MGIS has state of the art editing and recording studio facilities. We have a fully equipped IT lab and studio with high performance Macintosh computers, Final cut pro and other professional softwares, automatic scheduled back up hard disks (Drobo), iPads, Bose speakers, cameras and other professional audio-visual equipment.

• The technical infrastructure available to students and teachers include -
• A  projection room with surround sound system
• Canon EOS 7D (A digital SLR that captures HD video)
• Sony HD Movie Camera (A professional video cam)
• Zoom H4N4 Sound Recorder (A professional sound recording device)
• Boom (professional)
• 800w Mandarin Red Head Lights with filters (professional lights)
• Sennheiser Microphones and Headphones
• Canon Powershot G12 (A powerful photo camera)
•  40 Apple Computers
• Wifi enabled campus

The trip took place from the 14^th to the 17^th of December and was organized by Sundarvan, a Nature Discovery Centre in Ahmedabad. Gir is eight hours away from Ahmedabad and is surrounded by many water bodies, including Kamleshwar Dam which hosts a large crocodile population.

The first day was eventful, with a short trek to a Crocodile Breeding Centre, where they breed crocodiles and then release them into the wild as well as take care of injured or ill animals. The Orientation, which is right next to the Crocodile Breeding Centre. There, they explain Gir’s geography and topography as well as how the park functions.

The next day, there was a Safari into the Sanctuary. There were many lions, many who had just hunted or had given birth to cubs as well as other species; spotted deer, plum-headed parakeets, etc. The guides were very helpful and informative, talking about everything from the history of the Park to the behavior of animals to how the various plants and trees grew. It was a very interesting experience for all most of who had never seen wild animals so close.

The next day, there was a long trek through a village where jaggery was made. Jaggery plays an important part in Gujarati cuisine; it is used to sweeten curries as well as desserts or just eaten with roti. There was an enormous jaggery field and the adjoining field was filled with jaggery husks. There was a small factory that made jaggery out of the juice of the plants as well as jaggery juice. The owners of the farm made a fresh batch of jaggery juice for everyone, a sweet treat which is often unhygienic in the cities.

Next came the “bat show”, not exactly a show, but more of an information session about the bats of Gir. Bats are considered to be bloodsucking parasites, when in fact they are the opposite. They eat only fruits and the carnivorous ones eat either mosquitoes or other insects.  There were two gigantic trees which were host to a minimum of ten thousands bats each. When disturbed, which happens quite often, they fly into the air, obscuring the sky from view. In a village where there is livestock and agriculture, the bats have enough food to sustain themselves, but the pollution from machines and vehicles harms them and their delicate wings.

After nearly being gored by over-excited bulls, the group headed back to the resort to see a Dhamaal Dance by the Sidi community of Gir. The Sidis are natively African who came to India, mainly Gujarat, centuries ago as slaves or on their own accord for a better life. They have preserved their African roots by performing a tribal dance where they imitate wild animals and break coconuts on their heads. They soon got everyone to join in; a true round-the-fire dance party.

The next day, they visited the Devalia Interpretation Centre where the preservation of the park and animals is further explained as well as the preservation of the flora and fauna. Then, in mid-afternoon, they visited the famous Somnath temple, which is located on the water. The temple has millions of visitors each year, from all over the world. The temple is home to numerous idols and statues and is the income of the small village that borders it.

The next day was the last day and there was one last stop to Hingolgadh fort, where there was a traditional Gujarati lunch and a climb on the rocks to the fort. The fort was built in the 1665 on top of the older fort and is situated 1000 ft above sea level. All the antiques, including clocks, personal items and cutlery are all preserved within the fort which also holds a small bird sanctuary.

Soon, the group was back home, exhausted but happy. Special thanks to Jadeja sir of Sundarvan as well as all the helpers and teachers who came along. The trip was exhausting, but lots of fun and left everyone wishing for more.

Photos by Harsimran Kaur Anand

Click here to view the embedded video.

the Education Committee of the Board of Governors

of the International Baccalaureate Organisation, Geneva.

Grade 4 detectives

‘D.I.D is a group of friends who believe everything is possible. Some people also say that we succeed because of our efficient teamwork. We have six permanent members and we divide ourselves into pairs for a case. We got the idea of D.I.D when we saw some people stressed out after misplacing their belongings.

OUR EXPERIENCE
First when we started D.I.D some people tried testing our abilities and now several cases later, we have our office space and we are working hard on the cases we receive. With time, we are getting more involved and are enjoying solving cases and mysteries.

HOW WE WORK
We find the lost belongings by doing a small, detailed survey, a long walk around the school to contact students who might know something about the mystery of the lost belonging.’

Article by Spandan, Manav, Ameya, Yuvraj, Ryan
From Grade 4

Administered by the International Baccalaureate (IB), the IBDP is currently taught globally in English, French or Spanish. In order to participate in the IBDP, students must attend an IB school. IBDP students complete assessments in six subjects from the six different subject groups, and complete three core requirements. Subjects are assessed using both internal and external assessments, and courses finish with an externally assessed series of examinations, usually consisting of two or three timed written examinations. Internal assessment varies by subject (there may be oral presentations, practical work, or written works) and in most cases is initially graded by the classroom teacher, whose grades are then verified or modified, as necessary, by an appointed, external moderator.

Generally the IBDP has been well-received. It has been commended for introducing interdisciplinary thinking to students. The United Kingdom regards the IBDP as “more academically challenging and broader than three or four A-levels”;[1] however, a pledge to allow children in all areas to study the IBDP was shelved amid concerns that a “two-tier” education system was emerging as the growth in IB was driven by private schools and sixth form colleges. The United States has seen objections to the IBDP centered on the claim that the program is anti-American or promotes values of the United Nations.

Source: http://www.ibo.org/diploma

Subjects offered at MGIS at the Diploma Program Level are:

CORE:
TOK/CAS/Extended Essay
English HL/SL
Mathematics Studies/SL/HL
French Ab Initio/SL/HL

SCIENCES:
Physics(HL and SL)/Chemistry(HL and SL)/Biology(HL and SL)/Environmental Studies(Only SL)

ELECTIVES:
Psychology HL/SL
Economics HL/SL
Business Management HL/SL
Theatre Arts HL/SL

The school also offers the IB certificate.

The curriculum at MGIS strives to be considerate of the students’ interests. Subjects have in the past, been proposed by students and the administration has organized workshops on theatre styles such as Bhavai and physical theatre, dance, film making and fine art by popular demand.

Source: http://www.ibo.org/myp

The hall at the French Embassy in New Delhi was fuller than I have ever seen. The get-together was for the French community in honour of the visit of President Nicolas Sarkozy. But more than half of the 1,200 people gathered there were more excited at the prospect of seeing Carla Bruni, the First Lady of France. During his last visit, Sarkozy was not yet married to Carla and the Indians went into a tizzy trying to figure out the demands of protocol for someone who was only ‘a compagnon’ or a friend.

Finally, Carla came, everyone sighed, Carla conquered. Thanks to protocol, I was placed inside the security cordon and got a good look at everyone. The Indian newspapers had already written essays about her body language that signified that everything was nearly over between the two. Now, every eye was on her even as the ears listened to Sarkozy. Carla stood a discrete distance behind her husband with the other ministers. She hardly moved and the only time she decided to clap was when Sarkozy mentioned the strong feminine presence in his ministry. That time, following her cue, everyone burst into applause.

The President made all the right noises about supporting India’s seat in the security council, about closer cultural ties, nuclear cooperation, technical collaborations and educational exchanges. When they left, for the next two hours, French women around me discussed Carla animatedly.

‘So what did you think?’ asked my wife. ‘I don’t know,’ I said. ‘Liar,’ she said through her teeth, ‘You were looking at her all the time.’ By then everyone went into intense speculation and the hall became divided into binary opposites.

‘She’s pretty,’ said one man. ‘Yes, but look at what she was wearing! A dull grey and no jewellery,’ said a woman. ‘Oh, but simplicity is a style statement,’ said another man in gallant defence of poor Carla. ‘That is not being simple, it is being plain. I tell you, she is defying Sarko and saying I won’t be the decorative doll anymore,’ said an animated woman. ‘And high time too,’ added another lady. ‘Do you think she is having an identity crisis?’

‘A contract, that is what it was. It was a marriage of convenience and now she has realised her error,’ said a male hopefully. ‘Nah, she is rich, she can walk away en claquant la porte,’ said a feminist friend.

Ten years ago, when my wife and I were in Paris, we were invited to a French musician’s house for dinner. After chatting, he asked us what we would eat and when we said we were vegetarian, he looked aghast. Then recovering, he said ‘Pas de probleme’, my friend will cook some spaghetti for you. So, we had some boiled spaghetti and ate it while sitting on the floor while she chatted politely with us all the time keeping eye on her young son. She was none other than Carla Bruni! This lady was so casual, yet at ease sitting on the floor. She displayed grace and ease. Now when we saw her in Delhi and later in Mumbai when she participated at the memorial for the victims in the terrorist attack at Oberoi, we could not help noticing how stiff and distant she was. Protocol does strange thing to people!

While being the epitome of grace may be Carla’s forte, I must admit I have tasted better spaghetti!

Mama, why is it that Princesses are always shown as trapped and it is the Prince who rescues them?” asked my 9-year-old daughter. She then continued, “Why can’t a Princess rescue a Prince?” Having had a surfeit of cartoon films during winter break, she had somehow located the stereotypes.

Most of the cartoon films that are based on western fairy tales, no doubt show these stereotypes – from Rapunzel to Snow White. While the hero on a quest is a mythical archetype, the Princess to be rescued is a construct meant to make girls believe that their condition can change only if the knight in shining armour appears.

Tara, my daughter, then continued, “Why are cats always shown to be mean and dogs nice? Why are witches women and why do they have cats on their brooms? Why don’t they roam about with dogs?” She is right. In some ways, cats are supposed to be unpredictable, incapable of being fully tamed, flexible, mysterious and often very pretty. These are associated with feminine qualities. But more importantly, the meaner animals in fairy tales are obviously those that can’t be tamed: cats in western fairy tales and the wily fox in the Indian folk tales.

So these stereotypes contribute to children making their own understanding about themselves and their world. Supergirl has yet to make her impact in cartoon films. Even in Indian cinema, the trapped, kidnapped, abducted woman ruled for many years. She could only await her rescue by the paramour, helpless and weeping.

In complete contradiction of this are our mythologies and folk tales. The former depicts Shakti, the female energy or principle that is both constructive and destructive while the later has stories of women who cajole, manipulate and can be clever. But, nevertheless, while we have stories of Birbal, Tenali Rama and even Mulla Nasruddin, their female equivalent is largely absent.

A couple of recent articles in the press celebrated the Sheila and Munni phenomenon as an expression of the Indian female sexuality. Yet, as item girls, both are again male constructs. The earlier constructs in Indian cinema kept the Indian woman trapped in the image of a self-sacrificing mother. The latest ones keep the females trapped in the image of sexually desirable objects. The salivating males around these gyrating actresses demonstrate this point.

The iconography of the cartoon films too contributes to this. The fairies are anorexic, the princesses have tiny waists and the new supergirls (Lara Croft to take another example) have voluptuous figures that are impossible to achieve.

If both boys and girls have to grow and achieve their potential, then we have to protect them from successive stereotypes about themselves and their bodies. This is as true for young boys who are expected to be strong, the rescuers, and who never cry. My suggestion would be to expose them to diverse forms of literature and films.

Bombarded as they are with images from the media, they may end up becoming cultural stereotypes themselves. I hope that our upcoming animation filmmakers will turn to the vast collection of Indian folk tales from various regions and give a greater richness to children as they form their notions about their self.

Félicitations Ahmedabad

Anurita Rathore

When acclaimed French feature films’ executive producer Bernard Marescot came to Ahmedabad three years ago, he hadn’t imagined, or known, he would be thoroughly familiar with every street, especially of the Old City of Ahmedabad, about 1000 days hence. Bernard revisited France of the 1960s when he saw fruit vendors, dalwada maker, chai wala, lohar, all working on Amdavadi streets and immediately felt the need to document it.“That is because I saw something similar in France about 50 years ago, they have all disappeared now. What if it disappears in India too…it was a good idea to document them in the form of a film,” he says, as he narrates the process that made these films (all compiled together to make Ahmedabad Promenade). As many as 75 students were involved in making films – on dalwada wala, kichu wala, dori wala, bartan wali, film poster wala, chai wala, etc. – each of who selected about 20 subjects relating to Ahmedabad. “Students could choose the subject they wanted to make a film on. Thereafter, the kids were involved throughout – from choosing topic to scripting, scooting, shooting and editing – and did it all together,” says Bernard, reliving the process they underwent as a team. “It was all quite an experience. Students were asked to find five locations… then I would go there along with them and explain which one would be the best. Each film is anything between two to eight minutes,” he adds. Besides teaching the art of film-making to an enthusiastic bunch, Bernard is glad these films, pieced together as a documentary of 52 minutes – Ahmedabad Promenade – will be shown on Arte French television channel, that is in colloboration with Germany. The best part about the excitement of making this film, recalls Bernard, was that “the kids would step out of home, take a rickshaw or reach school in car and with little or no knowledge about Ahmedabad city, would step out together to ‘learn’ about Ahmedabad.” And now, they know Ahmedabad a lot more than a lot many others! Lohar – The Blacksmith A film by Ruju Carlson, Wafa Refai, Mahi Baid, Chandrika Makwana, Sakhi Ganeriwala Rameshbhai works as a roadside blacksmith where he shapes and sharpens metal tools all day. In this documentary, Rameshbhai’s life is portrayed with an onus on his family and the precarious state of his profession. The students discovered that metal wielding is an art that is fascinating and more difficult than it appears. Mahouts – The Elephant People A film by Janvi Karwal and Krina Prajapati This film follows a day in the life of mahouts, the care they take of elephants. The main protagonist, Avdeshbhai Tivari, has been a mahout since the age of 14. He chose to live this nomadic life over the comfort of a sedentary married life. He shares his passion for elephants in this eight-minute long documentary which follows a day in his life. The elephants live in the Walled City of aapnu Amdavad, at the Jaggarnath Temple. Bollywood Canvas A film by Sharmeen Attarwala, Parin Sanghvi Earlier painters would adorn the entrances of cinema halls with artistic representations of movies and would earn their living through life-size posters of film stars and movie promotions. Today, digitalisation has made it difficult for these painters to compete with the accuracy, the speed and the cost effectiveness of printed bill boards. In this documentary, Gautambhai shares his tribulations and achievements as a painter. Blu Gene A film by Yatharth Shah, Tanveer Shah, Yash Patel Working on the theme of ‘Colours of India’, the students decided to portray the ubiquity of blue jeans. Dyed with indigo, which was amongst India’s biggest exports during the British Raj, this western article of clothing has become a vital part of the wardrobe of India’s youth. The film conveys the point. Street Games A film by Trusha Oza, Meet Shah, Yash Patel and Jainy Kothari The film chronicles one evening in the life of a young boy in the Walled City of Ahmedabad who is on the lookout for a playmate. Will he find a friend to play with? You need to watch the film to know that. Chaiwala – Tea maker A film by Vishal Pandit, Saumil Shah, Shaurya Sinha, Palaash Tarapore Chai ki kitlis, as they are popularly known in Hindi, are popular hangout points for people of diverse backgrounds. One can hear animated discussions on random topics over a cup of brewed tea. Students in this documentary catch up at a kitli owned by two brothers, just round the corner. Kichuwala- Today’s Special A film by Yesha Sanghvi, Tanvi Karwal, Sanaa Kochar, Rukmini Kaji and Jatin Solanki A group of hungry students stop by for a kichu and wonder how this dish is made. Pareshbhai and his family, who have been seriously doing their kichu business since four years opposite the Mahatma Gandhi International School, explain them the process of preparing this healthy Gujarati dish. Their clientele comprises students, MGIS faculty, parents…and well, plenty others who pass by. Doriwala – Kite thread maker A film by Aaliya Gandhi, Aamir Ranginwala, Pujan Patel, Srushti Bhandari Along with colourful kites in the sky, there is also the competition between kite fliers who turn ‘kite fighters’ on the days of kite flying. The preparation of the manja – the glass thread – begins three months prior to the festival. This documentary shows how the doriwalas go about preparing the thread.

Patel Colony- Looking for Mr SmithA film by Shriraj Sagara, Shripal Shah, Parth Jain, Zara Desai Mithakali Gam (where MGIS is located) is a residential area predominantly populated by the Patel community. Every second person here is Mr Patel. Oblivious to this fact, our protagonist tries to locate Mr Patel in the Patel Colony… The film tells whether or not she finds the right Mr Patel.

Bartan Lady- Tubs and Buckets A film by Nirav Sanghvi, Sanskriti Nahata, Rutvi Ajmera and Rajvi Shah In the lanes and bylanes of Ahmedabad, a bartan lady calls out… She is practicising an age-old profession of barter of old clothes in exchange of new vessels. This documentary captures a slice of life of this disappearing tradition.

This day provided the ideal platform for what the student’s quite simply termed “Liberation Day”. The participating students were informed in advance about the objective of this specific day, which was essentially, to present to a class any item, event, medium or idea that they felt would shock, scandalize or unnerve their audience. It could be from popular culture or history, a personal recollection or a vivid description of something they had heard about, as long as it illustrated their freedom of expression and highlighted the purpose of the concept.

On Liberation day, students brought to class an assortment of odd descriptors. Zara Desai brought to class a song and its lyrics, classified under the genre of punk. She explained that the track symbolized a tyrannical government and its overthrowing. The band was called Anti Flag, and their lyrics openly opposed the American government, in the most explicit way possible. She said, “This song was inspired by certain reforms that the government made at that specific period of time, and adversely affected the people. They wrote the track to express their anger.” The reason she proposed it in class was to question whether or not the way they did could be considered a dignified way to utilize their freedom to express.

Two other students, Aakash Sharma and Shriraj Sagara wrote a song about “sexual encounters”. Aakash played the guitar as Shriraj recited the lyrics. The song, they said was designed to “unsettle and amuse the audience!”, as evidenced by its suggestive and blunt wording.

Student Anmol Jain brought to the discussion two videos from a South Park episode. The videos essentially, entailed a great deal of inappropriate swearing and the purpose behind showing it to a class, who were no strangers to such examples from popular culture, was to see if it would unnerve them in the presence of an authority figure.

The entire process was carried out within an enclose room, and the students were especially careful to limit the observations exclusively to the senior class at MGIS.

It was, in the words of a spectator, “Interesting to see how even in a liberal and open environment, people are still prone to discomfort at the slightest mention of things that are considered shameful.” After the class was over, students discussed how best to remedy that, and maintain an insightful outlook on the clearly controversial “freedom of expression.”

The exchange trip had been in collaboration with the Mercedes College, Adelaide, and the students put up the display as an informative depiction of all that they had learned and experienced on their trip.

The exhibition was from 10 to 11, and consisted of numerous activities such as movie screenings etc.

Watch this space for more information on our intercultural exchanges.

Have you cursed your fate when you went off to see a film at a local mall, on a sudden whim egged on by your kids on an outing, only to realise that all of you are in flimsy and thin summer clothes and that none of you have anything warm? But how could you have remembered because outside it is 40 degrees Celsius! So you spend your time watching a film with clenched teeth and your hands under your arm-pits in order to keep them warm.

Most of the airports and shopping malls keep their temperatures at 18 degrees while the outside temperature is mostly double. Any wonder then that as you weave in and out of these complexes, you return home and the next day you are down with a cold and a fever? Air-conditioned rooms carry more germs and bacteria and contribute to infections.

Air-conditioning is a major contributor to air-pollution and global warming. According to statistics, almost 55 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions come from the power sector. The costs of air-conditioning are phenomenal and all that it takes is simply to turn the thermostat up to a reasonable temperature of 24-25 degrees for the human body to feel comfortable. Instead, in most developing Asian countries, strangely all luxurious boutiques, hotels, shopping malls, airports and institutions, temperatures are set at 14-18 degrees. I read somewhere that each degree under 25 celsius, makes air-conditioning costs higher by 15% in terms of electricity. Obviously, the customer or the consumer pays the direct financial cost while the planet pays the long-term cost due to pollution.

All it would take is a simple legislation that monitors the level of temperature in all these places. Self-discipline meanwhile is even better.

There are renewable and alternative means being developed ranging from solar energy to geo-thermal energy. The San Francisco Airport is using solar energy, the airport in Leh is being made on the same lines.

The Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi will use energy generated from municipal waste. The Orly airport in Paris is being readied for thermal heating that uses the heat of the Earth’s core. Two shafts drilled 1,700 m will carry thermal water pipes that will re-induct heat into the building using natural pressure after being naturally heated under the Earth’s surface.

Meanwhile, this Diwali, use oil lamps rather than artificial light. Use fans in combination with your air-conditioners at home during hot weather. Fans blow away the heat from your body and keep you cool.

Thus, the air-conditoner can function at 24 or 25 degree celsius. I hope that as a society we will make efforts to reduce air-conditioning that is ruining our children’s health and the planet’s health. Saal Mubarak to everyone!

(Published in the Ahmedabad Mirror on 6/11/2010)

“Our only prior theatre workshop was A Country of a Thousand Deaths with Nandita (Dinesh)”, said Gitanjali Kaji, a DP 1 theatre student, “So this was a whole new experience in terms of being our first director-run play.” The students unanimously agreed that it was an extremely enlightening experience, and broadened their exposure to a vast spectrum of theatre styles.

Ashini Jagtiani DP 1 said, “Improvisation was the keyword in this production.” She described how most of the physical movements in the play were a culmination of random exercises they did in the workshop. “The idea was to create a message from normality, and depict that message, but it wasn’t necessary that they (the audience) understand that message explicitly.”

The audience, incidentally, was a key component of this particular production. “You are a part of the audience,” said Parnab Mukherjee, when asked why the setting was so (see pictures). “The concept of physical theatre requires that you push boundaries, literally and metaphorically. It was difficult to do this, while compressing a 150 years of Tagore’s brilliance, and its consequent impact, into a 55 minute play.”

The play’s base consisted of excerpts from Tagore’s work, specifically “On the seashore”, “Sleep stealer” and the main work, “The wicked postman”. It also incorporated inspirations from Mukherjee’s travelogue’s to Iraq and Africa, and his other other philanthropic endeavors.

A few key phrases from Tagore’s works periodically reappeared throughout the play. It was later explained that this was for emphasis, and lines like “People just float away like paperboats”, rang in people’s minds as they exited. The students also incorporated a Gujarati poem, for lingual diversity, as well as to subtly bring to the audience’s attention to socially relevant issues like The Ayodhyaya Verdict, as well issues of racial discrimination, as highlighted by the video that opened the show.

It was widely acknowledged as a brilliant start to the students’ IB theatre component, and as a production for them to be extremely proud of. The students have, since the performance at Natrani, toured extensively with “The Parable of the Last Post Office”.

Photography from miscellaneous sources.

Friday’s papers narrated the gruesome state-sponsored abortion of a Chinese woman’s 8-month foetus in China. Enforcing the single-child norm, the Chinese authorities clamped down on a pregnant woman and took her away kicking and screaming to drug her into a forced abortion.

That political regimes can control the bodies of its people, subject them to torture, maim them into submission, we have known in history. But that it should take the life of an unborn citizen in so causal a manner is morally reprehensible. To interfere in life’s miraculous and natural processes is to declare oneself more powerful than nature. Superpowers cannot be built on the blood of its own people. They are built by their people.

The ethical question is whether the right to life is to be decided by the mother, the father, the state or the Church. Or does it belong to this unborn foetus? What would this child have been had it been allowed to be born?

To me, the first person to decide is obviously the mother. It is her body. But in a harsh political regime, the body is not a subject in flesh and blood, it is an object that belongs to the state. What the Chinese authorities have done in their zest for enforcing a law is not a forced abortion. Let us not allow them to get away with medical terminology that is to be used in cases of emergency. What they have committed is murder.

The difference between a democracy and an authoritarian regime is whether the people are treated as objects or as subjects. While we deplore military states, I would like to know how China as an emerging superpower is not one? China is marching ahead with its tanks and its weapons. It is inching closer to Arunachal Pradesh, the road that it built in Lhasa brings it closer to Indian borders and the roads and bridges it has built in Nepal puts it in a position to destabilise the entire eastern region.

The other fragile region is Myanmar. Aung San Suu Kyi, under house arrest since 1989 under the military junta in Myanmar, faces a difficult ordeal as state-sponsored elections are to take place under the military regime that will no doubt ensure its own victory while cosmetically promising free and fair elections. For years, Aung San Suu Kyi has not met her children who are in UK and the husband she loved died in 1999, before he could see her free.

She continues to hold out in the face of a harsh and inflexible military regime, her frailness only heightened in contrast by the armed might of the forces who control Myanmar.

Some young members of National League for Democracy that she founded would like to participate in the elections. But Suu Kyi is holding out with a boycott as she knows that this is a rigged election where the outcomes are already decided. Aung San Suu Kyi’s personal sacrifice for her people only shows what strength women have to fight for their convictions.

Closer home, there is Irom Sharmila who will on November 2 complete 10 years of fasting. But of that, in my next column.

There is a difference between ‘lifestyle’ and a ‘way of life’. The latter implies a continual process, a journey while the former implies something punctual based on exterior show. The ‘style’ outweighs the significance of the ‘life’ process. On the other hand, in a ‘way of life’, the life leads the process.

Our grand-parents believed in a ‘way of life’. Our generation, on the other hand, is caught up in ‘lifestyles’. I was sitting talking to my uncles during lunch after a pooja ceremony for ‘shraadh’. If our dead ancestors had got together at that spot, it would have been the most multi-cultural meeting of souls. From my husband’s French side, to my step-daughter’s Nepali origins, to my late father’s Sikh family to my mother’s Hindu pandit family and the families of my cousins who have married spouses of different Indian states, we remembered them all. As per the chanting of our Pandit Shri Diwakar Shastri, we prayed not just for our direct families but for the peace of all those dead and departed.

So, as I was saying, we were at lunch. The conversation started with how funny my cousins looked in their over-size clothes in all their childhood photographs. For reasons of economy, my aunt purchased larger trousers that were rolled up and worn by my cousins who now describe it jokingly as ‘atyachaar.’ My other aunt said that she always stitched the trousers worn by my other cousin brother. My uncle then piped in by describing the journey of his pyjamas. First, each boy was given (by my maternal grand-mother), a pyjama to wear that at least lasted two years. When the pyjama was worn out, it was transformed into a ‘thaili’ or a carry bag by chopping away the frayed and superfluous edges. When the ‘thaili’ gave up after a long time it was transformed into a pillowcase by my grand-mother.

When the pillow cases got worn out, it assumed a new avatar of a hanker-chief. When the hanky got exhausted wiping grimy faces and noses, it was reduced to a duster to clean the shelves in the house. And when the cloth had worn itself out by toiling away at every dusty spot, it was shortened and trimmed further into a cycle cleaner!

What a great story about use of resources! In those days, they did not need slogans such as recycle and reuse. It was not an artificial adage. Extending the life of every available resource was a lived experience. My uncle could not resist a joke, “ An old lady fell out of a balcony into a pile of garbage in a country in the west. Two Indians were passing by. ‘Arre’, they said. ‘She would have been good for another twenty years in our country!’”

Contrast this to what I heard about a young girl in this city who buys 9 different dresses with 9 different pairs of shoes and 9 sets of jewellery for the nine nights of revelry. She does not repeat the dresses the next year.

The generation of our grand-parents were stronger and lived longer. When my uncle at the age of 24, parked the ambassador car too close to a pillar in their little garden in Delhi, my grand-mother gestured to him not to bother getting into the car to park again. She simply lifted the car from the engine side and set it properly bang in the middle of the two pillars! That was the strength of those who had healthy foods and healthy habits.

I don’t think lifestyle suits us. I see young people, suffering from their lifestyle ailments. Somehow ‘lifestyle’ has connotations of abuse while a ‘way of life implies’ use.

So I propose, that we return to a way of life, for ourselves and our children. It is a better way of making our bodies last longer. It is the best resource we have.

I was deeply saddened to read a letter to the editor in this paper that mourned the loss of Dr Bihari Kanhaiyalal. It is true that I did not come across tributes to this stalwart in the press. But perhaps, this was part of his self-effacing personality.

Though I did not know him very well, I recall meeting him on one occasion when I was asked to start the Mahatma Gandhi International School. Even before the project could actually start, his trust wrote a letter to the AMC threatening legal action as this building was originally donated by his family.

I went to meet him with my wife. He received us immediately and though he was not feeling well, he gave us a patient hearing. We did not need to delve very deep into issues. He heard us for a few minutes and then motioned us to stop so that he could speak. I can never forget what he said next. He actually said that he realised he had made a mistake in being party to this protest letter. He went on to say that if he were to stop this project that he felt to be in the interests of the city, it would be ‘criminal’.

With great alacrity, he said, “Take me to the municipal commissioner so that I can apologise in person and withdraw my protest in writing.” A mixture of relief and gratitude swept us. Kanhaiyalal was a man in a hurry. He wanted an appointment with the then municipal commissioner as soon as possible. We obtained one the next day and went to pick him up in our little Maruti car. Despite failing health, he came with us and fulfilled his promise.

Later, he also told us that there was a concerted lobby of ‘protestors’ who had tried to stop the British Library from installing itself in the city. At that time too, he had put his weight behind the project to support it for the city.

Kanhaiyalal had this rare quality that Gandhiji himself had. He showed that he was ready to admit a mistake and take corrective action. Man can’t be judged by words alone. Mere lip service is not enough. The ability to admit that one could be wrong shows the humility that accomplished souls have. But one must then suit the ‘word to the action and the action to the word’ as says my wife quoting from her favourite play Hamlet. When there is a gap between the two, there is hypocrisy and incoherence. Harmony consists of maintaining coherence between the thought, word and the deed. We can understand the thought only by action because action is concrete and leaves traces.

Kanhaiyalal was no doubt from that breed of industrialists from Gujarat for whom philanthropy was the other face of business. Building institutions was a natural outcome for people like him. This is before Corporate Social Responsibility became a slogan and charitable action by corporate houses came to be measured by the amount of page 3 space dedicated through photo ops and media events.

Kanhaiyalal belonged to a world of constructive action, not a culture of protests. Over the years, he would himself give an occasional phone call to enquire how the school was faring. As his health failed further, I could not ask him to come to our school and show him the progress. I regret it deeply. Thank you sir, for standing by a cause and permitting two individuals to contribute towards making children happy. May the courage that you demonstrated in your convictions be an inspiration to the young.

A slew of students have done exceedingly well, but a special mention must be made for Zara Desai, who graduates at the top of her class with an outstanding grade of 42 (the maximum being 42 plus the possibility of 3 bonus points)! Congratulations from everyone at school Zara, you deserve it!

Also, and equally importantly, we are glad to report that our students have secured admissions in Colleges of their choice, and have enrolled in India and around the world, including:

Sciences Po – Paris, Shrishti Institute of Art and Design – Bangalore, Maharashtra Institute of technology – Pune, Fergerson College – Pune, Gujarat University,
FLAMES – Pune, HL College – Ahmedabad, Indian Institute of Planning and Management – Mumbai, Symbiosis – Pune, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies – Mumbai, Christ College- Bangalore, Pennsylvania State University- USA…

Students put up stalls of projects they have done, they decorated their classrooms with the many charts, models and artwork that they had produced; some of them even decided to put up dance performances and skits for the event. It was a truly befitting culmination to another fruitful year at the school. Here’s wishing everyone a wonderful and relaxing vacation!

Some pictures from the expo: