St Xavier’s Allumni Association moderator Father Ignatius Abraham and MP Shatrughan Sinha at the function at St Xavier’s School in Patna. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Patna, Dec. 19: It was a time for the old boys to get together again.

The past pupils of St Xavier’s School played a cricket match today at Moinul Haq Stadium. Also St Xavier’s Alumni Association organised their annual reunion on the school premises on Saturday evening. Members of both the golden and the silver jubilee batches attended the function.

Member of Parliament and well-known actor Shatrughan Sinha, who was the chief guest at the function, said: “Our country is going through a multi-dimensional crisis. The cooperation and the alertness of the Xaverians is essential to tide over this crisis.”

“I am deeply inspired by the ideals of St Xavier’s and have great expectations from it in the future. If the school needs funds for any project, I shall be there to help. At present, I shall give the school Rs 25 lakh from the MP’s fund,” said Sinha.

Sinha also said parents should not force their children to pursue any career of their choice. “My father wanted me to become a doctor but I became an actor, as I loved acting,” he added. He said he did not deserve to be a compounded because he would always be reprimanded for his mischievous nature, when he was a student at Patna Science College. “But you see, I became the health and family welfare minister,” he said.

Star India chief executive officer Uday Shankar, who was also the guest of honour, said: “It’s a great privilege and honour for me to be invited here. St Xavier’s has a glorious past and a great future as it has been able to maintain its traditions.”

The 1985 batch of the school presented a cheque of Rs 1 lakh to the institution. Deshpriya Mukherjee of the 1963 batch and Raj Vikash Verma of the 1970 batch were given the Distinguished Xaverian Award. Subhash Anand of the 1961 batch was given the Father Wrobleswki Memorial Award for his services to the alumni association for more than two decades.

Members of the alumni association and their family had dinner later on and remembered about the good times they spent at their alma mater. “The school never made any distinctions among its students on the basis of religion. Some people go to churches and others to temples to pray. But I salute my school everyday on my way to work,” said Subhash Anand, alumni member.