‘One individual may die for an idea, but that idea will, after his death, incarnate itself in a thousand lives.’
– Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose
Can there be an Indian soul unmoved by patriotic fervour, especially as we celebrate the 72nd Independence Day? Doesn’t 15th August automatically fill us with pride and lasting reverence for our motherland, making us all eternally indebted to all the martyrs who laid down their lives just so that we, the future generations are free to lead our lives with dignity?
St. Joseph’s College Allahabad joined the whole nation in celebrating 71 years of independence, on 15th August, 2018. Filled with utmost zeal, the Josephites organized the highly anticipated function in the College grounds. The Master of Ceremony and the College Vice-Captain Utkarsh Singh welcomed the Chief Guest, Flight Lieutenant Kunwar Shashank Shekhar Singh, and the Guest of Honour Fr. Lawrence Fernandes, as they were escorted to the dais by our College Principal Rev. Fr. Rolfie D’Souza, our College Vice-Principal Rev. Fr. Joseph Sagayanathan, our College Administrator Mr. A. McGowan and our Chief Coordinator Mr. J. Dube.
Can there be a better way of contributing towards the enhancement of the floral wealth of our country than by planting saplings? The Commerce Association took a significant step in this direction by planting saplings.
No programme can hope to start well without invoking God’s blessings. Mrs. F. D’Souza next read out from the Holy Bible and offered a special prayer for the upliftment of our nation. A prayer song thereafter, Utkarsh Singh took the opportunity to make the assembled gathering aware of the various achievements of our Guests of the day, throwing light on the expertise of Flight Lieutenant Kunwar Shashank Shekhar Singh, an ex-Josephite and on the experience of Fr.Lawrence Fernandes a former Headmaster of our College. As a mark of our appreciation, the College Principal Rev. Fr. Rolfie D’Souza presented bouquets to both the Chief Guest and the Guest of Honour.
Our hearts swelled with pride as we all stood to attention to the unfurling of our National Flag and sang the National Anthem in perfect unison. Following an impressive march past by all the House Squads and the College Band, Shubh Purwar recited a self-composed poem on the need to keep the love for our country uppermost in our hearts.
The audience was next left mesmerized by a song and tableau performance by the Class 6 boys of the Red House following which there was a lovely dance performance by the L.K.G and the U.K.G. students.
Shrish Moses, the Junior Section College Captain in his subsequent speech, emphasized on the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters and the Army in particular, in wresting freedom from the British. Following a melodious group song by the Junior Section Choir, Atharva Singh from Class 1-C and Ishan Tiwari from Class 1-G delivered speeches on the significance of Independence Day celebrations while highlighting the advancements made by India post her Independence. The Junior Section boys captivated the entire school with a very well executed dance performance based on a medley of patriotic songs. They followed it up with an ingenious P.T. presentation covering aspects like the Indian terrain, her water bodies, her flora and the unceasing efforts of her freedom fighters.
Kanha Mishra, the Senior Section College Captain aptly underlined the need for each one of us to contribute towards the nation’s development by helping the needy and always remembering that mutual love and respect go along with in making a country a virtual utopia. Vedant Bhattacharya of Class UKG-G delighted the audience with instrumental music by playing expertly on the synthesizer. A thoughtfully executed song and tableau performance by Class 7 boys of the Blue House followed thereafter.
The Chief Guest Flight Lieutenant Kunwar Shashank Shekhar Singh exhorted the students to chase their dreams only if they are prepared to back it up with every iota of determination and confidence. He was then presented with a memento as a token of our love and appreciation by Our College Principal Rev. Fr. Rolfie D’Souza.
The audience was next spellbound by the beautifully synchronized patriotic mash-up by teachers and students, under the skillful guidance of Mr. Ankur Arora.
The Chief Guest then showed his appreciation by presenting a memento to our Principal.
The variegated programme concluded with the Vote of Thanks being proposed by Aaryan Singh and the singing of the College Anthem by the entire school.