Former EC gifts paintings to Lawrence School

Tribune News Service

Solan, May 20

Former Election Commissioner of India Naveen Chawla today gifted two paintings of first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi to Lawrence School, Sanawar. The paintings are the creation of Fred Lavergna, a US-based nonagenarian.

Lavergna, a professional painter, who had painted three Indian dignitaries, including Mother Teresa, was keen to gift these to an institution which would value these.

Chawla was approached by Lalit Mansingh, a former Indian diplomat, to carry these paintings to India and ensure that they were delivered to appropriate institutions.

Being an old student of Lawrence School, he brought two paintings here. The painting of Mother Teresa was donated to the Kolkata-based Mother Teresa Charitable Trust.

A special assembly was convened at the school today. Chawla exhorted the students to work hard as there was no shortcut to success.

Chawla, who passed his Senior Cambridge from this school in 1961, said, “This school has instilled confidence in me and I believe I can do whatever I want.”

“Even if you are indecisive about your future at this stage, an honest endeavour will help you reach the highest levels of success in whatever you choose to do,” said Chawla.

He said it was a chance discussion in a peer group that the idea of taking the IAS exam stuck him. “There was no career counselling in those days,” he recalls.

Vinay Pande, headmaster, extended a vote of thanks to Chawla.

Creation of US artist

• The paintings are the creation of Fred Lavergna, a US-based nonagenarian
• Lavergna, who had painted three Indian dignitaries, including Mother Teresa, was keen to gift these to an institution which would value these
• Being an old student of Lawrence School, Naveen Chawla brought the paintings of Nehru and Gandhi here