FOR THE RECORD -- 1 ::

KALAM’S CLASSMATE RECALLS HIS COLLEGE DAYS

BY P S SUNDAR

For M N Bhojan (84), the demise of former President Abdul Kalam is a personal loss of a classmate.

“We studied together two years (1950-52) in Intermediate at St Joseph’s College, Trichy.  Then, Kalam chose two-year BSc Physics while I studied BA Economics.  All four years (1950-54), we stayed in the college’s New Hostel.  I stayed next to his room”, Bhojan told me.

“We were good friends. Both of us hailed from ordinary families and were determined to study well.  Kalam used to have vegetarian food with us. We never smoked.  We used to spend time together discussing many issues of significance.   Kalam had come with me to Thiruvanaikkaval temple.  He used to perform Namaz in the hostel”, Bhojan recalled.

“After college days, I lost touch with him.   I moved over to Nilgiris and worked as teacher.  In 2008, I was Principal of Gurukulam Matriculation School in Agalar village when I heard that Kalam was to visit JSS College of Pharmacy in Ooty.   I wrote to him refreshing our college days and sought appointment.  He was so happy that he asked me to bring my family to meet him”, he said.

“Kalam was very pleased to see us.   When I showed him of our Intermediate course group photo taken in 1951, he took on to himself the task of identifying us and laughed like a child spotting us.  We spoke of our college days, teachers and fellow students.  It was the most memorable re-union I had with him”, Bhojan reminisced.

“When Kalam asked me about Gurukulam School, I told him that our Correspondent Arjjunan had such a great respect for him that he had named a portion of the school as ‘Abdul Kalam block’.   I also told him that we follow Kalam’s ‘one student one tree’ scheme whereby each student is required to plant and nurture one tree in the school campus.   He told me not to give much publicity for him but hailed the tree concept”, Bhojan disclosed.

“Later, Kalam sent to us an official letter from Delhi hailing our tree project which we preserve as treasure”, added Bhojan who is now Academic Adviser to Gurukulam School, which is also affiliated to World Institute for Scientific Exploration (WISE), Harvard University Branch, USA. 

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

AWARD - 3:

HRM SCHOOL GIRL BAGS GOLD IN NATIONAL TAEKWONDO

BY P S SUNDAR

A girl from an interior village in Nilgiris has done her hamlet, the district and her school proud by bagging the coveted Gold Medal in the all-India Taekwondo Championship 2015 held at Rohtak in Haryana.

“Our eighth standard student B Somya is daughter of Baguthan, a tailor in Kengarai, a small hamlet in Kotagiri taluk.   Taught by instructor Suresh, she earlier bagged Gold Medal at the state level Taekwondo contest and now, at National level”, M Bhojarajan, Correspondent, HRM Memorial Matriculation School, Hittakkal village in Kotagiri taluk, told me. 

“Sowmiya will represent India in international competition to be held later.  We are helping her get the required practice”, HRM school Principal Bhumiraj said.

(response can also be sent to : pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

HAPPENING - 6::

SANITARY NAPKIN INCINERATOR DONATED TO SCHOOL

BY P S SUNDAR

                Students of St Ann’s Girls’ Higher Secondary School in Hosatty village near here will have improved sanitary ambiance, thanks to the novel scheme of Lions Club of Nilgiris for caring for girls’ personal hygiene.

Lions Zonal Chairperson and Immediate Past President of the Club handed over a package of sanitary napkin supplying machine and incinerator for destroying the used napkins in a hygienic way to the school.

“This package is worth ` 50,000.   We had already donated one such unit to St Mary’s Girls’ HS School, Coonoor.   This is part of our endeavour to improve the sanitary conditions in girls’ schools.  We will be exploring the possibility of equipping other rural schools”, Sunil Goyal told  me. 

“This will benefit some 800 girls in our school.   The girls come from poorer economic background.  We also require a purifier for drinking water supply”, school’s Assistant Headmistress Hemavathy said.

“We are considering this requirement”, said Club Secretary Jatin Vakharia.

(response can also be sent to : pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com) 

AWARD - 2 ::

ST JUDE’S GIRLS BAG GOI SCHOLARSHIP

BY P S SUNDAR

               Two students of St Jude’s Public School and Junior College, Kotagiri, have become eligible to receive Government of India Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) under Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE).

“Our students Namitha Maria Joseph and Monica Selvaraj have become eligible for this by emerging within top one per cent at all-India level in this year’s ISC Class XII Board examination.  Namitha secured 290 marks out of 300 and Monica 286 in the three core Science subjects taking them to national merit level”, St Jude’s Chairman P P Dhanarajan told Express on Thursday after complimenting students and teachers.

“Each of them is qualified to get GOI scholarship worth ` 80,000 per year for five years to pursue Bachelors/Masters study in Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Chemistry, Botany or Zoology in any university/college recognised by UGC.  Council for ISC Examinations, New Delhi, has sent Advisory communication to them”, Principal Saro added.  

Namitha

Monica

(response can also be sent to : pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com) 

HAPPENING -- 5 ::

RURAL STUDENTS VOW TO PRESENT GOOD GOVERNANCE

BY P S SUNDAR

                 Children from hamlets surrounding Thuneri rural belt of Nilgiris studying in Gurukulam School in Agalar village used the 113^th birth anniversary celebrations of Kamaraj on Wednesday to vow to follow his lifestyle.

“The newly-elected student office-bearers vowed to acquire the leadership traits of Kamaraj”, school’s Managing Trustee Vasukie told me. 

Tamil Teacher Saratha monitored students’ presentation on Kamaraj’s contribution to good governance.

Junior Red Cross officer Hema monitored students’ presentation on ‘drug abuse’.  Students vowed never to use drugs in their life.

“Students’ donation from their pocket money was collected to help the needy in the society through ‘save and serve’ project”, noted school Advisor Bhojan.

Teachers Nathiya, Padmavathy and Rajeswari assured to guide students on these activities.

The school is also affiliated to World Institute for Scientific Exploration (WISE), Harvard University, USA.

(response can also be sent to : pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com) 

BILLIARDS & SNOOKER -- 3::

FROM COONOOR TO ST PETERSBURG, RUSSIA

BY P S SUNDAR

(article in The New Indian Express, July 15, 2015)::

Mariam Agnish with some of her national awards:

(response can also be sent to : pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

INVESTITURE CEREMONY - 2 ::

STUDENTS URGED TO DEVELOP POSITIVE ATTITUDE

BY P S SUNDAR

                Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests A S Jafry who is also Managing Director of TANTEA has urged students to develop positive attitude as a principal leadership attribute.

“You should use all opportunities that come your way and spread happiness around you to lead the country”, he told them on Wednesday after installing office-bearers to lead the 1,825 students of St Antony’s Higher Secondary School here, now in its 150^th year.

“We are inculcating leadership traits in our students to blossom as responsible citizens as our tribute to our mother nation”, school Headmaster Bro Arul told Express. 

Jafry installed S Jerome (Pupil Leader), Immanuel Joseph (Asst Pupil Leader) and House captains Jerome (Antony House), Krishnamoorthy (Loyola), Subash (Gabriel) and Joel (Montfort). 

He honoured them with flags and badges. 

Teachers Padmaja and Anitha led the deliberations  of the Investiture ceremony.

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com).