Indian Education School, Kuwait celebrated its 17th Annual Day majestically in the school premises on January 20, 2023. The awe-inspiring evening was an opulent epitome of colourful programmes foregrounding the theme ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, commemorating India’s 75th anniversary of Independence.
The monumental event was held in high esteem with the gracious presence of the Chief Guest, Dr. M. Abdul Salam, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Calicut, Kerala, India, Dr. K.T. Nandakumar, Principal of Bhavans Pearl Wisdom School, Al Ain, Mr. N.K. Ramachandran Menon, Chairman of Bhavans Middle East, Mrs. Sudha Ramachandran, CA Sooraj Ramachandran, Vice Chairman of Bhavans Middle East, CA Divya Rajesh Ramachandran, Director of Bhavans Middle East, Mr. P.B Krishnadas Menon, Director of Bhavans Kuwait, Mr. T. Premkumar, Principal of Indian Education School, Kuwait, Mr. Mahesh Iyer, Principal of Smart Indian School, Kuwait, Ms. Albin Daisy, Vice Principal of SIS, Ms. Bavitha Bright, Vice Principal of Cambridge Wing, SIS, Ms. Rajni Menon, Kindergarten Supervisor of SIS, Ms. Meenakshi Nayyar and Mr. Binoy Mathew, Vice Principals, IES, Ms. Muneera Mammikutty, Headmistress of IES, teachers, parents and students of IES.
The formal function started with a sublime rendition of the Kuwait National Anthem by the school choir and proceeded with a noble recital of sacred verses from the Holy Quran by Abdul Hadi of grade 8. The ceremonial lamp symbolizing divinity, wisdom and goodness was lit conjointly by the Chief Guest Dr. M. Abdul Salam along and the other dignitaries.
Subsequently, a divine prayer song by the school choir disseminated an ambience of tranquillity which was followed by the dulcet tones of the high-spirited Bhavans anthem. The gathering then stood and observed one-minute silence in memory of late Mr. Sunil Kumar who was an integral part of Bhavans Kuwait and played a pivotal role in the annual day celebrations of the school. The dynamic dancers of IES invoked the blessings of the Almighty with an ebullient invocation dance accompanied by ‘Swaranjali’- a dance and musical treat by the young bhavanites.
Zara Imtiyaz Mahadiwala, Vice President of the Student Parliament extended a congenial welcome to the distinguished dignitaries and guests for the day. Later, the little virtuosos of the junior choir entertained the audience with a mellifluous welcome song.
The school report was punctiliously presented by the Principal, Mr. T. Premkumar accentuating the enterprising initiatives, achievements, and accolades of all departments. The report succinctly covered every single attainment of the school in the academic year 2022-2023.
The Chief Guest addressing the august gathering praised the quality of Bhavans schools under the scrupulous management of Mr. NK Ramachandran Menon. He urged the parents and teachers to focus on the holistic development of the children rather than the marks that they secure at the end of the year, as they should be prepared for a career that may not be existing today. Mr. NK Ramachandran Menon in his speech thanked the parent fraternity of IES for extending staunch support in all the endeavours of the school. CA Sooraj Ramachandran emphasised that the role of a teacher is like an assiduous gardener who takes utmost care in executing his duty. He stressed on the significance of students spending more time in school. CA Divya Rajesh Ramachandran in her formal address gave an in-depth talk on freedom and persuaded parents to allow children to follow their dreams.
A felicitation ceremony hosted by Ms. Sindhu Ashok, Head of the Department of Biology, honoured the dazzling stars of IES who excelled in the curricular and co-curricular arena. Sricharan Sridhar, Alicia Rose Sebastian, and Vishnu Balram were acknowledged for their academic brilliance. Dhruva Bharadwaj of grade 11 was presented a memento for winning the first-ever silver medal in the CBSE Under 17 National Badminton Championship from Kuwait. Ms. Elizabeth Thomas, a member of the Department of Information and Technology was honoured with an award for her committed and meritorious service. Tejas, an exquisite creation of articles, poetry, tales, and artworks drawn from the intricacies of Bhavanites' hearts was officially released by Dr. M Abdul Salam. As a token of appreciation and gratitude, a memento was presented to him by the Chairman Mr N. K. Ramachandran Menon.
A musical treat by the school band captivated the audience with their soulful symphony. The prime focus of the day was a theatrical extravaganza titled ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, directed by Ms. Sujatha Jaishankar, faculty member of the Department of Social Science. Mr. Shylesh V, faculty member of the Department of English, added magical charm to the visual treat with his brilliant audio-visual editing. The artistic masterpiece was an odyssey through the Indian independence movement, spotlighting the supreme sacrifices of the unsung heroes of the freedom struggle. The stupendous performance portrayed the fight against the exceptionally harsh colonial rule in India displaying variegated stories of extraordinary valour recreating the foreign invasions across the length and breadth of the subcontinent, the vigorous Revolt of 1857, the enormous sacrifice of Birsa Munda, the chaotic partition of Bengal, the inhuman Jallianwalabagh massacre, the unified Dandi March, and the daring efforts of Subash Chandra Bose and Indian National Army.
Abhipsa Panda, Cultural Secretary of the Student Parliament, proposed the vote of thanks. The spectacular occasion of festivity culminated with the harmonious Indian National Anthem. Livia Maria Saji, Manha Anees Shina, Gracey Banerjee and Advika Ram were the emcees for the day. The epoch-making event which lasted for more than four hours left the spectators spellbound and stirred up patriotic fervour.