No kidding: A day dedicated to children saw schools organise memorial services for October 30 blast victims and rally for peace and harmony. Pictures by Eastern Projections

Nov. 14: Silent tears, not cakes and candles, marked Children’s Day in the city today.

Moods were sombre as students and teachers mourned those who were killed in the October 30 serial blasts.

Four-year-old Moromi Sarma, the youngest victim in the blasts, was missed the most.

For the first time, the 45-year-old Dispur Government Junior Basic School celebrated the birthday of the country’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, by dedicating the entire day to Moromi, who died at the Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) on November 3.

Unlike other years, Nehru’s photographs, which adorn the school premises, gave way to Moromi’s photographs.

The school organised an all-faith prayer meeting, a memorial service and a public meeting for Moromi.

Everyone was left with moist eyes as Sunita Sarma, Moromi’s mother, cried inconsolably during the function.

“Moromi had always wanted to see what Children’s Day was all about as her brother Karan, who is a Class II student of this school, used to tell her about the celebrations. Moromi was very keen to see the celebrations. Had she been alive, it would have been her first Children’s Day function today,” a sobbing Sunita said.

Headmistress Anima Das said there could not have been a better day for the school to pay tribute to Moromi.

The burden of the blasts hung heavy in the air in other schools as well.

Adarsha Prathamik Vidyalaya at Hengerabari dedicated the day to Sunanda Kalita, the father of Class I student Trishna. He had died in the Ganeshguri blast.

Headmistress Ila Das said the school prayed for the departed soul and wished that Trishna would overcome the tragedy.

Teachers and students of Don Bosco School took out a silent procession from the school in Panbazar to the blast site at CJM court. They offered floral tributes and prayed for the victims.

Praneeta Gogoi, a senior teacher, sang a bhajan at the blast site.

Toddlers at Good Shepherd School in Chandmari may not have been able to fully comprehend what the pictures of the blasts put up in the school really meant. But they were very quiet as they paid homage to the dead amidst lighting of candles and floral tributes.

“Children’s Day has always been synonymous with some entertainment for these children. But there was no way we could bring ourselves to do that this year, not when so much pain has been inflicted on so many families by the bomb blasts,” said Berna Chowdhury, the principal of the school.

Students of Disneyland High School, Beltola, took out a protest march chanting anti-terror slogans and holding placards bearing messages of peace and non-violence.

The students, accompanied by teachers and policemen, started the peace rally from their school in Beltola at 11.30am. The rally culminated in the same place after passing through Beltola Tiniali, Dispur Last Gate, Six Mile and Khanapara.

“The school management decided to cut down on fun and frolic this year as a mark of respect to the blast victims. Instead of fanfare, the school decided to take out the peace rally to spread the message of humanity and brotherhood,” said K.M. Singh, a senior teacher of the school.

The mood was similar at Shrimanta Shankar Academy Senior Secondary School in Dispur.

Every year, the teachers and students of the school celebrate the day with different programmes like song and dance competitions. This year, they lighted candles and prayed for the blast victims and distributed snacks among students.

Ganesh Mandir Vidyalaya in Khanapara also observed Children’s Day without any fanfare.

“The junior students were told that Children’s Day was celebrated on the birthday of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru because of his love for children and how Nehruji and Mahatma Gandhi had attained Independence through peaceful and non-violent means,” the school’s principal, Minu Bhuyan, said.

“I asked the children to follow the ideals of the two great leaders and distributed sweets among them before concluding the brief function,” she added.