FOUNDER'S, MAY 2023

 FOUNDER'S, MAY 2023

This year's Founder's Celebrations at School from May 18 to May 20, 2023 were by all accounts a great success. For the record, this was the 165th Founder's. The Chief Guest was Padma Bhushan Mr Nandan Nilekani, Co-Founder and Chairman of Infosys Technologies Limited and Founding Chairman of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).  

Old Lawrencians who attended will have their own stories to tell  of their visit to our alma mater but for the benefit of many of us who did not, here's an informal, personal account from OL Rear Admiral Philipose G. Pynumootil, IN  (Retd), Class of 1982. Philipose, as you will no doubt know, is the current Vice President of the Old Lawrencians Association (OLA). Over to you, Philipose!! 

-Prem Rao, NIL, 1967, Editor. 

Three days of frenetic activity. The previous Founders Day was held in Sep 22 thanks to the Headmaster wanting to ensure that the 12 th batch doesn’t miss out on their Founders.Incidentally the actual Founders Day of LSL is on the 6 th Sep.

This year it was back to conducting Founders in May which saw huge attendance, especially from the reunion batches. The T shirts and hats have become a veritable fashion statement of sorts. Innovative designs like the Hawaiian shirts or the 70 batch that replicated the Lovedale station board in Tamil,Hindi, English and the elevation of Lovedale in black with a yellow background on their green T shirts!

The Class of 70 were here in huge numbers,with spouses too actively participating in all events. They provided moral support to their classmate Mrs Elizabeth Beena Belliappa , President OLA at the AGM. The previous President Mr Johnny Paul is also from this batch.

L to R : Johnny Paul, ex President OLA; Elizabeth Beena Belliappa, President OLA; R Adm Philipose GP, Vice President OLA 

The standard of all events were exceptional from the Equestrian display to the PT Display, School Play and Variety Entertainment.

The Horse Power. Worthy of mention.

“Bring me a wheel of oaken wood

A rein of polished leather

A Heavy Horse and a tumbling sky Brewing heavy weather.’ 

As lamented Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull fame in his timeless classic, ‘ Heavy Horses.’

The school boasts of 22 fine horses who reside in a truly stable environment thanks to the efforts of my batch (1982) Head Boy a true thoroughbred Kudrai, Pradeep Reddy alias Krishnadev Rao ,the artiste formerly known as Prince.

Incidentally, riding is compulsory for class 5 kids. A fantastic initiative I think. The kids who are interested continue to ride beyond class 5, with many winning national awards. The 15 horses on parade were truly impressive. Mane stay - We witnessed the horses getting their manes plaited the previous day, akin to Bob Marley”s dreadlocks.Reggae Soul & Rock n Roll all the way!

The Large Hall looked resplendent and the plays /dance dramas were really amazing. The hall was packed and the events were livestreamed on a massive I HD screen on the adjacent lawns.

The PT Display had a melange of activities ranging from Yoga to Dance, Taekwondo, fire drill to the grand finale featuring the band. Yoga – ‘Oh God give me patience but make it fast’, saw children demonstrate complex Asanas under the watchful eye of Baby Ramdev aka Sangeetha Jairam . Taekwondo – Crash course in Korean along with mind and body control and the mass destruction of 25 tiles by tiny Ninjas screaming like Banshees. The Dance thing with gals in red skirts was super well coordinated as they moved to popular teeny bop songs… Oops I did it again! Britney Spares no one!!

The torch drill was exceptional . Multi colored torches lit up as the floodlights were switched off. The kids did a series of movements and patterns culminating with NEVER GIVE IN enscribed with torches. The band guys had their arms and legs lit up as they marched in with the lights switched off. They treated us to robo cop kind of movements whilst playing popular marching tunes .

The Parade was excellent and it was an honour to have Padma Bhushan Nandan Nilekani as Chief Guest. His speech was truly inspiring.

                                                Chief Guest: Mr Nandan Nilekani 

The Parade Commander had exceptional drill and word of Command. All kids were well turned out, with smart drill movements and marching. The School Colour (NOT Colours) and National Flag bearers and escorts were outstanding .

              Head Girl and Head Boy, Founder's 2023

Girls once again broke several glass ceilings and joined the Bugle band for the first time for instance. The Girl Guards were noticeably more disciplined with hardly any movement prior to the March Past. The 3 rd (Girls) Guard, was adjudged the Best Guard by a panel comprising Cmde VZ Job, Col Samar Chouhan and yours truly,  R Adm Philipose PG.

Too many kids walked off the parade ground due to the heat. This needs to be addressed. Glucose prior to the parade plus the age old Capt Abdul Khader (may his soul RIP) formula of curling and uncurling ones toes, slowly raising and lowering ones heels etc. Besides having an indomitable will to stand on parade no matter what.

The OLs March past was nice however in my view we need to restrict it to the reunion batches 20, 25, 30, 40, 50. Now it’s a free for all with all of us jostling for space in the line up. The event is for the students and the Passing out class in particular. We shouldn’t steal their thunder in my humble opinion.

In our time Capt Khader single handedly took charge of us on parade. Currently 4 MRC Instructors help the Military Training instructor take charge of the 600 Gen Zee kids. Apparently it’s a generation thing ��

Beating Retreat (not Beating The Retreat) was a treat as always. Maj Gen Vijay Singh OL 83 was the Chief Guest. His brother Maj Gen Vikram Singh OL 82 was the Chief Guest last year They belong to a 5 th Generation armed forces family. Their father Brig Hamir Singh Vir Chakra was a POW during the 71 war. Both brothers were Vice Head Boy and Prefect respectively and were the best in Games in their respective years. They personify all that is Honourable and all that is good in our fine school. May their tribe increase.

The Head Boy carried the School Flag to the parade ground along with the Nishaan Toli, escorted by a blindfolded drummer who did a perfect job a’la Houdini! Continuity Drill by 18 students, including 4 girls for the very first time was amazing. They looked smart in their shiny new uniforms with their impeccable drill movements. This is the only such silent drill troupe with women, anywhere in the world. The leader of the Air Force Drill team Leading Aircraftsman Chinnathambi trained our troupe for ten days.

Fortunately it didn’t rain during any of the events!

19 May had a series of events for OLs commencing with the Cross Country race conducted by Sangeetha Jairam the OL Coordinator, Past Vs Present Matches by Yohaan Chacko followed by Lunch hosted by the Headmaster. The AGM was conducted in the afternoon.

The past vs present sports events and cross country were keenly contested. The usual suspects Deepika Medappa, Samar Chauhan, Yohaan Chacko etc came, saw and conquered.

The school kitchen worked over time to ensure we were plied with a non stop supply of delectable cookies, cakes, samosas etc. LSL now had a centralised state of the art kitchen which functions from Junior school with food being supplied to the other dining halls by cute auto rickshaws. They have chapati makers, idli and Dosa machines, potato cutters etc.. I was astounded to see mounds of uneaten cookies on trays at tea time! That’s the way the cookie crumbles. We demolished all food within arms length like Chengiz Khan’s hordes.

“Old Golfers never die, they only lose their balls.“ The Golf tournament was keenly contested with all participants enjoying the event thoroughly. The winners were Akhil Handa and Rahul Rao with Sundharam Ramasamy and Abhijeet Dhar as runners up. The event was well attended by over 30 OLs with world class Golf gear sponsored by 8 OLs for the participants.

Sangeetha Jairam the OL coordinator, coordinated all activities with finesse. The Cross Country, race was conducted and sponsored by her including the catchy red Shirts (with the slogan "I ran, I walked, I crawled and completed") as well as the Medals ! As was the impressive Yoga demo at the PT Display.

The OLA under the able leadership of Mrs Elizabeth Beena Belliappa, Class of 1970, did a great job with lots of groundwork done by Reventh OL 13 the Lovedale based OLA Administrator par excellence and the local Committee members Prashant Menon and Tini who pitched in readily. Yohaan conducted the past vs present events with elan as did Gaurav Sharma the OL Golf Tournament.

Rohan Shetty and Shyam Nair the super efficient tech wizards conducted the Learning and Development programme under the aegis of OL Nation very well. The speakers Dr Uttara Vidyasagar, Dr Kul Ranjan Singh, and  Mr Rohan Rao were really good and Shyam was the perfect moderator. The session was well received and Class XII A was packed with a mix of enthusiastic parents, students and OLs. We had to turn away folks due to space limitations and will work on a larger venue next year. Mrs Jayshree Balasubramaniam was unwell and sadly couldn’t attend. She will be drafted in for another OL Nation online session at a later date. This session was recorded and will be broadcast on the OLA social media channels.

Jim Tharayil pitched in with advice on fund collection /utilisation. He has regularly jetted in and out from UAE for all our events.

Karishma Sushilkumar the super spirited Secretary steered the AGM with her customary efficiency and Sergeant Major like control. Beena Ma’m apprised us of the achievements of the past year and our future plans. Mr Johnny Paul OL 70 briefed us on the newly constituted OL Charitable Trust that would facilitate painless donations to the corpus including from expat OLs.

The OL Dinner Dance was conducted at Fernhill Hotel on 20 th night. The event was well attended. Mr and Mrs Prabhakar graced the occasion. Mrs Elizabeth Beena Belliappa thanked the outgoing HM for his stellar contribution, welcomed him into the OLA and presented him OLA memorabilia.

This was my first Founders as the Weepy (VP OLA). None of my batch mates came for Founders as they were at a classmates daughters engagement. Hence I took on important tasks like putting up posters for the LDM programme lifting cartons and setting up and helping run the merchandise stall.

The arrangements by the school were very good. From the parking plan for parents and OLs to the metalling of approach roads to Pichees flats and the SBI Ground. The registration process was done at multiple locations. Lunch was served at the cemented basket ball courts next to Top Flats as well as at the Tea Counter lawns and dining hall. The campus looked spotless with an efficient garbage disposal system in place. Kudos to Col Karthik the Bursar who assumed charge just 4 months ago. This was Mr Prabhakar’s last Founders Day as the Headmaster. Over the past 5 years he endeared himself to students, Parents and OLs alike by his sheer simplicity, smiling countenance, super efficiency and love for the school We wish him the best in all his future endeavors.

So it’s curtains for another beautiful Founders Day. Each of us has headed back to our day jobs /retirement routine, re charged with an adrenaline shot of Never Give In. The lure of the Blue Mountains and the old school tie will bring us back year after year. Our deep values that set us apart were forged in these 700 acres of hallowed ground. A visit to Lovedale is akin to a pilgrimage where you renew your commitment to stand up for what is right and choose the harder right always.

NEVER GIVE IN.

PGP (OL 82

Thank you, Philipose for sending in your post and pictures. 

SPOTLIGHT: SANGEETA VENKATESH, CLASS OF 1983

 SPOTLIGHT: SANGEETA VENKATESH, CLASS OF 1983

We continue with the series  of Old Lawrencians "In The Spotlight". Today, we feature Sangeeta Venkatesh (nee Sachidanand) of the Class of 1983, for her work in facilitating improvements in the lives of women especially those who are less privileged in rural India.

Sangeeta was recently awarded the Orange Flower Award 2023 by Women's Web for her piece on " Women At Work".  In this article, she wrote of the challenges and triumphs of an all-women Farmer Producer Company (FPC) in Maharashtra. Women's Web is an influential "media tech company in the business of producing great content that inspires, and enables brands to reach a targeted digital audience." 

Sangeeta is a person with varied interests. She says, " Writing and documenting are my passions, though I am basically trained to be a biotechnologist/scientist (from the M.S. University, Vadodara, and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore). However, certain events made me shift gears, and I quit working in the laboratory and shifted my focus to Waste Management and Sanitation. 

For nearly 14 years, I worked in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas, trying to sensitise various communities on these issues both as a volunteer and a consultant. All this was much before ‘Swachh Bharat’ became a buzzword."

We caught up with Sangeeta to know more about her life in School, her work and current interests. We also spoke of the 40th Reunion of her Class of 1983 held in February 2023. 

 1. When were you at School? Which House were you in?

I was in school from 1976 to1983 in Champak House.

2. Was there any particular reason your parents/you chose Lovedale?

My father was in the Indian Army, and he was posted in Arunachal Pradesh in the early 70s. There were a couple of Kendriya Vidyalayas there. However, my parents thought that there was a strong need for continuity and stability in my education. There were a few Army colleagues whose children were already in Lovedale, (my seniors, Anita Singh and Rajni Pillai). I remember my father being very impressed with them and deciding this is where I need to go. In addition, it was also close to Bangalore, our hometown.

3. What are your main memories of life at School?

Life in the dorms, ‘setting’ our skirts on the mattress, the giggles during prep-time, the mealtime gongs and grace (I was always hungry), classes, games, eating ‘softie’ ice-cream by the flagstaff, dressing up for the dance, Founders – the entire gamut. But memories of acting in the school play and playing the duet on the bagpipe with Priya Thyagaraj always bring a smile.

4. Which member of the staff, if any, had a strong influence on you, and why?

I cannot single out just one, and I have to mention the following:

a) Mr. K.N Nambiar, our Hindi teacher, narration of his book on an elephant ‘Kochushekharan’ in the Mudumalai Hills is still etched in my mind. It is such a coincidence that ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ – the documentary on a similar theme has won the Oscars. He encouraged me to participate in Hindi debates, and I went on to become secretary of the Hindi Debating Society. He also roped me in for an inter-school Hindi drama competition, and this did wonders for my confidence, as I had entered school as a very shy girl. (I can hear my classmates snigger).

b) Mr. Alexander Oomen gave me the opportunity to act in the school play, which was so well received. The practice sessions, the costume trials, and the aim for perfection perhaps taught me more lessons than what I learned in the classroom.

c) On the academic side, mathematics was made compulsory for all Class 12 Science students, and I don’t know what I would have done if Ms. Y.G. Sharda had not been teaching us. She would first instruct the ‘sleepy’ ones to first wash our faces before she commenced the class!

5. What are some learnings from School that have helped you later in your life? How was it being the Head Girl? What did that experience teach you early in life?

Athletics was never my cup of tea, but to date, I get up in the morning and do some form of physical exercise. This was so firmly ingrained after the years of waking up in the cold and heading out for a run till Lovedale Station or doing P. T. in the Girls School grounds. Even when I go for a walk, I can sometimes hear Mr. Khader’s voice booming in my ears: ‘dig your heels’ and you tend to straighten your posture. The sheer discipline of a structured day still influences my everyday life.

                    Head Boy and Head Girl, 1983.  Aditya Bhuwalka and Sangeeta Venkatesh 

Being Head Girl did mean shouldering responsibility and understanding what leadership was at the age of 16! That experience taught me to take decisions for myself, to take the position of responsibility seriously, and also to accept and handle criticism very early in life. I may have done a fair job, as I was awarded the ‘President’s Medal’ the following year at the 125 th Founder’s Day, which was presented to me by Mrs. Silloo Sam Manekshaw.

6. Your batch of 1983 celebrated your 40 th anniversary of leaving School recently. Tell us about this event…. What do you like best about the association with OLs?

I personally thought that this was one of the best reunions we have had in Ooty and at school. The weather in February was perfect, the crowd during the ‘season’ was missing, and it was all so pleasant. 

                   However, what made it brilliant was the hard work of the core team that worked for several months in advance to get the bookings done, plan the 3-day event, the memorabilia, and transport. It was perfect. Confession: I merely showed up! So, a big thank you to the core team of Sudha Chandrashekhar (nee Gundan), Syed Abdul Khader (Kaka), Andrew Bhasin, Jessy Jacob (nee Mathew), Sunil Ganapathy Devaiah (Gunny), Johnny John, Gautam Dev Nair, Aneel Raj Singh Kahlon, Vijay Singh, and Sajit Zachariah.

                                                        Class of 1983. Reunion in February, 2023. 

It was a pleasure to go back to school, be welcomed by the Head Master on the lawns, and eat the famous eclairs. I did spend a considerable amount of time with the Class 9 girls, and I was delighted with the interaction. A big thank you to Sangeetha Jairam (OL ’87), now a faculty member at the school, who facilitated this.

I really admire the commitment by the OLs that keep the OLA running through various social media channels, so that we are kept abreast of the news and developments at school and also about other Old Lawrencians. I think our Class of ’83 really got in touch with each other during our 25 th reunion – and we have stayed in touch since then. Syed Khader also holds a weekly Zoom call that was initiated during the pandemic, and anybody who can attend joins in. The best part about my batch is that people have really rallied around, especially during a medical emergency, and that is when you need the most support.

7. What are the writing /other projects that you are currently working on? 

As mentioned earlier, writing and documenting are my passions. Coupled with this is my strong educational background in biotechnology. In the course of my work, I always felt a need to help women- especially those less privileged than I.

I must say the 2004 tsunami really opened my eyes to the basic needs that women lack in our villages. I was part of a group where our discussions with the residents of a coastal village in Tamil Nadu revealed that prior to the tsunami there was plenty of green cover with trees, which helped the women of the village defecate in the open. The men in turn used the beach. The village did not feel the need to have toilets at all, even though these sites attracted mosquitoes and pathogens that led to disease.

Post-tsunami, it became a challenge for women to find secluded spots to relieve themselves. They sought privacy in rubbish heaps, where there was danger of getting bitten by rats, scorpions, and even snakes. Moreover, women could relieve themselves only at dawn and then had to wait again until dusk. Sexual harassment was also a reality for the women. Hence, we made sanitation coverage for women a priority. 

Later, I researched extensively on school sanitation in 5 states of India to highlight the woeful condition of toilets for girl students that make them drop out of school. I also compiled best practices for schools, and it included eco-friendly practices at Lawrence! This was awarded the runner-up certificate by WASTE, Netherlands, for whom I did the study. I hope the certificate is on display at the office! 

                                        School children in Dungarpur, Rajasthan.  

This project culminated in the publication of a workbook called ‘The Waste Issue’ for both students and adults, which is available on Amazon. This work was also recognised by the HCG Cancer Hospitals and I was awarded the ‘Swayam Siddha Award’.

I then realised I must write and document some of these experiences and thoughts in the public domain. I am happy to share that these writings have received recognition, and I was awarded the "Orange Flower Award, 2023" instituted by Women’s Web, for a piece I wrote in the category ‘Women at Work’. I had previously received the award in 2020 in the category ‘New Blogger’ for my travel blog. 

At the moment, I am happy to be the Lead -Corporate Communication for an environmental engineering company that blends both my passions. I also develop content on health and nutrition.

8. Are there any links you would like to share with our OL audience which elaborate on your writing /other work/interests?

•  I have a blog called sojourn-with-san  where I write on travel, art, history, heritage, handloom, and cultural aspects of places where I travel and even astrology!

• Some of my travel pieces have been published in newspapers like the Deccan Herald 

• I also have a sustainability blog

• You can find my articles on the Women’s Web here 

• Here's an interview on the podcast All Indians Matter where I explain the situation of solid waste in our nation.

• Last but not the least, if you are interested in philosophy, you can ‘google’ and find some of my writings in the ‘Speaking Tree’ of The Times of India.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and pictures of your time in School, Sangeeta. 

I am sure your work in important issues which matter to people will inspire many OLs- each in their own way-  to get involved in working for the betterment of our society.