MayoorMayo College NewsletterOct – Nov 2014 Vol. 64 • No. 4

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A year, it seems, lasts only a few weeks or at most a couple of months at

Mayo. The time, to use a cliché, flies here. The calendar is getting thicker every

year with the addition of, hitherto undiscovered activities and events, and the

grandeur and fervour pitched in with equal measure. 'Don't have time' is on the

verge of being a truism for both the students and teachers alike. A very busy

schedule as we put it, simply.

It is not just during the PG, but round the year during the terms as well.

Having back to back events does no longer bother us, as we, more often than

not, have concurrent activities and events these days. However, the flip side is

rather interesting, which revealed itself to me when I interacted with some of the

boys who passed out this year. I asked them about one thing they appreciate the

most about Mayo and their response inspired this brief dialogue. They shared

that being accustomed to Mayo's gruelling schedule helped them strike a balance

between academics and other myriad activities that they must participate in

college. The way Mayo made them manage and organize events, rather than just

be a part of them, is worthwhile.

Mayo, thus, teaches that success is not accidental, it's premeditated and

that excellence is not a chance, it's intentional! Mayo teaches us to enjoy the

tough, hard times. This busy schedule, we can say then, is another prominent or

rather unique feature of Mayo. It may be crucial to some who need to choose

between Mayo and its contemporaries.

Well, there is always a lot to say about Mayo but…the constraints!

The Mayoor PG '14 issue is in your hand. I wish you a Happy Reading, a

Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

EditorialEditorial 1

Happenings 2

Beyond our Gates 6

Junior School 7

Alumni Buzz 8

Staff News 8

Musings and Jottings 8

Mayo College Bird Sanctuary 10

Editor-in-ChiefAchal Deep Dubey

Editor-Junior SchoolMrs Rakhee Garg

Student EditorRakshit Jalan

Technical SupportMs Abha Jain

Mahin ChoudharyShravan Gupta

CorrespondentPranaav Parrth

Published byMaj Gen Kr VS Lalotra, AVSM, YSM, SM (Retd)

Principal

PhotographsMr Alok Sharma

M/s SL Artist

Printed at Job Offset PrintersMob: 9829472031

INSIDE THIS ISSUE...

EDITORIAL BOARD

Suggestion and feedbackaddubey@mayocollege.com

Achal Deep Dubey

(Editor-in-Chief)

2 Mayoor

Happenings

Aitchison College Visits Mayo College

A Cricket Tour

Aitchison College Lahore's Cricket Team visited

Mayo College for a brief Cricket Tour from 23 to 27 Sept 14

and played a couple of matches. The tour was a part of the

Mayo-Aitchison Bilateral Sports Exchange Programme

played on 'home and away' basis which includes Hockey and

Soccer too.

The matches were played in the 20-20 format.

Some keen contests were witnessed between the bat and

the ball. Both the matches were low-scoring which made

them even more exciting and kept the spectators guessing

till the end. Mayo won both the matches by 16 and 37 runs

respectively. In the first match, Zul Qarnain of Aitchison

College was adjudged the Man of the Match while in the

second match Sanyam Agarwal of Mayo College was

declared the Man of the Match. Mayo College won the

series by 2-0.

Mayo crickters, Ajeet Pratap Singh, Sudipto Bose

and Vikram Sachdeva contributed with the bat while

Sanyam Agarwal, Rajat Gupta and Yashraj Agarwala were

the main wicket takers. The series, revived at the behest of

Maj Gen KVS Lalotra (Retd), Principal, Mayo College and Mr

Shamim Saifullah Khan, Principal, Aitchison College Lahore,

presented an opportunity to the boys to interact with one

another beyond the cricket ground.

Gandhi Jayanti Celebration

Mayo College celebrated Gandhi Jayanti on 2 Oct

14. A special assembly was organized on this occasion

where Vaibhav Agarwal delivered a talk on Gandhi Ji Ki

Vichardhara while Pranaav Parrth spoke on the relevance of

Gandhi and his principles in the contemporary context. The

assembly was followed by a Community Lunch where the

boys served meals to the Mayo Support Staff.

Cleanliness Drive

A special Social Service Campaign was launched to

spread awareness about the importance of cleanliness and

upkeep of public property in sync with the national

cleanliness drive launched by the PM of India as a tribute to

Mahatma Gandhi on his 146th Birth Anniversary.

Every Sunday, under the leadership of the College

Social Service Captain, Yadvendra Singh, a group of boys

from different boarding houses go to the Ajmer Railway

Station to spread awareness about cleanliness. The students

with placards and banners in their hands visit the Ajmer

Railway Station and interact with passengers and vendors

and request them to keep the surroundings clean. They

deliver short speeches and perform skits to send the

message across. The students have achieved great success in

their endeavour.

IPSC Swimming Meet 2014

The Mayo College Swimming Team comprising 9

swimmers participated in the IPSC Swimming Meet 2014,

held at Birla Public School, Pilani from 08 to 10 Oct 14. In the

Mayo and Aitchison: Bridges of Friendship

Mayo Boys: Arm in Arm for a Clean India

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U-14 category, Abhinav Gupta won two Gold medals in 50

M and 100 M Breast Stroke. In the U-17 category, Samar

Pratap won a Gold medal in 200 M Butterfly Stroke,

Madhvendra Singh won 3 Silver and 1 Bronze medals in

different events and Aryaman Singh won a Bronze medal in

50 M Breast Stroke.

Vice President of India Visits Mayo

Hon'ble Shri M Hamid Ansari, Vice President of

India visited Mayo College, Ajmer on 9 Oct 14. He was

accompanied by Dr Sanwar Lal, the State Water Resources

Minister. They were warmly welcomed by HH Maharao

Brijraj Singh of Kotah, President, Mayo College General

Council at the Oman Guest House. After a briefing by the

Principal, the Hon'ble Vice President drove to the Bikaner

Pavilion for an interaction with the students of Mayo

College. En route the Pavilion, he was greeted by the

students of Junior School, Senior School and the Staff

Members who had lined up to welcome him.

The arrival of the Hon'ble Vice President was

heralded by the School Trumpeters at the Bikaner Pavilion.

After the National Anthem, the School Fusion Band

enthralled the distinct gathering with some mesmerizing

tunes. Then, the students of Mayo College, Mayo College

Girls' School and Mayoor School were privileged to interact

with the Hon'ble Vice President. During the 45 minutes long

question answer session, an interesting array of questions

was asked by the students which were duly replied by the

Hon'ble Vice President.

The function was attended by the members of the

Mayo College General Council, their spouses and other

dignitaries. The evening ended with a dinner hosted by the

Principal at Twiss House in honour of the Hon'ble Vice

President.

Gibson Quiz 2014

Mayo College organized its 20th edition of the

annual Padmashree JTM Gibson Memorial Quiz on 10 Oct

14. The quiz was comprised of two stages: the preliminary

and the final stage. The preliminary stage was a written quiz

related to current affairs. Out of the ten teams, 6 schools -

Vasant Valley New Delhi, The Doon School Dehradun,

Mayo College Girls' School Ajmer, SMS Jaipur and Mayo

College Ajmer, sailed into the final stage on the basis of their

performance in the preliminary round. The Mayo College

Quiz Team was represented by Pranaav Gupta and

Shauryaveer Singh Gulia.

The final quiz was conducted by Mr Rakesh Alfred at

the Bikaner Pavilion. Maj Gen KVS Lalotra, Principal, Mayo

College, presided over as the Chief Guest for the

competition. The quiz was comprised of 10 rounds which

were-Science Round, Social Studies Round, Sports Round,

Audio Round, Audio-Visual Round, Rapid Fire Round,

Buzzer Round, Who am I? Round and Question Round.

The quiz was attended by the entire school and was

thoroughly enjoyed by the students especially the junior

boys who participated with great zeal and enthusiasm by

answering the questions thrown to the audience. NDA

Khadakwasala won the quiz while Mayo College was

adjudged the Runners-up.

Gibson Debates 2014

Mayo College organized its 20th edition of the

annual Padmashree JTM Gibson Memorial Invitational

English Debates 2014 from 11 to 12 Oct 14.The teams from

the following schools participated in the debate:

(a) MGD, Jaipur

(b) Mayo College Girls' School, Ajmer

(c) National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla

(d) Rajmata Krishna Kumari Girls' Public School, Jodhpur

(e) Maharaja Sawai Man Singh Vidyalaya, Jaipur

(f) Assam Valley School, Tezpur

(g) The Doon School, Dehradun

(h) Daly College, Indore

Satiating the inquisitive minds

4 Mayoor

declared the joint winners and jointly lifted the Winners'

Trophy. Pranaav Parrth was adjudged the Best Speaker in the

final round and also the Best Speaker (overall). As per

tradition Mayo College being the host team, does not keep

the Winners' Trophy. The Mayo College Debating Captain

Raghav Bhargava handed over the Trophy to The Doon

School team.

Mayo Parliamentary Summit 2014

The inaugural Mayo Parliamentary Summit was held

at Mayo College from 31 Oct to 2 Nov 14. The concept of

Parliamentary Summit is indeed new in the school circuit in

India. The event was organized in collaboration with Mayo's

sister concern Mayo College Girls' School, Ajmer. It was an

entirely student-organized event in which more than 150

boys and girls participated. There were four specific

committees with different agenda as given below:

Lok Sabha (Ad Hoc Committee on Naxalism):

The Left-Winged Extremism Menace

The United States Committee on Foreign Affairs:

Ratification of UNCLOS, 1982

The National Security Council:

The Kashmir Question

G8 Provisional Summit:

Situation in Crimea and Syria

The summit had an extensive administrative

structure comprising the Organizing Committee,

International Press and the Logistics. The event was

spearheaded by the Secretary General, Kartikeya Dwivedi.

The composition of the Secretariat was as follows:

Secretary General: Kartikeya Dwivedi

Under Secretary General: Raghav Bhargava

Charge d'affairs: Tanishq Bhardwaj

Head - Logistics: Karan Ruben Chaudhury

Head - Design: Siddharth Sultania

The Executive Board comprised experienced

debaters from Mayo College Girls' School and Mayo

College. The Chief Guest for the Opening Ceremony was Lt

Gen Ajai Singh (Retd), an Old Boy while Mr. Ajay Vikram

Singh, an Old Boy and Former Defence Secretary of India,

presided over as the Guest of Honour. The Principal, Maj

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(i) Vasant Valley School, New Delhi

(j) Mayo College, Ajmer

After the completion of the Extempore and the

Turn Coat round, four teams qualified for the Semi- Finals on

the basis of the total of their cumulative ranks. In the first

Semi-Final, Assam Valley School, Tezpur debated against

Mayo College, Ajmer on the proposition 'They campaign in

poetry, they govern in prose'. Mayo College won the debate

and confirmed their entry into the Finals with Pranaav Parrth

emerging as the Best Speaker. The second Semi-Final was

held between The Doon School, Dehradun and SMS, Jaipur.

The topic for the debate was 'Children are suffering from

childhood' and The Doon School emerged as the winner in

the debate. Chaitanya Kediyal of The Doon School was

declared the Best Speaker.

The Final debate was between The Doon School

and Mayo College on the proposition 'The end is nigh'. The

debate was very close and ended in a tie between Mayo

College and The Doon School. Both the teams were

Mayo and Doon Teams with the Winners' Trophy

Pranaav Parrth putting forth his case

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Children's Day Celebration

The 125th Birth Anniversary of India's first Prime

Minister Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru, which is popularly known as

Children's Day, was celebrated at Mayo College on 14th

November 2014. Speeches celebrating the life and times of

Pt. Nehru were delivered by Siddharth Shaw, Vikram

Sachdeva and Pranaav Parrth in the special assembly

organized on the occasion. The Principal thereafter

addressed the students and highlighted the success stories

of children across the world. A special lunch was organized

in the mess for the students.

Safa Tying Competition

Mayo College hosted its annual Safa Tying

Competition on 17 Nov 14 at the Bikaner Pavilion. The

competition was organized in two categories Oman and

Seniors. The event was presided over by Maj Gen KVS

Lalotra, Principal, Mayo College. The competition required

the students to tie a safa within four minutes showcasing

their safa tying skills. The judgment criteria included length

of turra, turns, front and side shapes of the safa. Safa tying is a

cherished tradition at Mayo College and acts like a bridge

between the past and the present. This tradition has been

carried forward by the students with great enthusiasm. The

results are as follows:

Individual Positions

Seniors I Kartikey Rathore (BT)

II Rajyavardhan Singh (BT)

Oman I Vishvaraj Singh (Lower Dorm)

II Harshpal singh (Upper Dorm)

Gen K V S Lalotra (Retd) delivered the keynote address. The

guests sat through the committee proceedings and also

asked questions to the delegates.

Over the three days, the delegates witnessed a

number of publications, extensive debates and some

exceptional lobbying. In the Closing Ceremony, the winners

were presented with trophies which were exquisitely

designed by the boys in-house at the Mayo College Technical

Skill Development Centre. The event provided a platform

to young diplomats and lobbyists and was highly appreciated

by all.

Farewell to Bursar, Mr Bhatanagar

The students bid farewell to Mr Dinesh Bhatanagar,

Bursar, Mayo College on 8 Oct 2014. A special assembly was

organized in his honour. Raghav Bhargav, the College

Captain, read his farewell scroll highlighting his memorable

journey at Mayo. The Principal Maj Gen KVS Lalotra

presented him a memento as a token of students’ love and

appreciation. Mr Bhatanagar walked down the steps of the

Assembly Hall as the students sang Auld Lang Syne.

Mr Bhatanagar had two innings at Mayo. First he

studied at Mayo and passed out in the year 1967 and then

joined Mayo College as Bursar in 2001. He served Mayo

College in the capacity of Bursar for about 13 years. The staff

members bid farewell to him in a formal evening at the

Mughal Garden. Maharao Brijraj Singh ji of Kotah, President,

Mayo College General Council, other Board Members and

former teachers were also present on the occasion.

Cuisine Preferences of Mayo!

This survey included 400 boys across classes VII-XII.

The Mayoerdict

Italian

Continental

Indian

Lebanese

Thai

Mexican

French

Chinese

31 %

12 %

25 %

4 %

6 %

7 %

1 %

14 %

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Round Square International Conference

A delegation comprising six boys- Vishrut Goel,

Hanut Singh, Raishind Singh Gill, Nikunj Jagetia, Gurfateh

Khosa and Gurmat Singh Brar- along with Mr Yash Saxena,

RSC Coordinator, represented Mayo College at the Round

Square International Conference at the King's Academy,

Jordan from 7 to 13 Oct 14.The theme of the conference

was Al Salamu Alaikum which means 'Peace be with you'. A

number of eminent schools from all parts of the globe came

to participate in this prestigious event.

On the first day of the conference, during the Flag

Bearing Ceremony, the Mayo College delegation with their

ceremonial attire Jodhpuri and Safa made their presence felt

very conspicuously. The conference began with

deliberations on several social and political issues by the

participants. There were speakers from different countries

such as Afghanistan, Yemen, Palestine and many others, who

spoke on different issues which have been a cause of

suffering for them for a long time. After their speeches, the

participants joined their Barazza groups wherein they

discussed and put forward their views on the issues under

discussion. These were very engaging discussions and the

participants came to know the perspectives and approaches

that people have towards these global issues.

Apart from discussions, the delegates also

participated in social service projects. They contributed to

these projects by building houses and educating children in

villages and by serving the Syrian refugees. During the

conference, they visited the Dead Sea and the ancient city of

Petra which is among the seven man-made wonders of the

Beyond our Gates

world. The Closing Ceremony of the conference was

followed by Arab nights in which the participating members

got an exposure to Arab culture.

After the completion of the conference, the

students also got an opportunity to visit Greece and the

famous monuments like the Acropolis and the first Olympic

Stadium. The delegation returned richer in terms of

knowledge and experience.

IPSC Taekwondo 2014

The Mayo College Taekwondo Team comprising 9

students participated in the IPSC Taekwondo

Championship 2014 (U-14/17/19) held at Rajkumar

College, Rajkot, Gujarat on 19 Oct 14. The boys secured 3

Gold and 6 Silver medals in different categories. The

following students who won Gold medals, qualified for the

SGFI Nationals:

• Anshbir S Nota Bharatpur House

• Ishant Aggarwal Bharatpur House

• Shivam Mehra Oman House

34th North Zone Shooting Championship 2014

The Mayo Shooting Team comprising nine shooters

participated in the 34th North Zone Shooting

Championship 2014, held at Dr Karni Singh Shooting

Ranges, New Delhi from 26 to 29 Nov 14. The shooters of

Mayo College performed very well in the competition. The

following shooters qualified for the Nationals in 10 M Air

Rifle Youth Men category:

• Archan Prasad Saikia

• Keshav Agarwal

• Mrityunjai Singh

• Jaedan Carey B Sangma

• Avdeep Singh Sethi

• Sanskar Gupta

• Dinesh Hassani

• Utkarsh Dubey

IPSC Squash Championship 2014

The IPSC Squash Championship 2014 was held at The

Scindia School, Gwalior from 08 to 10 Nov14. The Mayo

College Squash Team was Runners-up in the U-14, Winners

in the U-17 and Hardline Winners in the U-19 categoty.

Ramit Bhargava and Kunal Singh (U-17) were selected for

the SGFI National Squash Tournament.

Standing out as Mayoites at the Conference

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Individual Achievements

• Rishabh Chaturvedi won a Silver medal in IPSC

Taekwondo Championship held at Rajkumar College, Rajkot

on 19 Oct 14.

• Khushraj Singh won a Silver medal and Yash Paliwal,

Vishnu Anand and Vibhudev Singh won Bronze medals in IPSC

Yoga Championship held at BPS, Pilani from 6 to 8 Nov 14.

Young Round Square Conference 2014

A group of six boys of the Junior School

accompanied by Mr. Shiraz Ellis attended the Young Round

Square Conference 2014, organised at the Vidya Devi Jindal

School, Hisar from 3 to 7 Nov 14. The theme of the

conference was 'Enrich, Empower, Elevate'. A total of

nineteen schools from India and the Gulf Region attended

the conference.

The keynote speakers enlightened the children

about the theme of the conference and shared their

experiences with them. Mr Shiraz Ellis delivered a talk on

the relevant issues and shared his ideas with the students

during the interactive session.

The boys participated in activities such as Group

Discussion, Art and Craft work, Pottery, Paper Recycling,

Cloth Dyeing and Lamp Shade Making etc with enthusiasm

and impressed everyone with their skills. A number of

adventure activities were also organized for the participants

during the conference. A mock election campaign was

organized to help the students understand the electoral

processes of a democracy. The students also got an

opportunity to do community service at a local village

school.The participants also got an opportunity to

showcase their talents. A fancy dress competition was

Junior School Buzz

Mid Term Excursions

The students of the Junior Boarding Houses

accompanied by their teachers, went on their annual Mid

Term excursion from 22 to 28 Sept 14. The three Houses -

DD House, PR House and AP House - headed towards

different destinations in Rajasthan. During their week-long

tour, they visited some of the heritage cities of Rajasthan

such as Jodhpur, Kumbalgarh, Udaipur, Jaisalmer etc. The

students had a great time with their friends and collected

first-hand information about the places they visited.

German Delegation Visits Mayo

The German Delegation comprising the principal, a

teacher, a parent representative and fourteen students from

Grund-und-Haupschule, Oheningen and FHG Radolfzell,

Germany, visited Mayo College from 27 Oct to 3 Nov 14.

During their week-long stay on the campus, they gained an

insight of the Mayo way of life and followed the same routine

with the boys and teachers of Mayo College. They happily

engaged themselves and learnt a few art forms such as glass

painting, carpentry work, jewellery designing, screen

printing etc.

A cultural evening was also organized in their

honour where the music recital by the students enthralled

them with their mesmerizing tunes. It was followed by a

dance performance by the students of Mayo College Girls'

School, which portrayed a few Indian Classical Dance forms.

They also got an opportunity to visit nearby tourist

spots which provided them a peep into the rich cultural

heritage of Rajasthan. Carrying cherished memories of their

stay at Mayo, they bid adieu to Mayo on 3 Nov 14. They

proceeded for a week-long tour to Agra, Fatehpur Sikri and

Jaipur before they finally left India on 10 Nov 14.

UK Art Teacher Visits Mayo

Ms Katza Ebertz, an art teacher at the Beechwood

Primary School, Leeds, Yorkshire, UK, visited Mayo College

from 27 Oct to 2 Nov 14. Her visit coincided with the visit of

the German Delegation which made her stay at Mayo all the

more meaningful. She interacted extensively with both the

Germans and the Mayoites.

Achievement in Sports

• Winners: IPSC Hockey Tournament at Pine Grove,

Solan from 2 to 4 Oct 14.

• Runners-Up: IPSC Skating Championship at LKSEC,

Gotan from 16 to 18 Oct 14.

The Mayo Delegation at the Conference

8 Mayoor

organised where students from different schools dressed up in the ethnic dresses of their countries. 'The White Wings' the Junior School Band, performed 'Blowing in the Wind' by Bob Dylan for the cultural evening which was a massive hit and was appreciated by one and all.

The conference proved to be an enriching

experience for both the students and the teachers. It

provided them with a platform to exhibit and develop their

leadership skills, organisational skills and team-work.

Obituary

With profound grief we inform the sad demise of:

• Rawat Hameer Singh Mehja (Class of 1954)

We pray for peace of the departed soul.

�Mr VP Singh Badnore, Hon'ble MP, Rajya Sabha (BJP)

and Chairman, Mayo College Committee, has been

appointed as the Chairman of the House Committee of the

Rajya Sabha.

�Atul Agarwal, Jaipur, (Class of 1994) reached the

Quarter Finals in the 35+ years category at the 62nd Senior

National Squash Championships held at the CCI Club,

Bombay from the 3 to 8 Nov 2014. He got a seeding in the

top 5 (All India) in the category.

Alumni Buzz

Acknowledgement

• K Natwar Singh (Class of 1944) has written and

donated a book entitled 'One Life is not Enough: An

Autobiography', to the College Library.

Mr Anant Goel (Class of 2004) has gifted a tri-scooter

to Bhanvar Lal who has been serving Mayo for last 13 years

and is afflicted with Polio.

•

Mr D S Jhala, the Librarian, attended a 5 day training

workshop on Innovative and Emerging Technologies for

Library Professionals organized by INMAS(Institute of

Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences) under the aegis of

DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organization)

New Delhi form 4 Aug to 8 Aug 14.

Mr Virendra Kumar Sharma, the Yoga Instructor,

successfully completed Foundation Course in Yoga

Ayurveda (FCYA) from Kaivalyadhama (Shreeman Madhava

Yoga Mandir Samiti, Lonavala).

My Mayo College Experience

Mayo-the very name evokes a feeling of nostalgia,

excitement, adventure and learning. But what is a woman

doing in a man's world? She is leaning in (Thanks to Sheryl

Sandberg's 'Lean In'). When I decided to quit my previous

job, the suggestion was - "Why not join Mayo College?" I

took it quite literally and as circumstances dictated, I ended

up in Mayo College, this time on the other side of the wall

though. As I consider myself a teacher without borders, I

was up for the challenge!

It is a different world with a wider perspective,

immense energy on the sports field, freedom to explore,

bonhomie, care and support. The behaviour of students

poses challenges at times but it is overcome with

persistence and patience. Language lessons are often

interrupted with, 'Can we see a football video Ma'am?'

(which happens sometimes at the end of the lesson).

When I set foot in Mayo College, I felt the absence

of my vibrant and bold friend Shakti Buddhiraja. The

Principal Maj Gen Lalotra had reposed immense trust in my

abilities when he decided to take me in as a staff member in

the senior school. Mr Kumar explained to me my role as an

English teacher and ensured all possible support from the

faculty members. Mrs Kumar's hug is a cherished one. Mr

Khati benignly took me as a team member. Alfred, my

classmate from a long time ago, lifted my sagging spirits.

Achal found time to familiarise me with the surroundings

and Girish helped me understand the overall functioning of

the school. Kuntal kept me posted with what I needed to do

next. Mr Pradhan's witticisms evoked humour. Shalini,

Roma and Garima befriended me.

On my arrival at my residence, I was warmly

greeted by Mr and Mrs Johnson and their son Sami who, I

cannot fail to mention, has received very good grooming

from his mother. This set the tone for my stay here. Their

warmth touched my heart and hence finds expression in my

writing. So, what do I do here? I build up on the language

skills of students, give them a taste of literature, mentor

them and most importantly, emphasize the importance of

good behaviour. And yes, I walk with the peacocks. The

campus is an amazing place to be in!

Mrs Gayatri Roy

Musings and Jottings

Staff News

9Mayoor

Jawaharlal Nehru: The Romantic Statesman

There are many instances when men decide to

comment upon the accomplishments and the misgivings of

their predecessors and what I intend to do through the

words of this article is nonetheless the same. Though I may

not apparently make an admission. No figure in history is

above scrutiny, for one's life is a lesson for posterity, either to

follow or to be cautious about. However I feel that

Jawaharlal Nehru has faced the light of scrutiny far greater

than what was politically or otherwise necessary.

On 24 Oct 14, Kesari, a mouthpiece of the RSS,

went to the extent of saying that Nathuram Godse, the

assassin of Mahatma Gandhi should have killed Nehru

instead of killing Gandhi. The public opinion too, though in

lighter degrees, seems to be quite affirmative, often blaming

Nehru for the debacle of 1962, which subsequently resulted

in the Sino-Indian war or for the failed grandiose model of

Socialism which killed a sense of initiative and enterprise.

"The evil that men do lives after them; the good is

oft interred with their bones"- said Mark Antony in Caesar's

funeral speech. It was Nehru who played the most

significant role in keeping India together after

independence. Fighting against a wave of right-winged

fundamentalism and the romanticism surrounding

communism, the man held the reins and made India sail

through the path of socialism. If one could visualize and

assimilate the popular sentiment after partition, when the

greatest mass migration in history was taking place and a

two-nation theory on the basis of religion was killing the

essence of humanity, rather than going with the popular

wave of animosity, it was Nehru who prevented India from

becoming a 'Hindu Pakistan'. Though, this does not in any

way undermine the contribution of India's Political Power

House- Gandhi and Patel.

Nehru also faced much criticism for pulling the

country back due to a messed-up foreign policy in the name

of Non-Alignment. Although, if one looks back into the

times when the whole world was polarized, it was indeed

very audacious for a leader who led a third-world country to

gather ground for Non-Alignment of nations. Nehru could

have easily succumbed to the temptation of aligning with

either side for benefits to his country but he chose a path

which went on to become the cornerstone of a unique

policy whose benefits are now being reaped by Modern

India.

Nehru presented an ideal picture of India, a socialist

state with progressive institutions, robust industrialization

and quality education. Let's face it! Or as Nehru said, "Let us

be a little humble; let us think that the truth may not perhaps

be entirely with us."

Night

The night echoes a thousand words,

Through the intense silence it hoards.

Multifarious images,

Disjointed narratives,

Fragments that make a whole,

Encapsulate my being,

Awaken my dreams,

From soothing reverie,

To frenzied screams.

Alas! The day has come,

Cacophony's reign has come.

The night puts itself to sleep,

The multifarious images,

The disjointed narratives,

-Pranaav Parrth (XI)

The fragments, all cast a fading peep.

It is an oft-repeated sequence,

Yet, why don't we hear the Silence?

-Arun Arora

English Department

My little brother follows me…

Two little footsteps chase me all day

A tiny little mouth, with so much to say

Two twinkling eyes imitate all I do

Of the tiny little brother who's really cute!

He demands all I have

And gets it for free!

He fights with me all day

Yet I help him climb the tree!

He misses me when I'm away

Cries when I scrape my knee.

I feel so responsible now

For my little brother follows me.

Pranav Khandelwal (V)

10 Mayoor

Preservation of environment has become an

intrinsic duty of humans to sustain human life on earth and to

leave a better world for the future generations. The

students and teachers of Mayo College have taken a small

but significant step towards preserving and nurturing bird

life on the campus by setting up an open roof bird sanctuary

in the school. It houses a number of domestic and migratory

birds and cares for them without caging them or curtailing

their freedom to soar in the open skies.

This bird sanctuary provides an idyllic setting for the

birds to make them feel at home with a green cover,

protected environment and water bodies that dot the

sanctuary like pools. They can splash and bathe as they do in

their natural habitat.

Since its inception in 2013, it has become a happy

home to different species like emus, guinea fowls, pea fowls,

ducks, homing and fan tail pigeons, parakeets, cockerels,

turkeys etc. The presence of some energetic squirrels and

playful rabbits has added life to the sanctuary. The number of

permanent and migratory birds is growing as more and

more birds are finding their way in this safe haven with the

contributions of the students and some Old Boys who have

donated eggs to hatch and birds from their farms and

homes.

Apart from the healthy birds that choose to visit and

stay here, the sanctuary has also taken up the responsibility

of nursing and caring for injured and ailing birds in a bird

hospital which is being operated in the sanctuary itself. It has

reduced the suffering of birds and animals. It also instills a

Mayo College Bird SanctuaryAn Initiative

sense of responsibility and empathy among the students

who visit the sanctuary regularly. The students have

developed a bonding with the birds and are happy to share

their space with other creatures, fostering special love and

appreciation.

The bird sanctuary is supported by all the students

as they contribute Rs 5/- every week for the bird feed from

the Canteen coupons they receive. The staff and other

visitors also contribute for the sanctuary generously.

Today, it is a sheer delight to see eggs hatch, small

chicks frolic around fearlessly in their new habitat. This

uniquely significant idea has achieved its aim i.e. to sensitize

the students about the grave environmental issues and

preservation of nature. Recently a Bird Watching Club has

been formed with 20 students members. Arshad Khan has

been appointed the Student In-charge and Raunak Singh

Hura, the Secretary of the club. It is a pleasant sight every day

to see a large number of boys, staff and their children making

a visit to the sanctuary to meet up with their favourite birds.

11Mayoor

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If undelivered, please return to MAYO COLLEGE, AJMER-305008