SJC celebrates 78th Independence Day

SJC celebrates 78^th Independence Day

“Freedom is not an end. It is a beginning”.

-Subhash Chandra Bose

India’s independence, achieved on the 15t^h August, 1947 brought a new dawn for India which was filled with freedom, unity and diversity. This day marked the beginning of a new era of self-determination and progress for the people of India.

On the 15^th of August, 2024, St Joseph’s College joined the Nation in the celebration of the 78^th Independence Day with great enthusiasm and patriotic fervour. The programme commenced with the arrival of the distinguished Chief Guest, Mr. Mudit Chandra, Chief Personal Officer, NCR The Master of Ceremonies, the College Head Prefect, Kavya Rai welcomed the honourable Chief Guest, who was then escorted to the stage by the College Band, accompanied by the Principal,  Rev. Fr. Walter D’Silva, Rev. Fr. Lawrence the Diocesan Education Officer and the Manager of St. Joseph's College, Prayagraj the  Headmaster, Rev. Fr. Melwin Pais, Middle School Administrator, the Additional Administrator, Mr. Aubrey McGowan, ,Rev. Deacon Gladwin Fernandes and the Senior Staff Coordinator, Mr. Jyoti Dube.

The Principal then, greeted the Chief Guest with a beautiful bouquet after which Mrs. Priyansha Simon led the congregation with a Scripture reading and a special prayer.

The College Head Prefect, Kavya Rai introduced the Chief Guest to the gathering in which he stated that “Mr. Mudit Chandra, a 1999 Civil Services batch officer from the esteemed Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS) has carved a distinguished path in public service, marked by visionary leadership and an unyielding commitment to excellence”.The hoisting of the National Flag by Mr. Mudit Chandra, with the subsequent singing of the National Anthem by the entire gathering, served to reinforce the fierce feeling of pride in our motherland.

For the first time in the history of SJC, NCC unveiled its inaugural spectacle in a pipping ceremony, in which the transmission of dominion regarding the post of Commander took place. Former NCC Commander Utkarsh handed over the charge to the newly appointed NCC Commander, Shashwat Singh. The event marked the surrender of suzerainty from the outgoing Commander to the new leader, symbolizing continuity in leadership and the ongoing commitment to the NCC's mission, reflecting continued growth and success within the NCC.

The main highlight of the event was the March Past of the Four Houses and a salute given by the Chief Guest, Mr. Mudit Chandra. Needless to say, the sight of the proudly fluttering National Flag instilled the gathering with a sense of patriotism.

Following the transfer of power, the Chief Guest addressed the gathering. He began his speech, cherishing his priceless memories made with his friends in this institution and spoke about how his life changed in class 5 when his class teacher, Mrs. Jacob, gave him the opportunity to give a speech on “I have a dream” by Martin Luther King. He remembered his beloved batchmates Mr. Lokesh, and Former Air Chief Marshal Mr. Norman Anil Kumar Browne. At last, he encouraged students to set their goals, follow their passion and arouse a feeling of patriotism towards their beloved country.

The Principal Rev. Fr. Walter D’ Silva presented a memento to the Chief Guest which conveyed his appreciation and respect. Afterwards, Sarvesh Krishna moved the audience beyond words with an euphonious patriotic song, proving that he was truly the most deserving winner of the recently concluded Patriotic Singing Ccompetition.

An annual component of the Independence Day Programme is the Plantation Drive by the Commerce Association. This was spearheaded by the Chairperson of the Association, Mr. N. B. Lawrence under the direction of the Principal, Rev. Fr. Walter D'silva. The Plantation drive was assisted by  Dr. Vishnu Deb, Mr. Abhishek Mahendra and Mr. Shailendra Simon. In his address to the gathering, the College Captain, Mohd. Sultan mentioned the extraordinary sacrifices made by the countless individuals for the sovereignty of this Nation and believed in the idea of free and independent India.

Pithy and profound as always in his powerful speeches, Rev. Fr. Walter D’Silva emphasised on how priceless is our freedom and how important it is to preserve it at all costs. It is only because of the selfless sacrifices of the fearless fighters of the likes of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Chandra Shekhar Azad besides that of the Father of our Nation that independence was wrested from the imperial powers.

The event proceeded further with a sublimely stunning presentation of various events such as fancy dress competition by the students of Kindergarten section, Patriotic Singing by the students of Junior Section and a Skit by the students of Class 8 D. Floral tributes were given to the most notable freedom fighters namely Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Batukeshwar Dutt, Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Mangal Pandey and Chandrashekhar Azad.

The results of the Inter-House Competition for the March past and the House Bulletin boards were then declared

Results

The programme ended with a comprehensive Vote of Thanks by the Head Marshal, Arush Singh.

In the next segment of the Independence Day celebrations, the first inaugural Late Onkar Nath Khanna “Jhaboo Ji” Memorial Annual Football match took place between OBA (Old Boys Association) and the Staff of SJC. The event was graced by the benign presence of Mr. Abbas Rizvi, the Chief Guest, and Justice Siddhartha Varma, the Special Guest. Aided by the sparkling commentary by Dr. Vishnu Deb and the College Head Prefect, Joshua Benjamin Masih, the match became even more engrossing. The close battle ended in a nail biting finish with the OBA defeating the Staff of SJC by a score of 2-1.