The students of A.M.U.P. School at Vengad near Valanchery in the district greeted the New Year by reasserting their commitment to uphold the country’s secular and pluralistic ethos.
In a rare gesture, 1,000-odd students of the school wrote on the school compound wall their names and the most significant things they know about their country. They made their imprints within the
letters that read “India Ente Rajyamaanu” (India is my country).
First, they outlined the initial words of the national pledge in large letters in Malayalam. Then, each student wrote their name, and that of the country’s major rivers, mountains, birds, animals and memorials
using different colour pens. They used Malayalam, English, Hindi, Arabic, Urdu and Sanskrit languages.
The students also wrote the names of major freedom fighters, writers and reformers. They also took a pledge to uphold the country’s secular legacy.
The programme, organised under the banner of the school’s Social Science Club, evoked enthusiastic response from the students, teachers, and parents.
The teachers who helped the students said that they could send out a message to the children about the religious and linguistic diversity of the country.
School headmaster T. Gopalakrishnan, manager T.K. Susheela, and school leader K. Abhijit spoke.
Science Club
The school’s Social Science Club had taught the children the importance of protecting the earth and being vigilant against landslips through a unique project of making mud and paper houses and placing
them near an artificial mud hill. The overnight rain that lashed the area had shown the children how vulnerable it was for those living in the fringe areas of hills and how dangerous it was to destroy hills and mountains.
