69th Independence Day Celebration at ILM!
Kids are innocent and pure. And they do not understand the distinctions of caste, creed, tongue and state. They treat everyone the same - with a quick smile and genuine curiosity. They have the 'unity' part down pat!
On this 15th of August, we celebrated Independence Day with the theme 'unity in diversity.' Our aim was to make them appreciate the beauty of each and every corner of our great nation, keeping in mind that differences in culture and expression add to our richness but at the end of the day, pride at being an Indian is what holds the country together.
THE DAY DAWNED CLEAR AND THERE WAS EXCITEMENT IN THE AIR:
ILM takes its celebrations seriously and the kids were determined to enthral and enchant their proud parents vying for the front rows seats. The ambience was electric.
STARTING OFF WITH 'MY NAME IS MADHAVI'
The national unity and integration anthem of the 21st century tiny-tots, 'My name is Madahavi' was the obvious choice. Not only is the track by the inimitable Usha Uthup, the beats are paced out and friendly. Ideal for ILM children, dolled up in the attires of different states to convey the heart touching message 'I am just like you'.
If you haven't heard this tune before and ended up missing our Independence Day celebrations, do watch below.
ENCOURAGING THE ORATORS:
The second performance was a recitation. It had to be! India needs its future to be bright and articulate. Thus we do not waste any opportunity to hone and cultivate the natural spontaneity and speaking abilities of our students. Over the course of the entire program, we did our best to include every child in the festivities and proceedings. After all, one has to give them exposure early on if we want them to shine.
With the opening lines
"Tastes differ, Views differ,Voices differ, Features differ,Persons differ, Thumb prints differ.Races differ, Castes differ...."
echoing the sentiments of 'My Name is Madahavi', the segment was well received by the audience and imminently interesting.
THE FLAG HOISTING:
After a rousing introduction by Tanav, the flag was hoisted tall and proud to the first chords of the National Anthem. The tiny tots stood in an obedient line, their faces displaying the determination of good, little troopers out to do their nation proud!
PRESENTING THE MUSEUM OF TONGUES:
We live in a country that has warmly embraced more than 200 local dialects and languages to its bosom. No where else can this abundance be found. ILM kids Rafaa and Avez took to the stage and talked at length about this facet of 'Unity in Diversity' and enlightened everyone present about the popular and the obscure of the India sub-continent's language treasure trove.
Their hard work and perseverance paid off as the presentation entertained and educated at the same time. A tough feat to pull off.
THE NATIONAL LANGUAGE FERVOUR:
How could Hindi be left from the roster? The fifth segment was sweet and mellifluous as the ILM tiny tots matched pitches and scales to deliver a competent rendition of the song 'Hind Desh ke Niwasi Sabhi jan ek h...rang rup vesh bhusha jahe anek h...'
WORLD HERE WE COME!
Unity like charity starts at home...or in this case at school. The elementary kids generously shared the stage with pre-elementary little ones inspiring them to work tirelessly towards making India a super-power. It brought tears to many eyes as the young and the enthusiastic sang 'Nanna Muna Rahee hoon,desh ka sipahee hoon' and meant every word.
BIDDING ADIEU:
All good things must come to an end. And so did our little patriotic tableau. But we closed in grand style with Avez uttering the following lines:
"I love India,whereCulture echoes,Tradition speaks,Beauty enthralsandDiversity delights.
Happy Independence Day!"
We must grow every year and bring new precedents of success to our beloved ILM. The 69th Independence Day celebration was grand. The 70th will be magnificent! In the mean time, here are more images to give you a feel of the event.
