Amritsar : Honing the message of Peace through the life of- one of the greatest propagators of peace and honesty, the tiny tots of Delhi Public School, Amritsar role played different incidents of life of Father of the Nation on the theme – “From Gandhi to Mahatma” to mark the Gandhi Jayanti celebrations.
The show on Gandhi ji’s life was presented by the Sunshine wing on the Annual Day held in school premises. More than 183 students presented on stage, the way Gandhi ji’s life heralded a new era for India as a sovereign, democratic, republic.
Ms Sangeeta Singh, the School principal after a welcome to the chief guest Dr Simran Singh saidin her address said the Gandhi Jayanti celebrations involving many activities including sapling distribution and plantation by the school would culminate on October 2, the birthday of the Mahatma.
In a step further, to make students understand about the freedom struggle and role of the Mahatma to win Independence using nonviolent means, they were given an insight into the life and times of Mahatma Gandhi and encouraged to think about the sacrifices rendered by freedom fighters in an analysis about the value of freedom for a country.
On notes of Sanskrit Shloks and lighting of diyas the show began with the introduction of the childhood of Mahatma Gandhi .
The presentation opened with the “Assassination Scene” where Gandhi jee uttered the words “Hey Ram, Hey Ram, Hey Ram !” as he was shot thrice by Nathuram Godse and left for his heavenly abode.
The presentation thereon took a flashback to how young Gandhi spent his childhood and overcame his extreme fear of darkness identifying common children’s fears and easy and sensible solution for it. Many students sat gaping and identifying their own problems with the life of Gandhi Ji.
In another instance of Gandhi ji’s early life, when as a nine year old Gandhi was asked to cheat the word ‘kettle’ from a classmate’s notebook and his refusal to do so elevating his stature amongst fellow students.
The presentation showed glimpses of the period when Gandhiji faced‘Racial Discrimination’ while travelling in a train to Pretoria, South Africa, where he was thrown out of the train by an Englishman. Children displayed the depth of each character.
How Gandhi fought against racial discrimination and his ultimate returnafter spending two decades in South Africa, and his welcome by the common men and political leaders.
The next part of the show highlighted the movements led by Gandhi ji like- Swadeshi movement (the boycott of foreign products where he encouraged people to spin their own yarn and become self-sufficient. The scenes of Dandi march, the salt satyagraha, that triggered wider civil disobedience, that later on led to Independence of India.
The final scene ended with an patriotic song “Dey dee hamein Azadi…” wherein other famous peace loving personalities who followed the footsteps of Gandhi stepped in their costumes of Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King others, who too led their life spreading and following the of Gandhi. The tiny tots sang –an inspiring song to overcome obstacles and emerge in life with‘We shall overcome’. The programme drew thunderous applause besides tears in some eyes