Editor Carla Geerdes
The next morning we went with Swami Dharmananda to a governmental model primary school, more precisely M.C. Sultanpur Primary School. The school is rather near to ASK, only one metro station later. It is situated at the random of the much frequented road to Gurgaon, the Mehrauli Gurgaon Road. Nevertheless it was astonishingly quiet when we got off the car. Last year already I was there with Swami Dharmananda at the occasion of the celebrations for Republic day on 26th January. Since nearly 2 years Swami Dharmananda is working unsalaried every two weeks with the students. He is guiding 5-minutes-meditation for the children together with Yoga and breathing exercises, which since some months are demonstrated by Sunil Kumar Shankar, yoga teacher from ASK.
In the principal’s office (f.l.): Carla Geerdes, Swami Dharmananda Jain, police officer D.S. Rao, yoga teacher Sunil Kumar Sharma.
First we were asked to take seat in Principal Yaspal Pahuja’s office. Police officer D.S. Rao himself is father of two children and among other responsible for the school’s catchment area. He is a strong supporter of all initiatives aiming at hindering school children to become familiar with criminal circles. In this aspect Sultanpur seems to be endangered. Sultanpur stands not alone, as all of us know, this is a global problem. The Principal’s office is neatly decorated with role models as Mother Teresa, Goddess Saraswati as well as aphorisms in English language concerned with the importance of learning and the joy resulting from every good proceeding in it.
Photos from the celebration of Republic Day 2012…
…and of Principal Yaspal Pahuja, Carla Geerdes und Swami Dharmananda.
Not only this, I discovered also photos of Swami Dharmananda’s and my last year’s visit at the occasion of celebrating Republic Day! I really was happy to see this, as the message in it is a warm welcome to guest teachers and international guests. Swami Dharmananda’s project meanwhile has attracted some attention, easy to recognize by the guests of this morning’s performance, which Principal Yaspal Pahuja hurried to receive.
Principal Saroj Dhe, Principal Yaspal Pahuja, police officer D.S. Rao, Christian Geerdes, Swami Dharmananda.
Principal Saroj Dhe wanted to see the project’s realisation with her own eyes, because she considers adopting it for her school. The predecessor of the present Principal, Pritam Dass Vasdev, also had come. The school inspector for the south zone of Delhi, Vinod Bansal, arrived a little later. Even N.K. Ghai, Director of Education HQ Delhi and the authority to address for the granting of additional means, was very interested, which could be seen by his frequent queries, naturally in Hindi. The Delhi government is conceding books, school uniforms, and free lunch to the students of M.C. Primary School Sultanpur. Further there is a budget for special events allowing costumes and decorations as well as technical support for special representations. Costumes and adornments mostly are made by parents and students, assisted by the teachers.
Prof. Dr. Viney Jain, Prof. Emeritus of Jain Vishva Bharati University Ladnun (l), N. K. Ghai, Director of Education HQ Delhi.
Prof. Dr. Viney Jain, Professor Emeritus of Jain Vishva Bharati University, had the idea together with Swami Dharmananda to accompany the project scientifically and to evaluate it. The school applied directly to the concerned administration for acceptance and partly funding of the project. Further more than only one group from one school is needed for scientific research. A control group has to be installed additionally for proof of results. Principal Saroj Dhe wanted to advocate the project among her colleagues from other schools of the area. Results from more than one school are more revelatory for research. School Inspector Vinod Bansal was nominated to adjudicate on the research and control groups among the schools in his field of responsibility. Director N.K. Ghai has to examine the funding as well as the potential application on other schools of the broader districts of the capital. All this not least depended on the impression the persons in charge got on the project the day of their visit.
Students awaiting the meditation, yoga and breathing exercises
Not only in discovering and integrating traditional methods into the contemporary school system M.S. Sultanpur School is a pioneer, but also in social modeling. As visible, girls and boys are sitting in rows, and not divided in partitions beside each other, coeducation. In broad parts of India this is not yet the rule.
F.l.: Swami Dharmananda, Director N. K. Ghai, Carla Geerdes, Prof. Dr. Viney Jain, former Principal Pritam Dass Vasdev, police officer D. S. Rao, Principal Saroj Dhe.
Principal Yaspal Pahuja presented us to the students, while we received flower wreaths. Sitting there for some time, we noticed the amazing discipline of the girls and boys. There was no clown trying to entertain his comrades, all very peaceful waited for the events to come. Nobody except us seemed to wonder. Certainly the teachers watching the students were involved..
Swami Dharmananda on stage
Swami Dharmananda and yoga teacher Sunil Kumar Sharma are starting.
Children are following.
The guest are observing.
5-minutes meditation
Yoga exercises
Breathing exercises
After the exercises had been performed in high concentration, the gathering of children in fact gave a very relaxed and pleased impression. It is desirable for those involved that the project will succeed in being recognized officially as much as the students are participating in it full of joy and concentration. Afterwards the students showed in their performances reaching from dancing to reciting texts how their special funding has been applied in practice under the guidance of their teachers.
Dance performance of the girls
Boys also can
Recital of a boy
Recital of a girl
See more of it:
Video:
No matter if audience or performers, all were participating enthusiastically. This gave the impression that everybody has a chance to become one of the latter sooner or later. To perform in front of the school audience is a possibility to discover one’s own unknown potential even at a young age. Besides it is the expression of successful team spirit. Although we were not able to follow what exactly has been said, music and dance are a kind of different language, understandable by everyone. The guests similarly had fun this morning.
Some of the teachers served homemade snacks and biscuits.
The impression of hospitability came up not only because of the warm welcome. Some of the teachers served their homemade snacks and biscuits after their students’ performance to us. While we all enjoyed what was offered, the persons concerned vividly exchanged their views with the Principal. We got the impression that all shared our positive position. For us it was the finish to the visit of M.C Sultanpur Primary School. We returned to the Kendra. All wished the best for the upcoming projects and their official recognition. Once again Swami Dharmananda has shown with his initiative how important the conversion is from good ideas into practice. Unseen he has started his unsalaried work, highly convinced of its necessity. Uninterruptedly he has worked on a regular basis with the young students, which finally attracted the attention of others inspiring them to join the project and developing it further with their activities. Starting is what matters, and there has to be always one person who makes the first move. This is what Swami Dharmananda has done throughout his life and will continue to do. Especially because doing service for uplifting society, above all the young generation, is a matter of heart for him.
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