The ties that bind students

Himmat Singh Dhillon

THE venue of the press conference was the imposing Darbar Hall at Daly College, Indore. Representatives of old students’ associations from Doon, Sanawar, Scindia, Mayo and Daly were present. The participants were waxing eloquent about the alumni cricket bash. A veteran sports journalist asked: ‘So, did any of you interact with one another while you were students? If yes, are there interesting memories you would like to share?’

A hand was raised by a representative of The Scindia School. He went down memory lane to 1988, when the Gwalior-based school was hosting the Indian Public Schools Debate and Quiz. Teams had arrived from several top schools of the country. There were four contestants from The Lawrence School, Sanawar — two debaters and two quizzers. The hosts spared no effort in making the visiting students feel at home.

The fly in the ointment was the hot weather. During a round of the campus (the Fort), the students spotted a swimming pool. A desire was expressed to have a swim. The Sanawarians, who were used to the cool climes of Himachal Pradesh, were feeling the full onslaught of the central Indian weather.

Meanwhile, the debaters debated, the quizzers were quizzed and various cultural and social events took place as planned. Suddenly, on the sidelines of the semifinals of the debate competition, a Scindia debater told the Sanawarians that a swim was out of the question as the pool was closed till further orders. However, something could be arranged, he said. Consequently, a brief meeting took place with the swimming captain, a personable youngster named Badil.

The swim finally took place, even as the sky was turning from a wonderful pink to the richest sapphire. The water was deliciously cool and the effect of the swim was most pleasing. And yes, the forbidden fruit is always sweeter! The two swimmers in the whole pool were a Sanawarian and the swimming captain. It was never clear whether the preliminary preparations included a wall being scaled or whether a key to the lock securing the grill had been procured. All said and done, it was all made possible by the generosity of the swimming captain of the host school.

The narrator took a dramatic pause and declared that the captain he had spoken about was Banjul Badil, the president of The Scindia School Old Boys’ Association. Badil was there on the dais. Looking at me, the speaker told the gathering that the Sanawarian swimmer, now the Headmaster, was present too. Thus he concluded the story that fittingly showcased the inter-school bond between students.

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