​BESC celebrates the Independence Day

“This time it is different” said Prof Dilip Shah, the Dean of student affairs as he addressed the thousand odd students who had gathered in the Turf to celebrate the Independence Day at the Bhawanipur Education Society College (BESC). “This time it is different because we will consciously try to move beyond the ceremonies and ensure that this special day is accorded the love and respect that we bear for it in our hearts – walk the talk!”

The Tricolour was unfurled with full solemnity and was followed by a march past in which students of the Bhawanipur School and the NCC unit of the college took part. This was followed by a rousing speech by Prof Suman Mukherjee, The Director General of the College, wherein spelt out the true meaning of freedom, the untold sacrifices of our forefathers with which it was won and urged the young to take the vow to guard it to their last breath.

Students of the ICSE and ISC sections paid a glowing tribute to the freedom fighters, singling out Lala Lajpat Rai, whose name the college proudly bears in its address. Crescendo, the Music Collective of the college, then presented a patriotic number that heightened the gravity of the occasion. Fashionista, the fashion collective of the college then interpreted the spirit that is India through a fashion show that was aptly titled “Unity in Diversity”.

However, what set the occasion apart and helped it reach a higher level was the pledge that all assembled took. The directives from the concerned authorities about Independence Day celebrations were read out and going a step further, BE-ites took one of the five pledges that were premeditated. “I will give my hundred percent to the Nation; I will work to uphold the moral values; I will work to protect the environment; I will put a smile on the face of a fellow citizen and I will learn and pursue excellence” being the pledges that were taken in a unique show of reverence for the occasion. Students, members of the faculty and staff members proudly held placards that were prepared for the special occasion and posed in front of the specially erected backdrop to save their oath for posterity and spread the message.

A token sapling was also presented to Champaklal Doshi, the Chairman of the college to mark the various initiatives taken by BESC students to not only spread awareness about environmental protection and the adoption of sustainable lifestyles, but also to reverse the ill effects of Global warming and Climate Change.

The assembled crowd was also informed about another BESC initiative to mark the Independence Day wherein college students helped three hundred orphans celebrate the occasion. Here too, the stress was on the breaking of the mould, to move beyond the customary distribution food packets. Accordingly, the children were engaged in a number of games that were aimed at fostering life lessons apart from distributing various edible goodies.

Later, on the 20^th of August 2017, Enact, the theatre collective of the college, organised a street play in the Simpark to reach out to the people at large with their interpretation of the meaning of Independence. Here too, the underlying urge was to break out from the college campus and spread the message among the people where there is a need for such awareness.

This report has been filed by Deblina Mukherjee and Sakshi Shaw with camera persons Rajarshi Das, Arnab Paul and Rishank Suraiya of the Expressions Collective of the College.