Toddler Talent: The tiny tots of Brahmo Balika Shikshalaya Montessori were dressed to the hilt and put up their best performances at the institution?s 75th anniversary celebrations at Mahajati Sadan last week (above and below). There was dance, drama, music and much more in the show. Pictures by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

Yours might be the only way. Ours is the third way.? Belief firmly in place and raring to go, Abhivyakti, the dramatics society of Indra Prastha College in Delhi, re-invoked a passion for street theatre among Calcutta?s art connoisseurs on December 23 and 24. The medium was theatre and the message was about the atrocities committed on the Sikh community in the late 1980s, post-Operation Bluestar.

Titled Mission Meghdoot, the six-member cast, including director Parnab Mukherjee, used poetry from Kalidasa?s eternal saga of love and longing to narrate the horror, anxiety and hopelessness of the Sikh community at that time.

Making full use of the video clips playing on the projector and props as bizarre as artificial reindeer heads and broken legs, candles, red ink and a helmet, Mission Meghdoot was cathartic street theatre at its best.

Says Chandni Verma, one of the performers and a first-year student of English: ?Our reason for choosing this issue is the fact that while news about other riots and religious tussles get to see the light of the day, the suffering of the Sikh community was not only kept under wraps but also any attempts to deliver justice were systematically subdued. It was one of the darkest crimes against humanity in India and yet, people hardly know about it.?

It told the story of how all Sikh men had to shave their heads and forego their identities in order to escape slaughter at the hands of Hindus, how when confronted with swords and knives five-year-olds pleaded in fear that they were not children of Sikhs. Narrated in Parnab Mukherjee?s dispassionate and sarcastic style, the 20-minute performance etched lasting impressions on the audience at Oxford Bookstore, Rabindra Sadan and Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad alike, where it was enacted over two days.

After receiving critical acclaim in Delhi and Calcutta, the group travelled with its message to Varanasi as well.

Madhumita Das

 

Bengal basics

Bengal, its rich culture and heritage, was the theme of Birla High School for Girls? annual programme. Bengal: Ekhon Tokhon dealt with religious beliefs, jatras and even saris of the state. It also portrayed a historical account of Bengal from Siraj-ud-Daulah?s reign.

The students put up short skits to elaborate on Bengal?s culture and traditions. The brightly-clad girls dressed mostly in saris were a visual treat.

The two-day programme changed the way the students viewed Bengal. Traditional songs from Tagore set the mood. As the evening wore on, the audience was made aware that there was more to Bengal than just Tagore. A jatra was enacted. The life of Shiva, Parvati and the destruction of evil in the guise of Asura were explained through a dance.

The popular fashion show proved to be a platform for Bengal?s handlooms. Rich tant and tangail silk saris were showcased on the ramp. Kantha saris, which have now become famous worldwide, was once the domain of the poor, who made quilts out of old saris. Baluchari saris weaved the tales of Lord Krishna and Radha and Murshidabad silk was the answer to fine China silk. The zari-based Dhakai jamdani weaved poetry on cloth.

The show provided a valuable insight into the rich treasure chest that is Bengal. The pages of history came alive with the depiction of the Battle of Plassey, a significant benchmark in the history of Bengal. The lighting for the show added to the glamour. The festive season was ushered in with a splash.

Mohana De,
Class XI, Birla High School for Girls

 

History high

On January 5, a seminar was held at Darbhanga Hall at Calcutta University, under the initiative of the varsity?s journalism and mass communication department, to commemorate the centenary of Bengal?s anti-partition movement. Ashok Mukhopadhyay?s historical novel Agnipurush, based on the life of freedom fighter Ullaskar Dutta, was brought out on the occasion by Ananda Publishers. In his address, Mukhopadhyay stressed that he has tried to leave out unrealistic elements in the book as far as practicable. Among the dignitaries were Victor Banerjee, Saoli Mitra and Pratap Chandra Chunder, all of whom shared their thoughts on the movement and its relevance in the past and the present.

Arjun Chaudhuri,
1st year, MA journalism & mass communication, CU

 

Sporty spice

After loads of fun and excitement in the form of an exhibition, the annual function and an inter-school quiz, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan gathered for yet another event ? the annual sports meet. While the primary wing?s share was filled with colourful drills and innovative events like juggling, a porters race and cap race, the secondary wing had a more formal show, with the march past, oath-taking and torch-lighting.

The highlights of the day were the track events, which took place amidst deafening roars and cheers from the four houses of the school. Fun events included musical chairs and races for parents, teachers and ex-students. The meet ended with the clicking of group photographs to keep the memories of the day alive for years to come.

Stuti Agarwal,
Class XI, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

 

Tribute

In remembrance

?We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun??

My friends and I lost a classmate recently. It?s mind-numbing. As the years seem to vanish rapidly, much is forgotten. The older we grow, the songs we once sang grow faint in our ears.

But through it all, friendship survives and within our hearts we remember dear names and happy thoughts. Faces and pictures haunt us.

Memories are the gift that God gave us to help us live through our own Decembers. On behalf of the batch of 2001, Sonam, wherever you are, I hope you?re listening?

As we go on, we remember all the times we?ve had together. And as our lives change, come whatever, we will still be friends forever.

We will miss you.

Radhika Basu Thakur,
2nd year, English (hons),
Loreto College

 

Recap report

Memorable moments: Laughter shared among school friends

School snapshots: memories of love, learning, work & play

December 18, Friday: My face is swollen, my nose feels soggy and my heart is heavy. Yesterday was my last day in school. My school, where I had been going every year, for 12 years. It was a large part of my life, when I grew up. It hit me suddenly, like a slap on my soul ? it was all over. How I would hate going to school, particularly on Monday mornings. And how I cry for it now. It was a place where I would seek comfort when something unpleasant happened at home. Those carefree seven hours of the day would be a treat, a great escape. How utterly natural and in-the-flow it was to go to school, day after day, month after month, year on year, as it seemed never to end. School was a place where I learnt so much. I learnt to grow up, face people, be a crusader, stick by my decisions.

There were difficult times, which on hindsight I?m very thankful for. I consider myself fortunate as it toughened me. I learnt from experience that hard work does reap results, sweet ones, that last as long as the efforts persist. Of course, crushes had their own share of emotions as well. I saw one turn into love, and then into heartbreak. But the love lives on, long after he has gone. The love will stay in my soul as others come and go. I thank him for obliging me on our last day by signing my shirt and posing for a snap.

On the final day, emotions ran amuck on the top floor of the secondary wing of Bhavan?s, among the Class XIIs. All of us were busy signing each other?s shirts and posing for snaps. Occasionally there would be loud chattering in a class as a teacher would be surrounded. Everybody was talking, cameras were flashing, guitars and tambourines were out (signed by the band buddies), strumming and humming, solos and choruses... As the day progressed food arrived, ice-creams did the rounds, cold drinks that had turned hot (they had been basking in the sun by the window) were opened. Finally, the cake appeared. Candles shaped like the number 14 were placed on it and lit, signifying our 14 years of school life on the same campus. The candles were blown out, the birthday song was sung (nobody knows why) and the cake cut by all, in turns.

As it went around, the cream/icing landed up on our faces. We had heard the bell for our last lunch break in school and now we heard the last dismissal bell. People who had been crying since morning shed more tears, just like the first day of prep school. Those who hadn?t cried were now teary eyed. Me and my sworn enemy hugged. Both of us felt tears trickle down our cheeks. We had all forgotten the bad memories and remembered only the good ones. Friends who had drifted apart came together, laughing and weeping. The day ended with us signing the application forms for the school?s alumni association. No one can snatch away our right to return. Memories are forever.

I?ll remember the glint of daylight in the empty corridors, the sunny side of the classroom, my favourite bench near the window, that best corner of the field, my favourite tree and so much more... How we looked on each year, as the XIIs would go emotionally bizzare on their last day and how I would crave for the day when I would have a shirt signed by my friends. Now I wish that day had never come, or that it didn?t have to end.