FREEDOM MEANS BEING ABLE TO DISAGREE–Luna ma‟am Freedom is independence– Yash Free-

dom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err-Mahatma Gandhi

Freedom is what every country needs–Pratik Freedom is when you are responsible—it

comes with responsibility and you have to make correct decisions when you are independent–

Namrata Bhadania Freedom is about having a choice –Jay Tekwani Freedom is something in

which we get a chance to show our abilities–Rachit Popat You have freedom when

you’re easy in your harness– Robert Frost Freedom...the ability to

express yourself without any fear of reproach. Without freedom there would be no crea-

tivity in the world — Jay Batavia Freedom is the will to be responsible to ourselves

-Nietzsche Freedom is independent action. Helps people come up with innovative ideas

without worrying about the society–Priyanka Patel Freedom means choosing your burden-

Hephzibah Nenuhin Freedom is life without rules–Pranav S Freedom is the oxygen of the soul-Moshe

Dayan Freedom is something that encourages me to give my own wills and fulfill my

dreams–Janki Freedom is being allowed to make mistakes–Kishen If one is going to err,

one should err on the side of liberty and freedom—Kofi Annan Freedom is

doing each and everything you want to–Parth B Freedom is all about expres-

sion–Kunal R Freedom is being able to voice your opinion without

anyone going against you or taking any actions-Teesta Freedom is living life the

way you want to-Shyam P Freedom is life, without freedom life would not be as simple

and beautiful as it is-Neel Bhanvadia For what avail the plough or sail, or land or life, if

freedom fail?-Ralph Waldo Emerson Freedom is a right obtained by a person whenever he/she

is born. Freedom is being able to do whatever you want at a given point in time–Sonark We

are free, truly free, when we don't need to rent our arms to anybody in order to be able to lift a

piece of bread to our mouths-Ricardo Flores Magon

The AZADI special

On the verge news, views and more from the galaxy school Volume 1, issue 2 ...of celebrations

2 /

Editor’s Note until very recently that I realised this state-

ment has a really profound economic idea.

In today‘s scenario this holds true for almost

everything - from our rampant corruption to

the widespread economic depression - that

the world faces. This is true for every nation

from the developed to the developing. Take

any global issue from climate change to ter-

rorism - all of it seems to mould into these

lines spoken by Gandhi. The latest paradigm

of development that the world suggests after

years of capitalistic and communist setups,

is what Gandhi, without the hullabaloo,

says. The idea of sustainable development

that the world is trying to embrace is unde-

niably Gandhian. So this 2nd October, I real-

ise that the world is still trying to be Gandhi

years after his assassination.

The stereotype that we have created

of Gandhi is only of a freedom fighter and

even more rigidly, the Father of our Nation.

This edition attempts to explore Gandhi in a

wider and a contemporary perspective. The

articles in this issue explore different dimen-

sions of freedom — from the slave trade, to

Kashmir to women, among others.

So here it is, our AZADI special!

This editorial had to be about Gandhi

as it follows 2nd October. The same old man

with a stick in his hand smiling a toothless

smile at us out of a frozen picture, who

seems banal and outdated. Now imagine

Gandhi in contemporary India: he seems to

have no place. He seems too good to be a

Politician, too idealistic to be a Lawyer, too

simplistic to be a Religious Leader, too slim

to be a Bollywood Star; in short, Gandhi to-

day would have nothing to do. I personally

think he would be locked up somewhere for

supporting some fundamental movement

(not fundamentalist) and surely he would

have had plenty to choose from. So now

what do I write ? Recently, while doing my

Econ Essay and researching the latest para-

digm of development, I realised that Gandhi

is a great economist. I know he doesn‘t wear

those fancy blazers and stuff but believe me,

this new aspect of Gandhi really fascinated

me.

We often hear that Gandhi said

‗There is enough in the world for every-

one‘s need, not for everyone‘s greed‘. I

knew that Gandhi said this, but it was not

p a g e

1

Jay Tekwani, IDBP1 (with the editorial team)

9 11

9/11 is

most often

associated with the

terrorist

attacks of

2001, but

this day

represents more than

one vision of

the future...

1893

First meeting

of the

Parliament of

World

Religions

3

Model UN

1973

Pinochet ousts

Chile‘s

democratically

elected Marxist

President

Salvador Allende

in a coup

1989

A gap in the

Iron Curtain

opens between

Hungary and

the West, a

portent of the

fall of the

Berlin Wall

1998

Opening cere-

mony for the

Common-

wealth games

in Malaysia—

the first Asian

country to host

the games

2005

Israeli troops

pull out of

Gaza

1961

Foundation

of the

World

Wildlife

Fund

Contents

page 3

page 4

page 5

page 6

page 7

page 9

page 10

page 11

page 12

page 14

page 13

page 15

Checkmate: Chess Tournament at TGS

Debating Matters

Journey to the Philippines

Anywhere but here:

Musings on Leh-Ladakh

10/10/10:

One Day on Earth

Azadi: for India, for Kashmir

Frontier Gandhi

Women and Liberty

Book Review

Dariyalal

Songs of Freedom

Monuments of Rajkot: Ka ba Gandhi no Delo

From the Principal’s Desk

This issue brought to

you by:

Jay Tekwani (IBDP1),

Oona Mackesey-Green

(IBDP1); Editorial and

d e s i g n g u i d a n c e :

Gopika Jadeja

Contributors: Parth Me-

hta (AS Level), Dev

Viramgama (AS Level),

K u n a l K a m a n i a

(IBDP1), Neel Rakholia

(IBDP1), Juhi Palan

(IBDP1), Jay Batavia

(IBDP2), Rachit Popat

(IBDP2), Shivali Kan-

sagra (9B), Vaidehi

Chhotai (7); Quotes

from students on front

cover by students of

Grade 7; Erratum: Mit

Patel was one of our pho-

tographers for Issue 1. We

revert that his name was

not mentioned in the

list of contributors.

Hindi Week

4

Checkmate: Chess Tournament at TGS The Intergroup Chess Tournament was held from 20th September

to 24th September 2010. Here are some glimpses. Photographs by Rachit Popat (IBDP2) and Jay Batavia (IBDP2)

Jal 4 4 8

Prithvi 2+1 3 6

Agni 3 2 5

Akash 0 1 1

Juniors (Std. 7-10) Seniors (Std.10-12) Total KEY FOR POINT TALLY

1st position 4

2nd position 3

3rd position 2

4th position 1

5

After two weeks of extensive research and

debating practice, it all ended beautifully on the 29th

of September at the Ahmadabad Management Asso-

ciation when we stood convincingly victorious in

four out of six debates. Credit to the efforts of each

of the fourteen members in our team, The Galaxy

Education System displayed one of its best perform-

ances ever in the regional round of Debating Mat-

ters India, a highly reputed debating competition for

high school students organized annually by the Brit-

ish Council in collaboration with the Institute of

Ideas, UK. Twelve schools across the state of Guja-

rat had qualified for the event, which comprised of

three stages: the knockout stage, the round robin

stage and the final stage.

We departed for Ahmedabad on the 28th of

September, the day before the event, at around two

in the afternoon. School in the morning coupled

with five hours of travelling meant that we were all

exhausted on reaching the flat in which we were

supposed to stay overnight. But there was work to

be done; everybody was up till around three work-

ing on the final arguments they were going to put

forward in the upcoming debates.

The knockout round began at nine in the

morning. Jay Tekwani and Kunal Kamania of The

Galaxy School were up against Saint Kabir School

debating AGAINST the motion “A caste based

census is central to achieving social justice in In-

dia” .Not only did they succeed in winning the de-

bates convincingly, but Jay also received highly

praiseworthy remarks from all the judges, owing

to the immense clarity of thought he displayed

throughout his arguments.

In the next round, Ketshi Bavishi & I of The Gal-

axy School were up against Atul Vidyalaya debat-

ing FOR the motion “It‟s time for India to grow

GM food crops” while Jay Batavia & Dev Vi-

ramgama of The Galaxy School Anandalaya de-

bating AGAINST the motion “Traditional Indian

family practices are incompatible with moder-

nity”. The Galaxy School won the first debate, but

couldn‘t defend the second.

Owing to the loss mentioned above, we did

not manage to make it to the finals. There was dis-

appointment all around, because, rightfully so, we

deserved to be a part of the final stage, which de-

bated the motion “Scepticism is crucial to debates

about climate change”. Nevertheless, there was a

good amount of satisfaction for we knew that we

had successfully made an impact on the event as a

whole. The fact that Jay Batavia and I received a

special mention for valuable contribution across

the event insinuates that we, as a whole, performed

well. After satisfying our hunger with the likes of

Subway and McDonald‘s, we returned home from

an event that, before all, offered loads of learning

to everyone who was a part of it.

DEBATING

MATTERS By Parth Mehta , AS Level

The TGS Team takes

on the Public Speaking

challenge

6

It all started eight months back, when Parth and I decided

to pursue robotics as a skill. The experience turned out to

be nothing less than spectacular. We learned about all sorts

of gears, levers and pulleys. We programmed cars to move

in a specific way. It was exhilarating! Fun made the work

easy. A lot of things we learned within a small duration of

time.

Equipped with almost all theoretical knowledge, we de-

cided to give The World Robot Olympiad (WRO) a shot.

Being amateurs to the field we were slightly skeptical. Our

task was to make a ‗bot‘ (short for a robot) that climbs up a

2 feet pole, takes a ping pong ball, climbs down, goes to

another pole, climbs that 1.5 feet pole, grabs another ping

pong ball and comes down. The task was certainly daunt-

ing, but hard work, patience and, not to forget Binal

Madam‘s guidance, turned out to be invaluable. The first

step to (WRO) was getting through the Indian Robot Olym-

piad (IRO). Three months of relentless work ensured that

we made a ‗good enough‘ robot to clear IRO. We travelled

to Delhi for the competition, confident of getting through,

but it had a few goose bumps in store for us. We were

given a total of two runs, but only the best run would be

counted. Our first run was a complete fail – our robot man-

aged to climb only one pole. The second run was slightly

better as the robot climbed the first pole completely and the

second pole partially. However, the other teams were no

better and we ended up as runner ups in our category. The

winners were from Amity International School, Vasant Vi-

har.

Though we were happy, we were not satisfied. We continue

to make amendments to our robot which is supposed to per-

form the same task at WRO, in Manila, Philippines. This

has been an unbelievable quest and we are eagerly looking

forward to the 5th of November.

Journey to the

Philippines

By Neel Rakholia, IBDP1

& Parth Mehta , AS level

14th September is celebrated as the Hindi Divas

(Day), a day of respect to our

National Language. The Language that unites

us amongst all differences. The language that

has had a strong connection with our independ-

ence movements and has stirred our patriotism

since then. The language that has had the likes

of writers like Munshi Premchand and poets

like Harivanshray Bacchan. The language of

our bollywood movies. The language that is we

all have been studying since our early days in

school. This language deserves a Day.

On account of Hindi Divas the school cele-

brated the Hindi Week. Hindi Week is a range

of intergroup competitions in Hindi. The fol-

lowing are the competitions:

14/09/2010, Tuesday - Hindi Debate

15/09/2010, Wednesday - Essay Writing

16/09/2010, Thursday - Hindi Advertisment

Quiz

17/09/10, Friday - Hindi Literature Quiz

The debate was very exciting and close it surely

deserves a mention. The topic debated was:

Commonwealth Games- A Golden Opportunity

Agni and Jal were for, and Prithvi and Akash

were against the topic. The judges were Parag

Sir and Siddharth Sir.

The debate started with the ‗for‘ team stating

their views on the topic followed by the against

team doing the same. And then began the one-to

-one argument round. The attacks and counter

attacks were very interesting, as were the vari-

ous points raised by both the teams. Issues vary-

ing from poverty in India to systematic training

infrastructure in China were skillfully weaved

within the broader issue of the Commonwealth

Games. Issues like the development of infra-

structure (roads, stadiums, etc.) in Delhi for the

Games, the trouble it caused and the huge

amount of money squeezed out of Govern-

ment‘s annual budget were also taken into con-

sideration. These were the main highlights of

the debate although it raised many other issues

for discussion. Overall, it was a great event and

the results are as follows: Prithvi and Akash

came first while Agni and Jal came in second.

-Juhi Palan, IBDP1

Hindi Week (14th - 17th September 2010)

7

You will be the Delegate of Japan, speaking on

‗Piracy in Somalia‘ and ‗Disarmament in Iran‘. I

catch my breath. WHAT just happened?!

Model United Nations, to quote from the Wikipe-

dia, is an academic stimulation of the United Na-

tions that aims to educate participants about civics,

current events, effective communication, globalization and multilateral diplomacy.

Phew, that just summed up my entire article to follow.

But to us first timers, it is also much more. Faced with topics on a global scale, we need to prepare ourselves

on what a completely different country given to us feels about the issue. It is like visiting a foreign land, full

if uncertainties. My take on it:

We reach Ahmadabad on the 21st, not knowing what lies in store for us for the next day. We try to get some

sleep that night, but anxiety and sleep have never been the best of friends.

All of us need no waking up on the next day; we rise as fresh as one can be after tossing and turning on a

bed all night long, and get ready real quick. The car ride to the Ahmadabad International School, the school

hosing AIMUN since the past four years, seems like a very short one, not giving us enough time to prepare

our opening speeches and glance at our position papers for the last time. The car stops and we catch our

breath. Here we are, after all that research, hassle and groundwork, standing, facing the school where we‘ll

meet a bunch of other students, debate with them on issues we believe strongly in, and make new friends/

enemies.

After the opening ceremony, my friends and I part our ways to go into our separate councils, with different

chairs and different council members, all having important issues at hand to discuss and debate upon.

During the next two hours, I learn a lot about patience. You have to maintain decorum. Decorum and formal

language is something you never lose control of at conferences such as these. Placards are given to maintain

the same. Before you speak, one had to raise the placard in the direction of the chair and wait to be recog-

nized in order to speak, or to answer a question addressed to you, as that matter of fact. And there is no ‗I‘,

‗you‘, and ‗us‘. Just third person pronouns. You also learn a lot about ‗respectful disagreements‘, wherein,

even when you don‘t agree with a delegate of another country, you need to keep your calm and answer pa-

tiently, and try to make them see your point. It can get frustrating at times, when you have to deal with a

stubborn delegate!

After opening speeches, debate, lobbying, at the end of the day, all the resolutions are read out loud by the

chair, all the amendments are made, and then the voting begins. The resolution with the most nations sup-

porting them passes. That is the end of a tiring yet fun day one.

The second day is pretty much the same, the only difference being the general plenary and the closing cere-

mony. The general plenary is where all the resolutions passed by the committees are read out and voted

upon by delegations of all the countries. After that is the teary part as you bid farewell to all the new friends

you made in these two seemingly-short days are, all too soon, over.

Discussing these world matters not only made us more aware and conscious citizens, but also better people.

After the nerves, the excitement, the exhausting preparations and the overwhelming research, the anxiety

and the satisfaction that follows is nothing I can write about, one has to experience it for himself/ herself;

but I‘ve tried my best.

Now, here we are, back to school, already itching to go to our next MUN conference and meet more like-

minded people, make new friends, and discuss more issues that concern the world and us.

By Shivali Kansagra, 9th

AIMUN

8

“There are three wants which can never be satisfied: that of the rich, who

want something more; that of the sick who want something different; and

that of the traveler, who says „Anywhere but here‟”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

An evolutionary instinct and the structure of our society urge careful con-

sideration of the future, immediate and distant, with constant vigilance.

Plan, be prepared, and be careful, practicality preaches – you are your

own insurance for success. The ultimate irony is that we pour our efforts

and worry into securing immaculate arrangements for the unknown, de-

spite the fact that the probability of events unfolding according to our ex-

pectations is usually nil; it is a venture as futile as packing for a trip with

no given destination. The preparation pays off when reality and our vi-

sions do align, and often cushions us in our downfalls as well (even if we

have not packed for the right climate, anything is better than an empty

suitcase). However, it devalues indulgence into each passing moment; our

ceaseless pursuit of what may be comes at the expense of what is, and

nurtures a cycle of narrow-minded expectation.

Our experienced mountaineering guide, Pratik sir repeatedly assured the

30 students that the trek would impart on us the virtues of humility; no

one can stand below or atop the Himalayan giants without some sense of

their own insignificance. After two months in an unfamiliar country with

unfamiliar people, and another eight pending, memories of home and fan-

tasies of an early return constantly nagged my mind. If this trip turns out

as character building as promised, I thought, perhaps some newly found

inner nobility will grant me the endurance to last the year. I waited impa-

tiently for the epiphany to strike.

We reached Leh after an exhausting day and night in India‘s airports.

Bags had been forgotten, sleep forsaken, and edgy voices began to echo

with an indistinguishable mix of anticipation and irritation. As we stum-

bled down the steps onto the runway, the sparse air – cool, dry and empty

of oxygen – afforded immediate relief. Circling around on the tarmac, I

felt like I stood at the bottom of a huge bowl; on all sides sloping walls of

mud and grass lead up to the ridged blue rock of the mountains. The

town‘s calm lent a sense of serene satisfaction, but it could not dull the

collective energy now rising with a buzz; we would spend the next two

days finalizing preparations with thoughts centered enthusiastically on the

impending trek.

A straggling line of students stretches through the dust. With the sun fero-

ciously persistent and our drooping packs pulling us downwards, even the

heavily laden donkeys that pass us as we plod along seem sanguine, con-

tent to keep the secret of their hardiness. As we sprawl panting in the

shade, Pratik sir squints at the path ahead. A kind half-smile remains on

his face for the ten-day trip, a token of the comfortable confidence and

ease he radiates.

Anywhere but here:

Musings on Leh-Ladakh by Oona Mackesey-Green

9

At the first campsite, several hours pass before the day‘s casualties

manifest themselves. Sleeping bags and mats laid across the rutted dirt

fail to offer aching bodies their desired reprieve, and in some, the adven-

turous spirit has begun to dwindle. Minds wander back to the luxuries of

the guesthouse they had eagerly deserted, or even further, to nest them-

selves in the haven of Rajkot. Others hope only for the days to speed by

and leave them standing on the summit. We are beginning to understand

what Pratik Sir and Parag Sir meant by ‗mental strength‘. Walking for 5-

8 hours a day leaves lots of time for contemplation and clearly the stam-

ina required will extend beyond the rigors of a cardio workout.

Surprisingly, I am more homesick than ever. I also fill the silent hours of

walking with memories, envisioning how Madison must look this fall,

what it would be like if I was there, or if my family, my sister were

here… It is a distraction from our endless marching, but a draining dis-

traction rather than a fulfilling one. The moments when I pointedly ig-

nore these images and allow them to dissipate into the towering back-

drop of mountainous peaks and valleys feel more like an escape than

when recollections reign my imagination.

Around the second day, we notice a phenomenon. So obvious, I wonder

how it took so long to make an impression. Forget kind half-smiles (but

remember the ease and confidence), the Sherpa‘s who trek the same dis-

tance as we do in half the time, are beaming. As we heave our collapsed

bodies to the top of hills, they dance up the steep ascents with enough

breath left to send calls of elation echoing through the air. There is some

secret here, it has become apparent, known to our guides, to the

Sherpa‘s, even to the donkeys – some key to resilience that escapes us

students.

By the end of the trip, my homesickness had mostly faded into its usual

low-key presence, and while I loved all ten days and wished desperately

that I could stay in Leh, surrounded by prayer flags and mountains, I felt

shorted my epiphany. I was disappointed I had not reached the summit

and that no sudden second-consciousness had descended to sweep me

from my gloom. But, of course, this was entirely the point.

What I missed when I examined myself for soul shifting revolutions,

were subtle differences. We kept logs, assessed our health, pondered our

motivations and moved ever onwards. We discovered the power of every

two minutes of rest within six hours of walking, reclining in the shade

and for once, refusing to think about what was next. It escaped our ob-

servation that each day our legs were tougher, feet sturdier, mouths more

silent. We learned that one second spent sharing the Sherpa‘s gleeful

smiles, or focusing and gathering the self-control to measure slow steps

like Pratik, rewards with bounds of new energy. Returned to that land-

scape, rather than forward thinking, instinct necessitates life in the mo-

ment. The magic was shattered by thoughts of warm showers, clean

clothes, but the most vivid memories are still from the moments savored,

rooted in our surroundings, in an image, a sound, a step. We had to sat-

isfy ourselves with the knowledge that we chose this, we placed our-

selves here, and here we would stay, at least for the moment.

10

It‘s the halfway through the year and Grade 7 is

bubbling with activity. It‘s presently working on a

project called ―One day on Earth‖. On 10/10/10,

across the planet, people recorded their experience

of a particular topic over a 24 hour period and

showed their culture to the world through a video¸

photo or collage. They showcased the diversity of

culture and tradition all over the world on one day.

There were people all over the world making docu-

mentaries and clicking photos like, one group, with

members coming from all over the world worked on

a topic called, ―Giving birth on 10/10/10‖and one

other group which also had members coming from

all over worked on a topic called ―Weddings on

10/10/10‖.

Grade 7 went on work on 10/10/10 which was a

Sunday to different places of Rajkot to document its

culture. They had done many pre-preparations be-

fore finally documenting it. First they made groups

according to the different specialities of Rajkot. The

groups which were then formed were—Landmarks

of Rajkot, Markets of Rajkot (traditional), the traffic

and transport, the taste of Rajkot, the Race-course,

the tribes in Rajkot and Election.

After making groups they needed to learn photogra-

phy as they were going to take photos of whatever

topic they chose so thus they then had an input and

session by Rachit Popat from IBDP 2. He taught the

different aspects of photography and some impor-

tant techniques to click a photo.

Now Grade 7 was ready to go... on Sunday-

10/10/10 they went to various places and captured

all the uniqueness and commonness of Rajkot to

showcase it to the world. There was activity all

around, from the smallest sweet shop to the most

visited place in the city. There were interviews

taken, photos clicked and videos documented.

They were all excited and enthusiastic to work on

this project. It was actually amazing to have had

work on such a project...a real opportunity to con-

nect with the world and share your culture out

LOUD!

10/10/10:

One Day on Earth By Vaidehi Chhotai (with inputs from students of Grade 7)

Transport

Traffic

Elections

11

On 15th of August, in the city of Srinagar the Indian tricolour is hoisted in the city-centre.

Had it been a scene from any other state-capital of India, it would have consisted of thou-

sands of the general population in attendance to witness our celebration of the(A) azadi we

got from the British all those years ago. But not in Srinagar; here the ceremony is met with

deserted streets and empty intersections, with the majority of those in attendance being a

few dozen military personnel and some school-children. A very disconcerting image isn‘t

it. And it is with this image that Sanjay Kak‘s documentary, Jashn-e-Azadi, opens.

It is interesting to note how one word can have different meanings for different people.

―Freedom‖ is one such word. The online Oxford dictionary defines it as: ―the power or

right to act, speak, or think as one wants‖ but I define it differently, to me freedom is sim-

ply being in control of one‘s own self more than

anything else. So then we may say India is a free

country. Indians are a free people.

However, there is a community in this country

who would beg to differ. A Kashmiri‘s vision of

freedom is one that we may not even be able to

comprehend; not because it is complex. But be-

cause a free man‘s (ours) definition of freedom is

different from a man who is enslaved in his own

free country (a Kashmiri‘s). One may argue that

Kashmiri‘s are indeed in a free country and that

they are free themselves. For them I only have

one question: Is living in constant fear, fear that

one‘s beloved may not come back home from a

routine trip to the market or fear that a mother‘s son may be taken away on his way from

school or fear that one‘s sister may be raped, actually being free? Is it, then, unjustified

that the separatists have so much support? Perhaps not.

All is not so gloomy though; recently for the first time ever, the Indian government sent an

all-party delegation to Kashmir to better and understand the grievances that the separatists

have and to come up with possible solutions. Although these talks weren‘t as successful as

was hoped, it was deemed a step in the right direction even by the separatists themselves.

It was the first time in a long while that clear lines of communication were opened up by

the Indian government to listen to what the Kashmiris had to say.

We may be moving forward with the Kashmir issue for now, but there is a problem. It re-

mains so that a significant part of the Indian population remains unaware of what the

―issue‖ is. People still think its India vs Pakistan when it comes to Kashmir and fail to un-

derstand that there is a lot more depth to it than that. Perhaps it is out of ignorance or in-

difference, but the fact remains that till we don‘t have more documentaries like Jashn-e-

Azadi, till we don‘t have more poets like Agha Shahid Ali, Indians won‘t realise that there

still exists a place in this azad land of ours where people don‘t live free. And once we real-

ize it, will we then pride ourselves on being the largest democracy in the world? Some

food for thought.!

By Jay Batavia (IBDP2)

Azadi: for India, for Kashmir

12

other and remained very good

friends. On top of that both

played an instrumental role in

leading our country against the

British rule in the early 20th cen-

tury.

A Muslim. A Hindu.

Something you usually don‘t

see together, but Gandhi and

Khan were not to be separated

by any barriers. They were such

idols that Khan was named

―Frontier Gandhi‖. As he came

from the North West Frontier

Province he got the title

―frontier‖ and no one would

need an explanation for

―Gandhi‖. Though both have

multiple nominations for the

Nobel peace prize, Khan‘s fame

is very limited to India, Pakistan

and Afghanistan whereas Gan-

dhi‘s floats throughout the

world.

Ghaffar khan founded

the Khudai Khidmatgars

("Servants of God") to achieve

his dream of a united and inde-

pendent India. It worked on a

simple principle which was very

similar to the Satyagraha move-

ment started by Gandhi. He told

its members:

"I am going to give you such a

weapon that the police and the

army will not be able to stand

against it. It is the weapon of

the Prophet, but you are not

aware of it. That weapon is pa-

tience and righteousness. No

kindly refused. Nevertheless he

remained an active member of

the INC throughout his life.

Peace, unity and religious har-

mony is what he strived in

maintaining. However he was-

n‘t able to succeed in the

―unity‖ part when, in 1947, In-

dia was partitioned into two

countries: a Muslim Pakistan

and a Hindu India

What is common to

Barack Obama, Martin Luther

and Liu Xiaobo? They are all

not just the winners of the Nobel

Prize winners for Peace but they

were also deeply influenced by

Gandhi and his principle of non-

violence. And so was Frontier

Gandhi. Frontier who? When we

hear the country‘s most famous

last name, Gandhi, we usually

associate it with Mahatma Gan-

dhi. So then who was Frontier

Gandhi? Frontier Gandhi was

born Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan,

also known as Badshah Khan.

Though an outstanding

personality, he was never re-

nowned or ever became famous

with the public even though he

worked on the same principles

as those of Gandhi, mainly non-

violence.

A disciplined, dominant and de-

termined personality, standing

tall at 6-foot-6 – towering high

above others, he was fearsome

yet very gentle and calm in his

approach. He was so inspired by

Gandhi and his principles that he

became a very devout follower

of them. They both shared a

very good rapport with each

power on earth can stand

against it."

He was also proffered

with the presidency of the Indian

National Congress which he had

Sadly today, we remem-

ber only Gandhi. Khan is long

forgotten or less remembered.

The man who did so much for

this country is not heard of on

generations that come. Parents,

schools and teachers say ―hail

Gandhi‖ yet they forget to talk

about Khan. In fact, the only

place where you see these

names are in history.

In 2008, a documentary,

titled The Frontier Gandhi:

Badshah Khan, a Torch for

Peace, by filmmaker and writer

T.C. an, premiered in New

York. The film received the

2009 award for Best Documen-

tary Film at the Middle East In-

ternational Film Festival.

In the capital city, we

have the Khan Market which to

this day is one of the most ex-

pensive and prestigious mar-

kets. Khan was recently in-

cluded in a list of 26people who

have changed the world. It‘s

time the present generations

know the real heroes of our

freedom struggle. Let not Shah-

rukh be the only word that

comes in your mind when you

hear KHAN!

Teachers we less know...

FRONTIER

GANDHI By Kunal Kamania, IBDP1

Jay B

atavia

13

Women

&

Liberty

I stepped onto the tarmac in disbelief, made

my way to the baggage claim dazed and stunned. A

small entourage of Rotarian families trickled from the

airport‘s entrance and spilled across its front steps;

completely disoriented, I heaved my baggage outside

and the host ushered me with smiles into the front seat

of a car. I looked over, bewildered, to find myself be-

side an Indian man who had begun to drive. Trees and

dirt roads rushed past, scooters and rickshaws honk-

ing furiously; we swerved to avoid the bony backside

of a cow ambling across the road – the animal ap-

peared quite unperturbed but my bafflement bal-

looned to new levels. One year. 364 tomorrows to go.

In the last three months, my perplexity has

somewhat subsided; those marvels which over-

whelmed me in the first twenty minute trip to my host

home remain indicative of the most significant cul-

tural differences between Rajkot and Madison, but as

I adjust to new food, new dress, new rules, new lan-

guage, the loss that pangs the most is that of my in-

dependence.

Perhaps it is this acute sense of liberty lost

that makes me note so keenly the relative limitations

particular to women. Wearing clothing below my

knees and over my shoulders is a small sacrifice to

give for a year abroad, but especially traveling from

a country so candidly uninhibited, it rings of larger

inequalities. The hazy benefits of arranged marriages

and the stigmas attached to divorce, the gender

spheres which confine men to the role of primary

breadwinner and decision maker while women re-

main domestic caretakers… all revelations shocking

to my born and bred Western mind, yet somehow

very familiar. The United States, of course, is still

struggling with the patriarchal tendencies and tradi-

tions so deeply rooted in the origins of our nation,

and now I am catching a glimpse of the attitudes and

atmosphere surrounding our own gender relations

several generations ago, or, perhaps, nearly as they

are today, only in a more pronounced and outwardly

accepted form.

Apart from the obvious cultural differences,

however, the state of ‗feminism‘ and other gender

related movements and beliefs in India will inevita-

bly progress differently than they did in the United

States. Hollywood movies whiz across oceans, face-

book pages connect international users and corpora-

tions go global as their ads plaster the cities of their

new markets. The double standards and expectations

for women are shamelessly displayed; my drive into

Rajkot was witnessed by a towering billboard featur-

ing Kareena Kapoor

in a skin tight and

closely cropped

dress, advertising for

Vaio laptops. I could

not, and still cannot,

discern why it is ac-

ceptable for the me-

dia to display

women as scantily

clad and objectified

by Oona Mackesey-Green, IBDP1

Continued on the back cover

14

Author: Gunvantrai Acharya

Translator: Kamal Sanyal

Publisher: Dictum (in association with Thema)

Page: 130

‗Dariyalal‘, a tale of heroic fearlessness, of pride, of brotherhood,

of the value of the word, of freedom!! Featuring Gujarat‘s fasci-

nating maritime past, ‗Dariyalal‘ describes the life and history of

Gujarati traders settled in Jangbar, currently the island of Zanzibar, specifically of a firm named

Jeram Shivji. It portrays how a few brave men and a few fortunate incidents brought about sweeping

changes in the practice of slave trade in Africa.

The protagonist in this story is Ramji, the personification of devil, the very form of fear, the ruthless

slave-catcher. He would go about plundering villages and gathering slaves, making women widows

and children orphans, for these slaves were never to return. One day however, he underwent a clas-

sic ‗hriday parivartan‘ and this is how it all happened:

Ramji had just caught hold of 20 slaves and after tying them all together, he led them towards the

settlement. Suddenly, a mad rhinoceros appeared and trampled 19 of the 20 slaves to death. Seeing

this extremely gruesome sight, Ramji felt a strong feeling of guilt overflowing inside him, for had he

not tied them together, they would have escaped…

The guilt of this bore so heavily on him, that he decided to give up slave-catching. He made such a

major decision because it wasn‘t the 19 slaves dying that made his heart heavy; it was also the

awareness of that same heart being too black and too cold to have not noticed the agony of the fami-

lies of the slaves. It was the thought of his own sweet family who would have the same tears in their

eyes as in the eyes of the children who were orphaned by him. All these thoughts made him leave

the community and become an itinerant traveler in the jungles of Africa.

Time presented him with a lot of opportunities wherein he could help his community in midst of se-

vere crisis. Be it the task of finding a lost English traveler and send him back to his land or of freeing

a Gujarati woman from a pirate, Ramji not only was willing to help his people, but also gave his

word.

The word, the promise, is considered so important in this community that Ramji knew he couldn‘t

come back without success even if it meant his life was at stake. But he was successful every time

and for reward, he took a simple promise from the leader of his community that slave trade be abol-

ished. And again, as promises are meant to be kept, slaves were freed!

Freedom, a truly well deserved freedom – a freedom justified by the fact that the very person who

was bent on curbing people‘s freedom, now fought to protect it. A freedom that came at a high cost.

A freedom that would now require them to toil in the fields to compensate for the financial losses

that would be faced by the Gujaratis. But a freedom after all.

This book presents an excellent insight on how just a change in perception of ‗right‘ and ‗wrong‘

can change lives of many people - a change seen in Ramji. The juxtaposition of Ramji before and

after change reveals how people may not be essentially bad and how forming a definite view about

something determines which way life will lead.

The author has also presented a completely different meaning of freedom to us. Freedom would al-

ways sound a chord of loyalty and patriotism in us when we would hear the word, but freedom does

not only mean liberty of nation. Freedom means right to determine your own identity and not let it

get trampled underneath someone else‘s interests. It also means right to support what you think is

right.

So, ‗Dariyalal‘ becomes a must read not only for adventure or history lovers, but also for all those

who believe in the concept of freedom. By Juhi Palan, IBDP1

Dariyalal:A Book Review

15

Gandhi's childhood home:

Kaba Gandhi No Delo

Amidst the hustle and noise of the bazaar, in one of the

streets of Ghee Kanta Road, lies a place of complete calm

and serenity which was once the abode of our nation‘s fa-

ther. Kaba Gandhi No Delo literally means ‗the house of

Karamchand Gandhi (nick-named as Kaba Gandhi),‘ who

was Mohandas Gandhi‘s father. This place was constructed

in 1880 and Karamchand Gandhi resided there when he was

the diwan to the then king of Rajkot - Lakhajiraj Jadeja.

This place, where Gandhi spent the early years of his life

(1881-87), is now renovated and converted into the Gandhi

Smriti Museum (not to be confused with the one at Delhi).

The museum holds a collection of photos and his belong-

ings, and is a great place to be if one wants to know about

him and his great works for humanity.

I felt calm and relaxed just upon entering the traditional

styled arch-shaped big wooden door which serves as the

main and the only entrance to the place. Though it has been

renovated to a great extent, the structure of a traditional

house clearly stands out with a verandah in the center and

rooms surrounding it. The walls of the rooms are now cov-

ered with photographs and some other memorials of Gandhi

and some of them are really interesting to see. It is here that

we get a glimpse into the life our great leader.

I would really recommend this place to one and all as it is

very interesting, and full of information and events from the

life history of Gandhi. It is open to the common public from

9 to 6 during the day on all days except Sunday. It is not at

all time consuming and I guarantee a great experience to all

those who plan to visit the place. By Dev Viramgama, AS level

Big Yellow Taxi

Joni Mitchell (1970)

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

With a pink hotel, a boutique

And a swinging hot spot

Don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you've got

Till it's gone

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

They took all the trees

Put 'em in a tree museum

And they charged the people

A dollar and a half just to see 'em

Don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you've got

Till it's gone

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

Hey farmer farmer

Put away the D.D.T. now

Give me spots on my apples

But leave me the birds and the bees

Please!

Don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you've got

Till it's gone

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

Late last night

I heard my screen door slam

And a big yellow taxi

Took away my old man

Don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you've got

Till it's gone

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

I said don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you've got

Till it's gone

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

Songs

of Freedom

Our Principal's selections of songs that speak to us

Monuments of Rajkot

16

WOMEN & LIBERTY

continued from page 12

from the Principal’s Desk

David Udry

In my first article for this space I wrote on

the idea of ‗community‘. Part of being in a commu-

nity is that we take an active role in shaping its

course. At TGS we are working to form a Profes-

sional Learning Community, defined as a place

where all members have a voice in the key decisions

which affect the school. Our member-

ship consists of our students, our faculty

and staff, and our parents.

All members of the community

are important and their views have to be

considered. Part of my job is to create forums for all

community members to voice their opinions. I be-

lieve firmly in two things: first that all community

members have an equal right to their opinions and

views and secondly that all members of the commu-

nity have a right to express these views. When I was

in secondary school, wearing lapel pins was very

popular. I always wore one that read QUESTION

AUTHORITY. I believe in this slogan even more

today while I am in a position of authority. All mem-

bers of the community have the right, no the respon-

sibility to ask me questions. By asking questions and

giving your views we are better equipped to build a

school that provides for each of its community mem-

bers.

It is this process of questioning and an-

swering that is important as we try to cre-

ate a school based on the ideals of equal-

ity; openness; and community. In order for us to

achieve this vision we must allow this process of

questioning to take place in the open. We must all

learn to trust and respect each other‘s opinion. Often

we will disagree. We will argue. We may even get

mad at each other. But at the end of the day we must

all pull together and work for the success of each

other. That is the true spirit of community.

―All members of the

community have the

responsibility to ask

me questions”

as their counterparts in the US, yet all cultural taboos

forbid this blatant sexuality from everyday dress. Popu-

lar Bollywood and Hollywood movies alike overwhelm-

ingly portray their female characters as weak and de-

pendent, continually running to their male heroes for

protection, their doe eyes wide with fear as they trot for-

ward on stilettos. Strong female characters, like Ange-

lina Jolie‘s character in Salt, are defined by their sexual-

ity; they become objects to be ogled at – sold, bought

and traded - as plastic and replaceable as Vaio laptops.

Two months into my exchange, my host sister

and I took a scooter ride through the streets near our flat.

Within the first ten minutes, we were swerving and tak-

ing quick turns to try and lose the scooters following us.

Most of the boys driving gave up after a couple of turns,

but one bike followed us persistently, calling out slyly,

―hi, want to be friends?‖ and shouting lewd remarks at

us in Gujarati. I was furious and indignant, suffocating

under my sister‘s rational warning not to respond; even-

tually, in order to avoid showing them where we lived,

we parked at a hotel and went inside, waiting for them to

leave and for my sister‘s male cousin to come and escort

us home. Unwanted whistles, honks, stares follow

women across the globe; innocent at first, they perpetu-

ate the idea that women exist to be admired for their

looks, to fulfill the pleasure and amusements of others.

In 1970, tired of the leering and catcalls, feminists in the

United States organized ―ogle-ins‖ and reversed the ver-

bal harassment. Women lined the streets of New York

City and shouted comments at the passing businessmen

and construction workers: ―I bet you've got nice, hairy

legs. Why don't you wear shorts?‖ The harassment com-

ing from males had been passed off- ‗boys will be boys‘,

and many (unlawfully) defended them against com-

plaints by evoking their right to ―freedom of speech‖;

coming from women, however, the remarks were seen

as absurd and degrading to their ‗femininity‘.

Freedom is more than simple opportunity and

basic empowerment. Freedom is not only the ability to

ignore naysayers and cultivate self-confidence; freedom

is an ambience, a culture, an attitude. I believe women

should be free to wear short tops and skirts, if they

choose to, without fear of judgment and scrutiny; how-

ever, they should also be free to despise cosmetics and

dress modestly without it being deemed ‗unfeminine‘. I

believe that women, equal in rights to men, should de-

termine their own futures – their marriage, their career,

their family life. Womanhood ought to encompass an

infinite scope of options which encourages individuals

to pursue their own goals, regardless of gender. India, as

well as the United States, still waits to accomplish this

freedom; a freedom not merely written in laws or touted

in college enrollment levels, although these are impor-

tant components, but a freedom exercised without fear

of cultural backlash; a freedom embraced by the society

and by individuals.