Saare Jahan Se Acha Hindustan hamara

By RK Rishikesh Sinha, New Delhi

Students of Kendriya Vidyalayas, the largest system of Central government schools in India, which serve children of Defence Personnel, share something common in their experiences of school days.

About the school:  A Central School or Kendriya Vidyalaya, has always a vibrant and invigorated environment with frequent transfer of students. The most distinct feature that characterizes a central school is its creating a mini-India in the school. KV Students are mostly the children of personnel under different armed forces posted out to different parts of India. They speak different mother tongues, born and brought up in different localities, defence campuses, and bring with them traits of all these specialties.

A student who has studied in different Kendriya Vidyalayas located in different regions of India could hardly remember all the friends’ name who had once shared his bench, and classroom in his schooldays. It is often seen one-third students who make a new class usually left at the end of the academic session, changing the overall look of the whole class, and the whole school.

A student remaining in a school for more than 3 years is often being asked the silly question: When will your father get posting? I remember, this question was frequently asked to my brother by his teacher in KV Air Force Station, Srinagar, J&K.  Got irritated, my brother once said, “Sir, my father has got posted to Andaman and Nicober Island!”

The entry of new students in a class sometimes creates havoc for the old students! Especially, when they remove the topper tag from the earlier class toppers very cruelly and change the dynamics of the whole class. I had seen such incidents so many times in my school life when a new student supersedes the earlier topper in studies.

Reference: It is another unique characteristic of the KV. One will find students giving reference to his friend whose father is posted in a region from where he had come. “OK your father is posted there…, you will be admitted either in that school or there…and if you get admission in that school from where I came ….meet my cousin…, my friends…and say I’m OK on behalf of me.” It is really great when you find a mentor to guide you for the journey in a new school.

Many times, it happens, a junior or a senior or even your previous classmate coming to the same school where you are studying since long time… And suddenly a student visits you referred by your previous school friends. It is so beautiful giving reference or being referred.

NDA craze: It is another feature that KVites are smitten with very early in their schooldays. Students narrate stories like folklore about how their seniors get into the Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy through the National Defence Academy. The mania goes so deep that students would have already planned where they will be joining - in the Indian Army, the Air Force or in the Indian Navy. When the D-day comes, the whole class XII students would appear for the exam at any cost! In my case, my friends went to Jammu for appearing in the exam from Kashmir, which was 300 kilometers away. And some friends went further down to Chandigarh. However, I was alone who appeared in the Kashmir valley. The center of examination was at Amar Singh College at Gojji Bagh, Srinagar.

Bharat ka Swarnim Gaurav Kendriya Vidyalaya Layega: Every KV student from Leh Ladhak to Kanyakumari, from Porbandar to Itanagar has definitely sung this song with open throat beside a music teacher with a harmonium at the assembly in the early morning. The Almighty God’s prayer ‘Daya Kar daan Vidya ka’ cleanses every KV soul with its divinity and gives amnesty for all mischief. Other songs like Saare Jahan Se Acha, Hum Honge Kaamyaab, Hind Desh Ke Niwasi Sabhi Jan ek hai…weaves the students in one string of Bharatiyata.

Kendriya Vidyalaya Geet

Armoury Mascot: One will find most of the KV schools under Air Force have fighter aircraft in their entrance. If you visit KV Borjhar, Guwahati, Assam, and KV No 2, Air Force Station, Srinagar, you would see 1971 aircraft. Even KVs under Army, you will find tanks and other artillery armoury in the campus. Visit KV Masimpur, Assam, there is a tank on the way of school.

My school days experiences of Kendriya Vidyalaya are precious memories of lifetime. In my opinion, the feeling of oneness imbued into me is due to KV culture in which I have grown up. It is really a proud feeling when some body eulogizes Kendriya Vidyalaya as one of the best schools in the country.

My friends out there, who did their schooling in Kendriya Vidyalaya, must have same proud feeling ‘Saare Jahan Se Acha Hindustan hamara.’ 

Today is Lamboishing (Sunday)

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