Kazhak Memoirs – Part 6

Celebrations

Though sainik schools can be dubbed as mini- military regiments, we didn’t have less to celebrate. Celebrations are part and parcel of kazhak culture. Reasons plenty to rejoice. My previous posts would have given enough insight on the competitive environment in the campus. Be it on the sporting arena, the debating dais, the garden lawns or the ‘Athapookkalam’, kazhaks stand spirited. Victory or defeat, the vibrant atmosphere ignites celebrations. Celebrations need not necessarily be partying. The ‘Three Cheers’ on a victory or the counter slogans from the house, undeterred at the door of defeat, itself is celebration. This spirit brings out the best in kazhaks. Makes them come out stronger and harder, the next occasion.

Some days have been allocated for celebration only. The first of the celebrations in an academic year begins with the OBA day celebrations. The Old Boys bring in their share of enthusiasm within the first few weeks from re-open. The celebrations keep happening everywhere in the campus. The playgrounds, the classrooms, the houses, the audi,,, everywhere. A cultural evening organized by the OBA, the Old-boys Vs the cadet matches on the grounds and more.

Then we celebrate the senior, junior & sub-junior days in the 2nd or 3rd term. The cadets themselves organize these days. The preparations for the event begins just about a week prior and cadets come out with an extravagant show, be it on the day of the younger ones or the wiser ones. I recollect some of the most illuminant performances: The Shakespearian saga of Julius Ceasar with the senior cadets Harshan & Indrajit playing Brutus & Antony respectively. (I drew my inspiration from this one to stage the same play at TVS Lakshmi during Jan 2000 with the support of the then VP Mr. Sudhakar. I played Marcus Antonius). The dance numbers ‘Cotton Eyed Joe’ by Alex & Co., the classical ‘Oru murai vandhu parthaya’ from the movie Manichitrathaazhl.., The BoneyM song ‘Ra Ra Rasputin’ sung by our sub-junior cadets trained by Francis sir ,, all memorable ones.

The grand event: The Annual day. The best of the performances from the cadet’s days are selected to be staged again on the annual day, along with some special addendum. I recollect, during my std VI days, the play ‘Halley’s comet’, a comedy written by one of our masters. (I don’t recollect who it was. Must be Mr. PCN or Mr. GSP). This play involved students from all three cadres. This play had its backdrop as SSKZM itself. One of the senior cadets playing the principal of the school, another the headmaster, then the rest playing the cadets themselves. I played one of the cadet kids on the stage. The play goes like this. The principal gives orders to the HM about the occurrence of a rare cosmic phenomenon and the students must be made to view it at that particular time. The HM passes the order to the Cadet captain and the message passes down the hierarchy. The humour lies in the way this message gets communicated downstream and the resulting fun. We had wonderful time rehearsing for the play.

The peak heights of celebration are reached only at the end of the Annual day. When the victor house captain goes up the dais to collect his Best House trophy, the audi roars. I wonder how our VK Krishna Menon Auditorium has withstood such roars for the past 50 years. An engineering marvel, must be. The night, the whole of the victor house (one each in senior, junior & sub-junior cadre) is out on the kazhak roads partying, shouting cheers and a procession taken through every corner of the school with the trophy on the head of the house captain. Excitement pumping adrenalin through every cadet’s veins. Wonderful feeling.

This post wouldn’t be complete if I fail to mention other pleasant occasions of celebrations: The festival times. Major festive celebrations at school are the Onam, Diwali & X-mas celebrations. The Onam celebrations take place the last couple of days before we break for the Onam vacation, after completing our quarterly exams. The main attraction during this occasion is the ‘Athapookkalam’ or the Flower-Rangoli contest. The day before the contest, the entire house is in the woods, going around and picking every single coloured bloom from the mini-jungle around the campus. That evening, the collections are pooled together, varieties grouped and the main work stats midnight till dawn. Everyone comes out with some splendid theme to woo the judges. The whole day is colourful. The plum on the pudding is the ‘Onasadhya’ – The Onam feast. On large banana leaf, typical keralite food,.. the varieties of uppaeries (chips), the pradhamans (payasams),,,…. The list is much much longer..

Since Diwali happens in the midst of the term, we are more than happy to get a day off from routine. The fun is extra. Apart from the regular special food in the mess, the celebrations begin when the cracker-bursting ceremonies begin in the senior cadets’ battleground. We can see rockets zooming between the windows of Ashoka Seniors & Rajaji Seniors. The Tagorians joining the battle a little later as the third front.

Like Onam, X-mas celebrations also take place just the day before we break for vacation after exams. The party takes place in the main Basketball ground with the whole school surrounding the cemented courtyard. The school choir sings the carols…. the jingle bells, the X-mas BoneyM numbers and many more. Then a senior cadet dressed as Santa Claus arrives in style with a bag of goodies and throws around toffees to the crowd. He sings & dances and the fun concludes at the mess with a special X-mas dinner.

Whatever be the occasion, wherever be the place, Kazhaks celebrate in true spirit and style. This isn’t limited to the cadet days; even after.