Independence Day
The 76th Independence Day was celebrated with love and pride by the students and staff of NPS International, Chennai on the 15th of August, 2022. That morning as the school congregated around the quadrangle, the students and teachers had little cloth flags pinned proudly on them as they awaited the special programme.
The hour-long celebration began with a soulful invocation song by students of grades 6 to 8. Then, the tri-colour flag was hoisted by our Principal Ms. Sudha Balan, with everyone saluting the flag with honour and respect. An introduction about the history of our national flag and the meaning and relevance of the tricolours was shared, followed by the Tamil Flag Song ‘Thaayin Manikodi’ and Bharathiyar’s ‘Vande Mataram,’ were sung. The entire school sang to the tune of ‘Bharath Humko’ in three different languages, echoing the spirit of unity. The music and the brief reminders of the meaning behind these patriotic symbols was quite moving, and elevated everyone’s spirits.
We had a thought-provoking and inspiring speech by our Principal, who spoke about the struggles and perseverance of our freedom fighters to attain independence, the value of independence in our life, and the type of India that we should all strive for. Throughout her speech, emphasis was laid on the roles and duties inherited by the citizens of our country, to uphold and recover the glories from our past. The Principal urged everyone to contribute in their own ways for the betterment and prosperity of our nation.
In honour of the occasion, students from middle years presented short snippets of forgotten heroes from India’s fight for freedom. From Durgavati Devi and Jhalkari Bai to Jatindra Nath Das and Tiruppur Kumaran, stories of sheer courage and patriotism were shared, leaving the audience captivated.
We had riveting speeches presented by our senior students in Hindi, Tamil, Sanskrit and English. One of our faculty members spoke to the students about the true meaning of freedom and the responsibilities that comes along with it. The event ended with the Vote of thanks and singing of the National Anthem.
The students had a short snack break after the celebration with celebratory sweets, followed by a little swadeshi activity of making paper bags for the use of the younger students. The students thoroughly enjoyed the activity, and dispersed in high spirits.
