Students brave 5-hr ordeal for 8-minute ‘shloka’ show

Vishal Joshi

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, December 7

The Kurukshetra Development Board (KDB)’s wish to set a world record made more than 18,000 students sit in the open on a chilly morning for more than five hours. Students reached the venue at 8 am. They were made to sit on moist mats for three hours till the function began at 11 am.

The board had planned to set a world record of the largest gathering reciting ‘shlokas’ of the Bhagavad Gita. The eight-minute show was organised at Theme Park in the city as part of the International Gita Mahotsav-2016.

The managements of various government and private schools in the districts were directed to reach the venue along with students by 8 am. A few Surya Namaskar asanas were to be performed followed by recitation of ‘shlokas’.

However, the programme began at 11 am and till then, students remained squatted on mats covered by moist caused by fog. After the programme ended at around 11.30 am, speeches by dignitaries took over two hours.

Chief Minster Manohar Lal Khattar, Union Minister Krishan Pal Gurjar and RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale and several top bureaucrats attended the function.

The programme was convened by a city-based religious leader Swami Gyananand, also a key organiser of the Gita Jayanti celebrations.

Sources said each school was told to send a given number of students to the function. They were asked not to leave the venue till filming was done by a drone camera later in the day.

Students complained that they were not provided with any refreshment or water. Schools said there were directions against allowing students to carry eatables along to ensure “swachhta” at the venue.

Teachers told The Tribune that girls faced problems as there were long queues at two mobile toilet vans stationed at the venue. They said the function should have concluded early in view of the weather. “We were told that the programme will last for less than two hours. Students and teachers are feeling restless in this biting cold and the public conveniences are not enough. Students are hungry too,” lamented a woman teacher at the function.

Another teacher said students were picked at around 7.15 am from their houses and dropped back at 3.30 pm. “Contrary to the much publicised ‘Swachhta campaign’, students had to urinate in the open due to poor arrangements,” said a teacher of a private school in the city.

Deputy Commissioner Sumedha Kataria said due to dense fog today, arrival of students was delayed by over an hour. The CM and other dignitaries agreed to wait till all students arrived, she said. “Active participation of schools is behind the success of the programme. Every effort was made to ensure due arrangements were in place. However, we regret inconvenience caused to anyone,” she said.