," Singh said.
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"Yes, we do tend to do almost the same things every year on Independence Day. The speeches, songs are aimed at inculcating a feeling of pride and empathy towards leaders who fought for our freedom. Our Independence Day is way too sacred to have changes affecting the way it is celebrated. Change, here, should only be brought in if it is definitely for much better," said Kana Roychoudhary, consultant, Centre Point Group of Schools.
While the celebrations largely remain the same, most schools do have their own 'traditions'. "While in other schools a choir or groups sing patriotic songs, in ours the whole school sings 'Saare Jahan Se Achha' together. And Independence Day is more of an occasion to remember our leaders, while Republic Day is a celebration of the democracy, of people's power. That is why we have cultural programmes on January 26 only," said S Prabhuraman, principal, Saraswati Vidyalaya.
While most schools focus on freedom fighters, Prahar Military School tries to bring the unsung heroes of our armed forces in limelight on these national festivals. "We know Gandhiji and Jawaharlal Nehru, but do we know our Param Veer Chakra winners? Do we know the people who have helped preserve our freedom and afforded us comfortable sleep in the night? That is why we have presentations on these awardees by our students on Independence Day," said Shubha Mohagaonkar, principal.
Things which don't change are often discarded as obsolete, but the Independence Day celebrations seem to have retained their charm, and educationists feel their importance has only increased. "Especially in these days, when children have no direct connect to the freedom struggle, it is very important that they realize the importance of what their ancestors have done for them. I was once shocked to hear somebody say that their profession was bigger than the country. This is not the way we want to bring up our children," said Dasture.
"We always wear white on this day. And all the decorum and respect of the day is always followed to the T, as it is very important that the children realize the importance of the day. But at the same time, we bring in something new to ensure that the children identify with the relevance of celebrating the day," said Rachana Singh, principal, St Ursula Girls High School.
She added that this year, her NCC students were joining their colleagues in a rally against Chinese goods, while blood donation camps too have been conducted. "There is a limit to how much we can change these celebrations. Some things must be left untouched, to maintain their sanctity," Singh said.
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