YADAVINDRA MUSINGS
The sweetest memories of my life are of school days spent in the portals of YPS, Patiala. Each activity of school times be it academics, sports, Hobbies Clubs, extra curricular activities like debates, dramatics. electrocution, etc were designed in a manner that they brought out the best in us and left an indelible lasting impression on our young minds that subconsciously guides our decision making even today when confronted with challenging assignments.
A healthy mind resides in a healthy body. YPS had the routine of a military school but without the strict mechanical motions of a military drill. A typical day started with PT in the morning under supervision of one of the house masters and a student appointment, followed by a quick bath and dressing up. Dressing room in the boarding school was the most happening place. Rolling of the turban, learning to tie the knot of the tie and shining shoes, well ironed uniform were the virtues acquired there .It has become a second nature today.
A lavish breakfast, especially Aloo Parathas, was something we all looked forward to. Even today the taste is intact and mere mention results in watering of the mouth.
We were all required to walk to classes as a group with books in our hands. There was no satchel culture in YPS especially in senior classes. It gave you that feeling of being in a college. Academic classes taken by the best in the country cleared some of the fundamentals or concepts so well that even today they are crystal clear. Thumb rule given by late Mr Passy “ As the mites go up tites come down” flashes past our mind when talking of calcium carbonate formations in caves.Mr D Dasgupta ( Fondly remembered as DDG) taught us to measure the length and breadth of an object with a pencil. Arts room was where our imagination took wings and brought our creativity to the fore. Mr CS Rathore had his own impeccable style of teaching SurdasKeDohe. Mrs Dhundia taught us that simple words of the Queen's language if used wisely can be really impactful. Reading Merchant of Venice or Treasure Island in class was a joyful activity . Mr Jawanda was the one who sharpened our cartographic skills and courtesy him the world map is deeply etched in the memory. Late Mr HN Kashyap had his own unique style of teaching poetry . “Old order Changeth yielding place to new '' and “ Our sweetest Songs are those that tell of saddest thoughts” are some of his lines that still vibrate with the same frequency even today. Mr Lal Singh made the chemistry so simple and Mr ON Sethi and Mr Paul made biology so interesting. Similarly Mr SPS in his anglicized accent put across the history lessons very well.His delivery was unmatchable . Similarly there were many more legends in school days Like Mr SDS Deol , Mr Malkit Singh and Mr Bhandari who I was not fortunate to be tutored by. They all contributed to the rich enabling environment of YPS.
Siesta after lunch (rest period) was well utilized by some of us to develop the habit of reading. This takes me back to the School library, so well managed by Mr Jain (the librarian). In those days of manual book management, he could tell with atomic precision as to which book was available on which shelf. A cup of tea or a glass of squash with some food was good enough to energize us for games. It was a treat to see students sweating it out in the playfields. YPS is really blessed that it is next to NIS, Patiala and some of its coaches conducted short capsules for us to hone our sports and athletics skills. Killer instincts were developed in us during inter house matches. Late Mr Baweja, like a true Yogi, was at the cricket ground in scorching heat to develop national level cricketers.
Evening study period used to be sufficient to revise the day’s notes and do homework. Practicing for debates and dramatics used to be OTW (Own time work during spare time). Many of us learnt swimming the life saving skill at YPS (Army Swimming Pool). Now YPS has its own swimming pool but the iconic ship had to be dismantled to make space for it.
Many support staff like the house boys i.e. Mastu and Gurdev who would fix a broken button, waiters like Punjanb and Milkhee who could handle such a large crowd with ease and the nursing assistant Gurdiyal Singh who would also regale the patient students with stories of service rendered in the royal palace of Patiala . They all had a role to play in helping us become what we are today.
YPS Patiala is indeed a nursery of good leaders and citizens. From top notch sportsmen, bureaucrats, military officers, entrepreneurs, businessmen and agriculturists you name a field and YPS is proud of having contributed to it. We are really fortunate to be YPS products. Long live YPS and Yadavindrians!
Brig P M Bali (Phulkian House, ICSE 1985)
FROM PATNA TO PATIALA
A voyage that transported me to a whole new exciting world, transforming my life forever while forming bonds of a lifetime!
Nostalgic reminiscences of a grateful YPS scholar!
There used to be a Government of India scheme called the National Talent Search Examination (NTSE), whereby academically bright children from economically and socially disadvantaged groups and backward regions were selected via an exam. Qualified students were provided opportunities to study in reputed boarding schools such as Doon Public School, DPS, Raj Kumar College Raipur, Mayo, St. Paul’s and of course our own great YPS. It was primarily a scheme to discover talents from the hinterland and offer them better educational opportunities along with broader social and cultural exposure. The higher and long-term policy objectives were national integration and to ignite positive spin-offs back home. The entire academic and boarding fee including other expenses such as books and school uniform was borne by the government. In YPS, such students were commonly called scholars, though many like me are yet to become a scholar in true sense while some were born scholars!
Ok, so one fine day in 1978, one learnt that I had qualified for NTSE scholarship. And that I would be moving to a school in Punjab for further education (pun intended). Secretly, I couldn’t be happier to be away from my tough father. But I had absolutely no idea what awaited me. The only thing that I knew or had faint impression about Punjab was that people there were quite big and strong and that it was the most prosperous state in India.Soon after with one iron trunk with my name written haphazardly on it with a red nail polish(The trunk has been part and parcel of me ever since. And even after 43 years and despite many serious attempts by my family, I have not been able to bring myself to dispose of it), one boarded the train for Punjab under the charge of a village school headmaster who also used to run a popular boarding cum coaching school to prepare students for NTSE. Another boy from his school was also there as he had also been allotted the same school as I. Early next morning, we found ourselves getting down at a station called Ambala; had tea and some biscuits at a platform shop where a poster of Dharmendra was hanging before heading to bus-stand just across the station. And then we boarded the bus for our final destination – Patiala. Don’t remember anything of the last leg of the journey except the fact that one kept noticing big burly robust men in colourful turbans with flowing beards. Yet, somehow, they didn’t look intimidating but simply fascinating to a boy coming from the hinterlands of Bihar. And one also noticed very tall trees alongside roads, the likes of which were not seen in Bihar. Much later, one came to know that they were called Eucalyptus or more commonly as ‘Safedas’ colloquially.
A rickshaw took us from Patiala bus-stand to our final destination. “School aa gaya” - uttered Master Ji on entering past a big iron gate. And then we saw a grand, majestic building, more like a palace one had seen only in photos. Near the top of its huge entrance arch, it was written in big letters – Yadavindra Public School!
Awestruck by the building’s magnificence, size and smart people, both me and the other boy were quite dumbstruck as we waited meekly outside the Principal's office. Sab kuch ajuba hi lag raha tha!After some wait, Master Ji was called inside Principal’s office. We noticed a smartly dressed man sitting head down on a big chair who gave us a quick glance from inside without raising his head even as a slim pair of spectacles with string rested over his nose. The man was the legendary Principal of YPS –Mr H N Kashyap!
After sometime, we were told we had been admitted in class 6th and thereupon headed to boarding houses. I was allotted Mahindra House while the other boy got Dhani Ram House. Reflecting back, now I wonder how allotment to different houses could turn friends into rivals almost overnight! The memory is fuzzy thereon. Don’t remember where the school uniform came from, how books arrived or when Master Ji left for back home. In the evening, a turbaned boy of my age asked me something in a language, which sounded quite alien to me – it was Punjabi! Another boy then asked me something in a language which sounded different from the earlier one but again I could not make anything of it – it must have been English!
Anyway, the next morning after mass breakfast in a big dining hall, one found oneself marching towards the school building with other hostel folks. Somehow managed to find the class room. And then a bell rang and everyone started rushing outside. I also followed and then saw a huge ground with stairs where students were congregating. Junior boys and girls in front rows while seniors and teachers in the back. This was my first sight of a stadium. One also noticed a few senior boys and girls standing alongside the podium in differently colored blazers. After a few minutes, one noticed a handsome and authoritative looking big boy in striped blazer walking with the casual swag of a big cat towards the assembly. Suddenly, all mutterings amongst students stopped and there was a pin drop silence. It was the legendary Head Boy Harbans Singh Gill. Soon after,one saw Mr Kashyap walking briskly with a flowing black gown. My first school assembly had begun!
Days passed off quickly. Can’t really recollect how the first two years flew away. But yes, one started understanding bits and pieces of Punjabi within 15 days and started speaking a few sentences in 30 days. English took quite some time and one was never comfortable speaking in English beyond five sentences at a stretch even when one had reached 12th.
Teachers were always fair and appreciative when one deserved it. Friends were so easy to make. One never felt sidelined or in an alien place. The bonds I made with classmates, seniors and juniors and even with some teachers have only grown stronger with time. And,the fact that there were many scholars from different states such as Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, UP and of course Bihar - helped too.
Boarders at YPS had a world of their own which was quite different from day-scholars. Friendship, fraternity and loyalties were driven primarily by house residency. Inter-house matches were more a matter of prestige than that of skill and stamina. They were contested more fiercely than inter-school matches. But yes, when it came to battling other schools, all houses would unite firmly.
Looking back, there was a world of activities that one we participated or got exposed to – music, art, drama, debating, essay writing,trekking, athletics, cross country, hockey, cricket, football, basketball, volleyball. YPS was our universe. Going back home during the long summer break stopped looking appealing after three years at YPS. Yes, we had our share of some sour moments too but now all that looks highly forgetful. A vacuum came after 10th, when many classmates migrated from school. A time also came when one wanted to break free from the regimen of hostel life. And then 12thboard examination happened and one realized it was time to leave school.Seven years had just flown by – almost in a jiffy.
Few days before leaving YPS and Patiala, I was sitting alone in the garden outside Mohindra House and then suddenly a feeling of emptiness overwhelmed me. Tears started rolling down and for long, as one realized that one will be leaving school forever. Many memories flashed back.
Unlike today’s children, we were never really taught to articulate or quantify our feelings and learnings. But today if someone was to ask me – what had been my takeaways from YPS, well I would say everything that its emblem enshrines – Vidya, Vinay and Veerta. But above all, to me and for all my friends YPS still remains an experience - Jisne experience kiya wahi jana!
Shelley Vishwajeet (1978-85) joined SRCC and JNU after YPS. He is a senior business journalist and author.
TEST OF FIRE MAKES FINE STEEL
I joined Yadavindra Public School Patiala in 1958 in Nursery.
Throughout my stay at YPS I recall being taught by some of the finest teachers including my father the late S.D. Baveja.
Being an all boys boarding school in Punjab , it was not an easy job to be among the very few girl students in the School.
Being a conservative area , every step posed a challenge , especially when I moved to mid level and senior classes.
I have fond recollections of teachers like Paul V Phillips to whom I owe all that I picked up as far as English is concerned, Elizabeth Davenport, my sports teacher who taught us baseball and basketball. I learnt to be tough and strong swimming in the scorching heat in the height of the Summer , that too, at 3.30 p.m.
Col Goldstein, our Headmaster, by whom I was most fascinated is an unforgettable man.
I recall sneaking down to the ground floor area during Break time to peep into his office and as luck would have it, he spotted me and roared like a lion. My fear gave me wings and I ran as fast as my feet could carry me. Expecting to be punished, it turned out to be a pleasant surprise when the next day I was called to his office and he presented me with a beautiful hard bound prayer book duly autographed by him.
Participation in debates, dramatics, competing against boys in the Inter House Swimming Meets , and dealing with the loneliness of being an only girl at times in an all boys classroom instilled in me qualities that I would cherish in times to come.
Manjit Dhillon, my childhood friend, left in Grade 10 as her father Gurdial Singh Dhillon got the Principal 's job of a prestigious school in Delhi.
Being friends with boys was a difficult job. YPS, not being a proper co educational school then. Talking to a boy meant getting your name linked up romantically.
Coping with rumours about your own self was a tough job
I plunged myself into cocurricular activities and the World of books. Being an avid reader , my command over the English Language improved by leaps and bounds.
I began to look at difficulties as opportunities and my tolerance and coping skills got developed to a great extent.
When I look back , I feel my school days were full of obstacles that I had to surmount but also a lot of fun.
I went on to do my BA Honours and Masters from Delhi University and B. Ed from Punjabi University.
Teaching at DPS and Lawrence School Sanawar was great. When I joined Mayo College Ajmer as an English Teacher, a bastion of male dominance, I realized how much my education at YPS helped me. I was adept at dealing with boys in the class and male colleagues most professionally as being a woman did not seem to put me under any handicap.
I went on to be an educational administrator in some of the finest schools including Lawrence School Lovedale which my husband Harsh Wal headed, and I acknowledge the excellent level of schooling I had received at YPS that contributed to my success as an educator who was known all over the country and in Bangladesh where we set up a DPS for a leading Industrial Group.
Interestingly though I worked in top schools like Mayo, Sanawar, Lovedale I did not get the opportunity to serve my Alma Mater. When I had almost managed to get a job in Senior School in YPS, at the last moment, Mr H.N Kashyap called me and told me that he has to cancel my appointment as he had found a very good candidate alumni of Mayo College Ajmer and a terrific sportsman, but who was only a graduate at that point of time. Mr Kashyap offered me a job in Junior School which I refused as I was really upset and told him that what has being such a great sportsman got to do with English Teaching. Me with my Masters from Miranda House and B.Ed was rejected and really felt humiliated.
I went on to accept a job at Fatimah Convent.
But the irony is , and as Mr Kashyap teased me about it later, saying Madhu, are you not glad I did not give you the job?
Because I ended up getting married to that Old Boy of Mayo who had come as a novice teacher to YPS , but after marriage went on to enhance his professional qualifications and in due course became one of the well known Principals in the school education field.
Life has been a roller coaster ride. I got to travel extensively to all continents , worked in some of the finest schools and retired as the Principal of DPS Dhaka. In all my endeavours, YPS , and all that I had learnt there and the kind of strong foundation it had given me lives in my heart. Now that I have more time on my hands I am beginning to interact with Old Yadavindrians of my batch and other batches , something that I could not do earlier.
I hope to still keep on contributing to Education at the sunset of my life.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep
But I have promises to keep
And miles to go before I sleep
And miles to go before I sleep
Madhu Baveja (Wal) 1970 Batch
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