IT training the teenager today TruePDF march 2019

March 2019 `30

Beauty talk with
Shahnaz Husain

10

CHeteSHWaR PuJaRa
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the New ‘Wall’
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of Indian Cricket


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MARCH 2019

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Vol. 9, No. 06, february 2019
Founders
J. Maurus & Aloysius G. rego

from the chief editor

owner
The Bombay Pauline Periodicals society
PuBlisher
Joby Mathew
ChieF ediTor
Alfonso elengikal
ediToriAl AssisTAnT
Caroline C. d’souza

ediToriAl BoArd
Magi Murzello, naresh Karmalker,
nasreen hashambhoy, Pearl d’souza, Verus Ferreira
ConTriBuTors
Gp Capt. Achchyut Kumar, Janvi Manchanda,
Prof dr John Mathews, K. s. Joseph,
Maya shah, rama ramesh, robert Clements,
dr shefali Batra, dr Vibha Gupta
AdVerTiseMenTs
email:
suBsCriPTions
Michael John, sunil d’Costa
email:
CoVer & lAyouT
Manoj Pal
oFFiCe
The TeenAGer TodAy
58/23rd road, TPs iii, Bandra (w), Mumbai – 400 050
Tel: +91-22-26557443 (d), +91-22-26403312
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disClAiMer: All rights reserved. reproduction in any manner
without prior permission of the publisher is expressly prohibited.
The publisher makes every effort to ensure that the magazine’s
content is correct. however, we accept no responsibility for any
errors or omissions. The opinions expressed by experts are
their own and in no way reflect that of the publisher.

Printed and published monthly by Joby Mathew on behalf of
The Bombay Pauline Periodicals society. Printed at Kalajyothi
Process Pvt ltd, Plot no. w 17-18, M.i.d.C. industrial Area,
Taloja, dist raigad, navi Mumbai 410 208 and published at 23rd
road, TPs iii, Bandra (w), Mumbai 400 050. editor: John Gilbert.

The Teenager Today has always been a magazine with a
difference! a significant way your magazine has maintained this
distinct characteristic from its very inception is placing before its
readers inspiring life stories of people from all walks of life, who
they can look up to as their role models. More especially over the
recent months, while we kept introducing new columns, specially
geared to our specific readership, and inviting new contributors to
join our writers’ gallery, we strictly adhered to this.
This thought has been uppermost in our minds when choosing
cover stories, lead articles and even news bits from our schools
and junior colleges. They all have a message to convey to the

readers like the beautiful musical presentation When you Believe
by Fr agnel Multi-purpose School & Junior College, ambernath
(Maharashtra) or the brief profile of arundhati Banerjee, a
teenager of Indian origin who now lives in australia.
The March issue also
brings you the true story
of Sindhutai, one of the
most touching real life
stories that I have read
in the recent past. Think
of a 9-months pregnant
lady, thrown out of the
house by her husband,
giving birth to a child in
a cattle shed, and on
return to her mother’s
house being turned away by her becoming the “mother of over
1400 orphans.” having nowhere to go she thought of committing
suicide first, but gave up the idea and started begging at railway
platforms to feed her child and herself!
Ironically, this becomes the turning point in her life. Mai (that’s
how her numerous children call her) recalls: “When I was on the
street begging for food and fighting for survival, I realised that
there are hundreds of orphans like me who have nowhere and
nobody to go. So, I decided to take care of them, and raise them
as my own.... I had no one with me; everyone abandoned me.
I knew the pain of being alone and unwanted. I did not want
anyone to go through the same experience.” To eliminate the
feeling of partiality among her “children”, she even sent away her
biological daughter to a care taker home in Pune, who today runs

an orphanage herself!
at the ripe age of 72, Sindhutai experiences a tremendous sense
of joy, the joy of giving which can also be ours, if we are willing
to follow her example, making a difference in the lives of people
around.

MARCH 2019

3


in this issue
march 2019

reGULArS

on the cover

3 from the chief editor 8 dear youth
counsellor
5 soul strings

10 t-point of view

6 t-mail

SpeciALS

14
15

16
17
18
22
24
28
32

pg 26

reflection
competition and cooperation

pg 12

pg 30

events
india’s future tycoons

t-Zone

current affairs
vote we must

41

campus buzz
when you believe...
teen fiction

the lady of the harbour
inspiring lives
sindhutai: mother of orphans
young achievers
arundhati banerjee + sidhi misal
music
cardi b

ryan’s corner
future 50 school shaping success award
+ 64th sgfi national championship

34
36
38

42

get ahead
competition corner

weird & wonderful
what falls down gets used!

43 poets & poetry
44 photo pik
45 dyk
46 wired

teen space

stepping out of your comfort zone 47 sci-tech

40

career talk
Q&a with dr vibha gupta

48 mind games

fashionista
easy everyday outfits

49 funny bone

learn it, speak it
understanding words and their structures

4

MARCH 2019

50

bob’s banter
there’s a purpose in delays


soul strings

fl y,

o
t
t
wan thing
u
o
y
“If p ever y
u
u
give eighs yo
w
that ”
.
down
~

iM
To n

orr

iso

n

MARCH 2019

5

t-mail
I’m the
Principal of
a PU College,
teaching
English to the
PU students. I
eagerly wait for
THE TEENAGER
TODAY. The first
page I open is
Learn it, Speak It by
Prof K. S. Joseph.
You are doing an
excellent service to English
teachers. I also work out the
exercises given in the column.
The page is easily understood,
interesting, informative and
educative.
Sr Irene
Holy Redeemer Composite P.U.
College, Hosanagar
THE TEENAGER
TODAY has helped
me in everyday life
to guide my children.
The articles are
generally short, which

allows a child to finish
reading a feature
article without losing
interest. All the articles
and information are
good conversation
starters for teens and
their parents. There is no doubt
that TTT has a great influence
on the habits and attitudes of the
teenage group. Keep going TTT!
Vinod C. Dixit
Ahmedabad
I just received the February 2019
edition of TTT and I want to
thank you for acknowledging
my work and featuring it in
the Photo Pik column of the
email, post or tweet!

magazine. This indeed
was the best birthday
gift ever! I have a
request… though you
have interviewed the
band Sanam before; we
would love to have
another interview since
the band recently hit 5
million subscribers on

YouTube.
Radha Dubey
Mathura
TTT is an awesome
mag! I love all its
pages. Soul Strings and
Photo Pik are superb
and Wired and DYK
are mind-blowing! The
article Winter Hair Care
For Teens by Shahnaz
Husain is
really helpful.
The article on
Swapna Barman by
Gp Capt. Achchyut
Kumar has inspired
me a lot. Thanks
for this wonderful
magazine. Waiting
for your next
issue!
Thendral
Chennai
THE TEENAGER TODAY is so
awesome! It is the best magazine
for teens. It has helped me a
lot in solving my problems. It
inspires and imparts knowledge
about many things from careers

to fashion. TTT is a friend to
every teen. It’s a true guide for
those of us who don’t know
which way to go.
Swarnima Singh (14)
Deoria



MARCH 2019

Meenu Sharma TTT is the mag
every individual should be in touch
with. It has all that a teen needs
— Music, Poets & Poetry, SciTech, Fashionista. I’m so proud of
TTT for featuring K-pop recently
(till now BTS and Black Pink).
It’s enhancing our awareness.
Please feature some more groups
like Twice, Exo, etc. in the Music
column.
Karishma Verma
Thank you so much
for featuring Black
Pink! Please feature
also Hailee steinfeld
or Taylor Swift as I’m
a big fan of these
two.
Kuwar Ji Keshri

THE TEEnAGEr
ToDAY is a very
important and
useful magazine
for teenagers.

Tweets @
theteenagermag
Mansi‫@ ‏‬Mansi_7147 Thank you,
TTT, for featuring Black Pink on the
cover of the January 2019 issue! This
really made my day and this article is
definitely going to attract more people
towards K-pop.
Jaanvi @btsarmy_galaxy_ i read
your article on BTS in the September
2018 issue of THE TEEnAGEr
TODAY at school. It was great! Thank
you for taking time to research about
them and writing a good article that
ARMYs would love to read.
Youknowbts @Disha12290794
I love TTT because it includes
everything that can relax as well
as excite a teen. It’s a magazine
that inspires young minds including
mine. It also contains fun facts of our
favourite singers. It’s a perfect youth
magazine.

facebook.com/theteenagermag

we’d love to know what you think of the articles and columns in your mag.

6

n speak

facebook fa

@theteenagermag


youth experience
others’ cultures and the language and
clicking pictures. We would even have
lunch together sometimes.
Sadly, the four days passed
very quickly and the event
came to an end. While
departing from each other I
could see tears in their eyes
and they could surely see
mine. 96 hours were enough
to make us very close
friends.

I

t just so happened that after

giving three different aptitude
tests I was selected along with
six other students to represent
our institution at Quanta 2018
organized by City Montessori
School, Lucknow.
It was my first international-level
competition and I was way too excited,
resulting in loss of sleep two days
before we had to leave for Lucknow!
Upon entering the gates of City
Montessori School (CMS), I was the
only one standing with my jaw open
for about seven seconds. There were
students from all over the world —

Brazil, USA, Russia, Germany, Nepal,
Jordan and many others.
I would really like to express my
heartfelt gratitude to Dr Jagdish
Gandhi, Founder-Manager of City
Montessori School, Lucknow,
for organizing this beautiful and
innovative event.
On the first day we interacted with
students from other countries. The
Brazilians were the sweetest while the
Russians, in my opinion, were a little
cold. I personally made some good
friends like Luisa, Bernardo, Marianna,

Michele and Meera. We spent 12 hours
a day together learning about each

None of us wanted to
leave. All of us promised
to stay in touch forever but
deep in our hearts we all
knew that that promise was
only meant for a couple of weeks...
Life has to go on.
While leaving, Bernardo said that he
would surely be visiting India again
and quoted Shakespeare: “Though
parting is such a sweet sorrow…”
I couldn’t hold my tears back and we
both went our ways.
People often say that sometimes our
entire life is short enough to give us a
lifetime of memories. I would say that
this was not true in my case. 96 hours
were enough.
Aditya Mishra (17) / St Joseph’s College,
Prayagraj

Form IV (See Rule 8)
1. Title of the Newspaper

: THE TEEnAGEr ToDAY

2. Periodicity of Publication

: Monthly

3. Publisher’s Name
Nationality
Address

: Joby Mathew
: indian
: Society of St Paul, 23rd Road, TPS III, P.B. 9814 Bandra (W), Mumbai - 400 050

4. Printer’s Name
Nationality
Address

: Joby Mathew
: indian
: Society of St Paul, 23rd Road, TPS III, P.B. 9814 Bandra (W), Mumbai - 400 050

5. Editor’s Name
Nationality
Address

: John Gilbert
: indian
: Society of St Paul, 23rd Road, TPS III, P.B. 9814 Bandra (W), Mumbai - 400 050

6. Place of Publication

: 23rd Road, TPS III, P.B. 9814 Bandra (W), Mumbai - 400 050

7. Names and addresses of individuals
who own the newspaper and partners
or shareholders holding more than
one per cent of the capital

: The Bombay Pauline Periodicals Society
23rd Road, Bandra (W), Mumbai - 400 050

I, Joby Mathew, hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.
March 1, 2019

sd/Joby Mathew
MARCH 2019

7


dear youth counsellor
I HAVE A MAJOR CRUSH ON HER AGAIN
I have a crush on a girl since I was in class 6; now I
am in class 10. In class 7, I proposed to her and she said
‘yes’ but after that she did not speak to me again. When
my friend asked her whether she liked me or not she
commented on my looks saying, “He is not that great.
I will not date him; he is very bad looking.” After that
I never looked at her but one year later we were both
in the same class and she tried to be friendly with me.
At that time I didn’t speak to her, but now in class 10 I
have a major crush on her again. What should I do to

get my mind off her?
Ashish (15)
Dear Ashish,
You must be quite puzzled about this girl’s behaviour
and her comments about your looks must certainly
have hurt. However, the writing is on the wall — she
isn’t really interested, and it brings no joy when a
relationship is so one-sided, don’t you agree? You have
rightly identified it as a crush; so it will pass. And you
can certainly help yourself by focusing on your board
exams and your future career, along with some sports
and relaxing hobbies to develop your personality. The
journey of life has just begun and you’re sure to find
someone warm and caring along the way!

MY LIFE IS FULL OF PROBLEMS
I’m a very stressed person and my life is full of
problems. Though I’m good in studies I want to be an
English singer. I’ve many dreams in life but something
is not letting me grow. Sometimes I even think of
committing suicide. I’ve a childhood friend who’s a boy
and we’re just friends. He’s not talking to me anymore
and we just chat on Facebook. When I asked him the
reason for not talking to me he said that it’s because of
his board exams. What kind of a friendship is this?
Madhulika (15)
Dear Madhulika,
You haven’t mentioned your ‘problems’, but I can see
that you are very discouraged. Suicide is not a solution
to problems; it is destroying your true potential, which

you have not even begun to discover. Problems help you
to discover your inner strength and build your character,
so tackle them head-on. Take support from people who
love you and whom you trust; seek help from a student
counsellor. Use stress management techniques such as
listening to music, exercising, prayer, doing pranayama
(under guidance) and more.

8

MARCH 2019

If you are sure that English singing is the right dream,
then ask yourself: how good are you at singing? Are you
formally trained? Do you participate in school and interschool events? Have you recorded your voice to make a
portfolio? To achieve a dream, you have to break a big
dream into small steps and tackle them one step at a time.
Understandably you feel hurt that your friend isn’t
paying attention to you. However, he is seems quite
focused on his studies, which is great. If you are his good
friend, please do support him, as the board exam year is
a very important one for his future.

I’M NOT MENTALLY STRONG
I’m a 16-year-old girl in Class 10. I will soon appear
for my board exams. But, in this final year of high
school, I secured only 70% in one of my exams. In
my last test, I secured 81.6%. I feel my problem is my
attitude; I’m not mentally strong. Today my spirits are
up; tomorrow my spirits may go down. I can’t maintain

consistency. Though it seems like shallow thinking,
sometimes I feel that the reason for this is because my
sun sign is Gemini. I want to change myself completely
but don’t know when I will be able to. My dad says,
when we are able to know who we are, we will always
have a high spirit and full faith in ourselves. How will I
be able to know who I am?
Bhargavi
Dear Bhargavi,
You feel like you yo-yo between high and low spirits,
and your dad is egging you on to make a change in
yourself. Perhaps you are not quite ready for it, but your
board exams will soon be here. No matter which sun
sign you are, change is about bringing out the best in
yourself. Start the journey of self-discovery by listing out
your values, the beliefs you hold that help or prevent
success, your strengths and weaknesses, your talents
and your moments of success. Keep a journal to record
your thoughts and changes. Reflection will deepen your
thinking.
Your goal right now is academic success, so develop
consistent study habits. Use study skills — mind
maps, grouping things, flash cards and more. More
importantly, use the 25-minute technique. Study with
great focus for 25 minutes without distraction; then take
a 5-minute break. Do another 25-minute slot, followed
by a 10-minute break. You can do up to 4 back-to-back
25-minute slots before you take a longer break. Building
consistency in one area will help you build consistency in
others.

MY PARENTS HAVE GIVEN UP ON ME

right now and letting time reveal whether she is right as a
friend, or as the love of your life?

This year I have my Std X board exams and I know
that I am not studying up to the mark. Even my parents
have given up on me. Whenever I study, I start thinking
about my future when I know that I need to concentrate
on my present. I’ve tried to put an end to my life but
failed. I told my mother about this and got the worst
scolding ever. My dad is not talking to me either.
Prachi (16)

Friendship is a very important component of love. It
makes love last longer and stand the test of time. Once
you complete your education and select your career, if
you still feel love for her, you can propose to her then.
However, if you feel you have changed your mind, you
can continue as friends and no one will be hurt.

Dear Prachi
People usually think of putting an end to his/her life
when they perceive that there is no hope left for the future.
I am not sure what more is making you feel this way. Your
parents must have been shocked, upset and helpless about
what you tried to do. Perhaps the only way they knew
how to express themselves at that time was to scold you or

stop speaking to you. Whatever the situation you face, you
have one freedom — to choose your thoughts about how
you see life — and that is where your inner power is.
You have come into this world with the potential to
make a difference; your future is about discovering how
you can make the difference. Seek help from a school
counsellor, and also help yourself: Take a blank page;
write down what you want in future at the top; then, at
the bottom write, ‘Class 10’. Draw a ladder and write the
steps that come in between, as best as you can. Pin this
up on your wall and turn your future into a goal, a source
of excitement. Use study skills and time management to
help you focus on the present and to make your studies a
stepping-stone to reach your goal.

I WILL LOSE MY BEST FRIEND
I’m a student of Std X. I am in contact with a girl since
last year, for 6 months through Facebook. I have met her
several times. She is my good friend. But I feel like I’m
in love with her now. Sometimes I think that I should
propose to her. But at the same time I think that by doing
so, I will lose my best friend. What should I do?
Sameer (16) / Rudrapur
Dear Sameer,
You are facing the classic dilemma and it isn’t easy to
make this choice! So, how about not making the choice

Connecting with someone on social media and
meeting them can pose a safety risk. Do you know her
background well? Have you met her family and friends?

Has she met your family? It is important to be a bit
cautious and avoid a future heartbreak.

I CAN’T CONCENTRATE ON MY STUDIES
I am good in studies but these days I can’t concentrate
on them. All I can think about is my account on
Facebook, my cell phone and boys. I am really worried
that I will spoil my academic performance like this. I
really can’t talk to my parents about this because they
won’t understand me.
Garima
Dear Garima,
Your life seems to be going out of balance. While it is
normal to want to connect with online friends and to
have crushes at your age, excess time on only one area
is like binging on your favourite food — it can make
you sick. And you’re absolutely right — there will be
consequences not just on academics, but also on the
quality of your life if you become addicted. How will you
feel if: Your academic results hit rock bottom? You lose
your real friends because you chased virtual ones?
Retrain your brain! Take each important area of your
life — your studies, a hobby, exercise, time with family
and friends, time for social media and so on. Draw a
‘thali’ with ‘bowls’ on a paper. In each bowl place one
area and how much time you will spend on it daily/
during the week. Put it up on the wall and challenge
yourself to stick to it. Give your cell phone to your mum
at that time so you are not tempted to use it!

Nasreen Hashambhoy is a Counsellor, Life Coach and a Facilitator of training
programmes for schools. Through a combination of coaching, counselling
and facilitation techniques based on cognitive science and positive
psychology, she helps clients achieve their true potential. She is the author of
the series Values In action published by Better yourself Books.
email your problems to with subject line ‘dear youth counsellor’
MARCH 2019

9


t-point of view
ThIS MonTh’S ToPIC: do you think that casting one’s vote during elections should
be made mandatory to ensure full participation in the democratic process?
I think casting one’s vote during elections should be made
mandatory to ensure full participation in the democratic
process. Every vote counts because of which the nation
progresses. Therefore, if casting one’s vote is
made compulsory, India will surely become a
true democratic republic.
Sargun Saini (15)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

has seen rising voter turnout over the past few years.
Mandatory voting is hardly a concrete solution. Rather
than forcing someone, the right course of action should
be to sensitise citizens politically, in addition to
making polling booths disabled-friendly and
safe for women voters.
Shailja Pandey

Nainital

The word democracy means, ‘the government by the
people, of the people and for the people’. Therefore,
to maintain this definition, voting should be made
mandatory for every eligible citizen. If a person doesn’t
want to vote for any of the parties in the fray, the EVM
Machine has the provision for choosing ‘none of the
above’. There is no right for anyone to complain about
the government if he/she has not voted in the
election. Voting should be made compulsory if
we want the right leaders for our country.
Arisha Ali (13)
Jeevan Marg Sophia Sec. School, Deoria

In a democracy, voting is the most important form
of political participation that a person has because
it ensures that politicians are elected by the
people, and not assigned to their offices by
someone else.
Mahak Singh (12)
St Anthony’s Jr College, Agra

Everyone who is eligible to vote should be given an
official holiday so that all can exercise his/her right to
vote, and help transform the nation for the
better rather than letting their opinions remain
limited to dining table debates.
Adhishi Pokharna (21)
Mody University

Each adult person in the country has the right to vote, but
the irony is that there’s no participation in this process by
a large majority of people. Without the full participation
of citizens it is impossible to choose the right leaders.
Casting one’s votes should be made mandatory as every
single vote counts. To ensure full participation and to
make the process less time-consuming online methods
of voting can be used, though there is an
additional virus of corruption. The web portal
owners can be easily bought with cash.
Joel Tomy (14)
St Francis De Sales School, New Delhi
Yes, I think that casting one’s vote during elections should
be made mandatory as the idea of voting is founded on
a goal to establish a responsible government and not only
a representative government. Being a responsible citizen,
one has the right to vote. All of us should vote
to make a better future for our country.
Tamanna (14)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar
Voting is the sine qua non of democracy which permits
citizens to assess a government on its performance and
choose another, if needed, that will fulfil their aspirations.
If you do not vote, you have no right to complain. India

10

MARCH 2019

Democracy means that all the citizens actively

participate in the decision-making process of the
government. This is possible only when we choose
the right leaders who talk less, work more and will
LISTEN to our opinions. Some say: “I wish I were born
in America or Germany.” Ironically, these are the people
who do not vote. We are given the power and
if we do not use it, we don’t have the right to
complain.
Jyoti Jain (14)
Mary Immaculate Girls High School, Kalina
According to me, it should not be made compulsory
to vote. If voting is made compulsory, it will become
exactly the opposite of democracy. Merely
making something mandatory doesn’t solve any
problem.
Priyangasri K. (14)
St Joseph’s AI Hr Sec. School, Chennai
Voting is the most important duty of every citizen of the
country above the age of 18. By exercising our voting right
properly, we make sure that the government is formed by
the people and for the people. Every vote of the citizens
will show active and full participation of the people in the
formation of governments. Mandatory voting will ensure
that not a single vote goes waste or not included in the
process of nation building.
Senjuti Saibal Bhattacharya (18)
A. C. Patil College of Engineering, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai
A democratic government is the ideal form of
government, and casting one’s vote is the best way to
bring in a democratic government. When people cast

their votes, they express their opinions about the different
parties, leaders, etc., in the fray. At the same
time the party/people in power also will get to
know their weak areas and failures, as well.
Supriya (16)
St Francis de Sales, Janakpuri, New Delhi


Yes, casting one’s vote during elections should be
made mandatory. We have the right to vote, we should
use it. It affects the future of our country. It affects our
future generation and the economy of our country. We
should all go to vote, making the best use of our right,
and privilege.
Chahat (15)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar
Universal Adult Franchise is based on equality, which
is the basic principle of democracy. However, it should
not be made mandatory. Casting one’s vote in elections
should be left to the discretion of citizens.
It will have a negative impact if it is made
mandatory.
Maria Alexander (16)
Choice School, Tripunithura, Eranakulam
Some think one vote is too small to matter, and so it is
useless to vote. They fail to see that their votes contribute
to the country’s development as it helps in choosing the
right leaders. I think voting should be made
mandatory as to ensure full participation in the
governing of the country.

Khushi Litoria (14)
St Francis’ Convent Inter College, Jhansi
“Your vote, Your voice”. Voting gives one the chance to
choose the right representatives; and so casting votes
should be made mandatory. If we don’t exercise our right
to vote, the country will head towards anarchy.
Be sure, “The ballot is stronger than the bullet”.
Preethi S. (11)
St Joseph’s AI Higher Secondary School, Chennai
A country cannot be truly democratic until its citizens
have the opportunity to choose their representatives
through elections that are fair and free. All should
exercise their voting right, and participate fully in this
democratic process. Casting votes should be
made mandatory to ensure this participation.
Priyanshi Maheshwari
Sophia Girls’ Sr. Sec. School, Bhilwara
Casting one’s vote during elections should be obligatory.
It is rightly said, “My vote — My choice”. And being an
Indian citizen, it shouldn’t be optional. As our country
is based on the system of democracy which consists of
equal rights for everyone, there should be full
involvement in the democratic process.
Anamika Singh (14)
St Joseph’s Convent High School, Patna

Large participation of voters in the election process
makes government formation truly representative.
Unfortunately, many people do not vote, thinking
their votes would not matter. While it is important

to have high turnout of voters, making voting
mandatory is contradictory to the democratic value
of freedom. Instead, the government agencies should
make people aware of the importance of voting.
Further, election process should be made more
comfortable like having booths closer to residences,
making election booths cleaner with
adequate ventilation, employing proper
crowd control methods, etc.
Anuj Rikhye (12)
St Francis de Sales School, Janakpuri
Single drops constitute an ocean, and so also every
vote contributes towards the formation of a country. In
a democracy, government is constituted by the people
through election process, and so casting one’s votes
should be made mandatory for all.
Ishmeet Kaur (14)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar
Yes, it should be mandatory because India is a
combination of people of diverse thinking and beliefs.
Every single vote determines the quality of our
governments. So, we should vote to ensure
our full participation in the democratic
process
Krishna Jain
B. J. M. Carmel Academy, Chandrapur
The democratic process is a wheel in motion. All the
spokes need to be equally affirmed for that wheel
to revolve efficiently. Making voting obligatory will
produce governments with more stability,

legitimacy and a genuine mandate to govern,
and so is very necessary.
Smriti Minhas (14)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar
Yes, casting one’s vote during election should be
made mandatory to ensure full participation in
democratic process. Taking part in the formation of the
government of the country is a fundamental human
right which can be exercised only by casting our votes,
leading to the formation of a responsible
government.
Sejal Sancheti
Sophia Girls’ Sr. Sec. School, Bhilwara

neXT MonTh’S ToPIC: Misuse of the Sedition Law is a threat to the right to expression enjoyed by every Indian citizen.
What do you think?

email your opinion in 100 words to by March 8, 2019 along with your name, age, school/college, city and a casual
pic of yourself. your opinions could appear in our april 2019 issue.
MARCH 2019

11


feature

guaranteed method. Some students
do well in spite of their bad habits,
which can make it hard to sort out
what will actually work for you.

Thankfully, plenty of time-tested
advice exists to help you out.
Whether you’re starting college
right after high school or pursuing a
degree, these tips will help you.

Photo: © heManT MehTa / 123rF.CoM

nIdhIKa BahL

S

uccess in high school doesn’t
always result in success in
college. College may be just
another learning environment
in your view, but there are
considerable differences. Here’s

12

MARCH 2019

how to succeed in college in four
simple words: Have good, consistent
habits. Sounds pretty simple, right?
Maybe a little too simple? After all,
what defines “good”? Many people
achieve college success by paying
attention to what works for other

students. Yet, that’s not always a

1

Attend class regularly. You may
not have studied in high school,
but you will need to in college. Being
a successful student only happens
by being present. Missing classes
can mean missing out on important
information and good opportunities
for improving your understanding of


the material being taught. Your class
attendance also has a big impact on
the impression you leave on your
professors. Even in large classes,
they notice. They will be much more
willing to give you support when
you need it if you demonstrate
your commitment by showing
up consistently. Also, professors
emphasize the most important
information in class. You also might
catch a break on your grade if your
attendance has been excellent.
Ensure that you’re participating, too.
Asking one intelligent question per
day will ensure that you’re making a

good impression on the professor.

2

Make friends and get involved.
You have a new life now with
new people. Get involved in campus
life so you feel at home. A few
activities and friends will make you
feel more at home. Increased comfort
will make it easier to concentrate on
your studies.

3

Ask for help before you’re
in trouble. All professors and
teaching assistants have office hours.
Make good use of them. Larger
universities also have tutoring
available, often for free. The sooner
you ask for help, the less help you’ll
need. You’ll also minimize your
stress.

4

Avoid being anonymous. Ensure
that your professor knows who you
are. Teachers at the college level can

be great resources when it comes to
building your network and finding
hidden opportunities. They are
often well-connected or know which
direction to point you in. But the
key to getting them to open up and
offer extra help is usually to treat
them as regular people who have
real lives outside of school. Visit
them during their office hours and
show interest in the things they
might be working on. Make return
visits every few weeks. And be sure
to participate actively in class. If you

come across as genuine, instructors
tend to be delighted by the chance
to provide any assistance they can.
That could be anything from writing
a glowing recommendation letter to
introducing you to a great mentor.

5

Be on time. I am sure you’ll agree
that feeling rushed isn’t a good
headspace to begin a class with.
Also, most professors are sensitive to
any signs of disrespect and regular
tardiness can only harm you over the

semester. By arriving to class five to
ten minutes early, you will not only
impress your professors but will
also give yourself the chance to slip
into the right mindset, feel relaxed,
and go over your notes and any
reading material again that might be
discussed in the upcoming session.

6

Avoid falling behind. The pace
is much faster in college. Once
you fall behind, it can be very
challenging to catch up. Avoid
procrastinating. Begin writing
papers and studying for tests early
enough to do well.

7

Focus on taking great notes.
It’s hard to fail if you have good
notes. It’s hard to do well if your
notes are terrible. If the professor
mentions it or writes it on the board,
it’s imperative that you capture the
information. Ask for any clarification
during or after class. Guard your
notes with your life.

8

Set a schedule and follow it. You
can do extremely well in college
and still have a lot of free time if
you plan your days wisely. Avoid
wasting time. There’s no reason

you can’t spend eight hours total
per day in class and studying. That
still leaves a lot of free time to do
whatever you want.

9

Keep a daily progress journal.
Building self-awareness is one
of the best ways to stay motivated
in college. You need to be able to
evaluate how well you’re doing each
day. Set daily goals. Then, before
going to bed each night, take a
moment to write something simple
like ‘All done’ if you’ve completed
all of your tasks for the day. If you
didn’t, then quickly jot down why
you weren’t able to. This way, you
build a system for being mindful of
your actions and holding yourself

accountable.

10

Target getting good grades.
Your first employer after
graduation will be very interested in
your academic record. If you wish
to attend graduate or professional
school, your grades will be critical.
You’ll have more options if your
grades are good. College is a major
investment of time and money.
Make the most of your considerable
investment. Show up to class, take
good notes, and stay on top of your
assignments. Establish beneficial
habits early in the first semester and
you should do well.
It all boils down to this: Successful
students tend to practise habits and
a mindset that allow them to feel
in control of their education. They
don’t study harder; they study smarter.
They experience less stress than
other students. And they enjoy the
learning process rather than seeing it
as merely a means to an end.

Nidhika Bahl is a Certified Coach with The John Maxwell Team,

Master SPIrIT Life Coach, Theta healing® Practitioner and nLP
(neuro-linguistic Programming) Master Practitioner. She is the author
of The Queen of the Comeback and the official Life Coach of
Miss World 2017 Manushi Chillar. Connect with her on Facebook:
facebook.com/author.nidhikabahl; Twitter/ Instagram: @nidhikabahl
MARCH 2019

13


opinion
MonICa FernandeS
“I love to hear a choir.... I like the
teamwork. It makes me feel optimistic
about the human race when I see them
cooperating like that.”
— Sir Paul McCartney

I

n a choir all the participants sing
in unison. When the conductor
indicates that they should sing
softly, they all do so. No bright
spark tries to stand out by
singing at the top of his
voice. During the Republic
Day Parade, our armed
forces march together in a
disciplined fashion.

Competition is a necessary
tool for our very survival
for it spurs us to greater
heights. Without competition
all aspects of society would
stagnate and life would be
dull. Too much competition,
however, results in no
time for us to be calm, for
relationships, for enjoying
ourselves, for our spiritual and
physical well-being. We have
made winning the be-all and
end-all of life, aggressively
grabbing much more than our
needs, jettisoning our values.
All we get is a vicious cycle of stress,
distress, unhappiness.
How calmly and gracefully seagulls
swoop down and pick up fish from
the sea! They take only as much as
they need for their sustenance. They
instinctively know that there is no
need to jostle as there is enough fish
to feed them all. This is cooperation
in action. Contrast their actions with
that of creatures much higher on
the evolutionary ladder, with their
highly-developed brains which they

often misuse for scheming.
Newspapers, magazines, TV, social
media, all combine to bombard
us with the western values of
individualism and competition where
only I, Me, Myself matter. Our entire
value system emphasizing familial

14

MARCH 2019

ties and co-operation is being shaken
to its foundations. Elderly, infirm
parents just about cope on their own
when their children leave them to
pursue their ambitions in another
country. Responsibilities and duties
are forsaken.
Contrast competitive behaviour
to those of twelve-year-old twins,
Sunil and Anil, whose single
mother supports them by cleaning
apartments. Sunil is a precocious boy,

excelling in sports and studies. On the
other hand, his twin brother Anil has
a learning disability and suffers from
fits. Every evening, without fail, Sunil
patiently teaches his sibling.

The young mentally-challenged
students of Atmavishwas, Goa, were
to sing at a concert when one of the
participants, Deanne, backed out.
Her classmates stoutly declared
that they would not go on stage
until she came. Some last minute
telephone calls had to be made by
their teachers to convince Deanne to
come. Deanne did turn up and the
entire group went happily on stage.

Great leaders have shown how
cooperation can be used to achieve
goals. Gandhiji galvanised an
entire nation to join his non-violent
movement for independence from
British rule. On 4 June 1940, Sir
Winston Churchill, the war-time Prime
Minister of Britain, gave a stirring
speech to his demoralised armed
forces. He galvanised them to fight
the Nazis, telling them, “We shall go
on to the end... We shall fight on the

beaches... We shall never surrender.”
Jack Welch, the famous CEO of
General Electric, USA, involved
everyone in producing innovative
ideas for running the company and

made the workplace informal.
The best place to practise
cooperation is at home. When
the entire family shoulders some
responsibility, the family remains
united and happy.
Mother Teresa once said, “None of
us, including me, ever do great things.
But we can all do small things, with
great love, and together we can do
something wonderful.”

Monica Fernandes is a freelance writer from
Mumbai for whom writing is a satisfying hobby. She
has authored a book for teens entitled Towards a
Fuller Life published by Better yourself Books.


events

India’s first-ever
Entrepreneurship Competition
for Students

The winning team (Team Bloom from Arya Vidya
Mandir Dhirubhai Ambani International School,
Mumbai) receives their cash prize from Prof.
Bhalchandra Mungekar (Former Vice Chancellor,
Mumbai University)

Neha Aggarwal (Former Olympian
and current Head of Partnerships &
Communication at OGQ) motivating the
audience with her inspirational journey

E

Npower (a flagship brand of
Enlearning Skill Development
Pvt Ltd), has developed India’s
first entrepreneurial learning
and development programme
dedicated to ‘nurturing
entrepreneurial minds’ among early
teens.
ENpower follows a structured
process that helps children learn,
inspire and empower in the
career area of their passion. It
encourages every child to think out
of the box, experience the entire
entrepreneurship life-cycle and
understand entrepreneurial life-skills
and processes.
The grand finale of India’s
Future Tycoons, the first-ever
entrepreneurship platform designed
by ENpower to attract young minds
to present their ideas, was held on
10 February 2019 at CoWrks, Worli,

Mumbai. The event attracted over
1200 teams from 252 schools across
52 cities. It witnessed the top 12
teams competing for a cash prize of
Rs 1,20,000.

It was inspiring to witness young
school-going children aged 1317 present their innovative ideas
inspired by U.N. Sustainable
Development Goals. Advit
Ranawade, 13-year-old student from
Dhirubhai Ambani International
School, Mumbai; Anisha Jani,
14-year-old student and Rahil
Chadha, 15-year-old student from
Arya Vidya Mandir School, Bandra
(W), Mumbai, were adjudged the
winning team. Their venture Bloom
is based on the idea of an external
tap attachment consisting of an
array of sensors, Digital IOT tech
and Micro nozzles, which converts
water to mist. The aim is to conserve
water and reduce its consumption
by 90%. Advit had come up with an
idea to make a FitBit for water taps
that converts water to mist, thereby
reducing the water flow and saving
the amount of water utilized.
The venture of the Second Runnersup team from AVM Bandra, Owlett,

provides students with news from
around the world that is fun and
easy to read. Since children are

unable to form opinions about
current events due to the jargon used
by newspapers, the idea was to make
a simplified version of newspapers
for children.
The First Runners-up team from
Hyderabad presented True Wipes that
converts wasteful corn crops into
chemical-free, handmade wet wipes
with high water-holding capacity.
The Most Innovative Idea was won
by a team from Kota which took part
in the event via video conference.
Their idea has multiple products
which advocate water conservation
and re-use of grey water in the
flushing system of toilets.
The Best Brand Idea was bagged by
a team from National Public School,
Chennai, with Enfocation, a platform
that provides experiential learning
through local skilled workers who
also benefit in the form of additional
income sources. The Best Elevator
Pitch was won by another team from
National Public School, Chennai,

whose venture FreEd, allows public
school students to partner with
private school students for their
education. The Best Business Model
was won by Poshan, yet another
team from the same school, for their
app that provides healthy meals for
pre-teens from home chefs.
MARCH 2019

15


current affairs
“Do not let gundas step into the
sacred precincts of the Parliament
and state assemblies (he was
referring to politicians with criminal
records) and desecrate them with
their presence,” was Anna Hazare’s
advice to the people of India as he
began the third phase of his battle
for a strong Lokpal Bill to curb
corruption in public life.

aLFonSo eLengIKaL

F

ormer President K. R. Narayanan

made history when he, with wife
Usha, went to a nearby polling
booth to vote on February 16,
1998, the first day of the General
Elections. After standing in queue
for a while with many of the
Rashtrapati Bhavan staff, he cast
his vote, becoming the first
Indian President to exercise
his franchise while in office.
Presidents till then refrained
from voting, as a sign of their
‘neutralness’.

Vote we must; and only for those
who are known for their honesty,
integrity and proven love for the
nation, in addition to being readily
answerable to the people whom they
represent and who have voted them
to power. All other considerations
come only next!

Narayanan reasoned the other
way about, stating that it is
most natural for the citizen of a
democratic country to vote. So,
he being the first citizen of the
country should set an example
to the rest of the citizens by

voting, which he did in the
simplest possible way.
Celestina Cruz, a well-known
journalist from Philippines,
wrote commenting on the
Indian Elections (1996) in
the South China Morning Post
(Hongkong): “That a populous
country like India can change
its leadership without a
major political or social upheaval is
admirable. India has shown the rest
of the world what it means to be
truly and intelligently free.”
Beautiful words of praise, I think,
and well-deserved, too! But frankly
speaking, a large measure of the
credit for this should go to our
masses. In spite of everything that
goes wrong in the country, we have
had uninterrupted elections, all
through, and almost always, good
majority of the Indian masses do
go to the polling booths and cast
their votes with the determination
to make democracy work. Not
only that democracy is ingrained
in the Indian masses, but they still
continue to believe in the power of
democracy.

16

MARCH 2019

If you are not yet eligible to
vote, you will soon be eligible.
So it is important that you
become aware of this serious
responsibility as early as you
can, and prepare yourselves
to take it up by keeping a
watchful eye on those who
pose themselves as ‘leaders’,
by keeping abreast of what is
happening around the country,
and above all, by training
yourselves to be leaders of a
better calibre than the present lot.

Vote we must, as citizens of the
largest democracy in the world,
exercising our ‘sacred’ right to choose
our representatives to govern the
country/state, till the next elections. I
believe that one of the major reasons
for the country reaching the pitiable
state it is in today is the fact that a
good number of the ‘educated class’
refuse to vote, when required to, for

the flimsiest of reasons. Or when
they do, they do not do so in the best
interests of the nation. And the result
— too many thugs and criminals
continue to find their way to the
Parliament and State Assemblies
turning these into ‘market places’!

The Indian masses may be
illiterate, but intelligent. They
somehow believe in their power
to change a government. More
than once they have thrown out,
exercising their power, irresponsible
governments, both at the Centre
and in the States, when they were
dissatisfied with their performances.
I doubt whether the above can be
said about the ‘educated’ people
of the country. They do talk about
democracy a lot, but do not show
half that interest when it comes to
exercising their voting power.
The price we have to pay for
keeping democracy alive is eternal
vigilance!

Alfonso Elengikal is the bestselling author of you Can
Make a difference, you are destined For The Skies, Let The
real you Stand Up! and the recently-released discover The

hero Within you. (available on stpaulsbyb.com).


campus buzz

When you believe…
I believe for every drop of rain that falls
A flower grows
I believe that somewhere in the darkest
night
A candle glows
I believe for everyone who goes astray
Someone will come to show the way.

Hope in distress
I believe...

“As we let our own light shine, we
unconsciously give others the permission
to do the same.”

evil, where goodness reigns supreme
even after the forces of darkness use
all the crookedness at their disposal to
consume it.

T

Through the portrayal of characters
from the innocent world of Walt

Disney, the students showed that
the need of the day is to believe in
oneself and in the guiding hand of
the Almighty. When You Believe…, the
musical extravaganza, was a child’s
cry for peace, a plea for a return to
humanism. In a world, where it is very
easy to go astray, When You Believe…
was a call to unlock from within each
one the inherent goodness that we are
born with, to join hands together to
make a better world.

he world today is changing
rapidly. The paradigms are
shifting endlessly. We are
moving from peace to violence,
from honesty to corruption, from
love to lust, from community to selfcentredness.

The new year at Fr Agnel
Multipurpose School & Junior
College, Ambernath, was marked by a
celebration called When You Believe…,
a musical attempt to awaken the selfbelief in oneself. The students brought
alive on stage, through dance-dramasong sequences, the values that are
missing in the world today. Recreated
in the theme, When You Believe…, was
a world where good rightfully defeats

Magic happens…
When you believe

The melodious choir

Hope for change:
Caterpillars show the way

A call for unity

— Nelson Mandela

I believe above a storm the smallest prayer
Can still be heard
I believe that someone in the great somewhere

The creed When You Believe… rang
out as the anthem of the event.
It became the very soul of every
participant and the heartbeat of every
person who witnessed the event.

Hears every word.
No horizon is too far
No storm too strong
No night too dark
No thunder too long
The impossible becomes possible and every
mountain can be moved
If only you believe.

The puzzles fit in together
Burdens become light as a feather
Hope comes within your reach
Any miracle you can achieve
When you believe!
Everyone present was truly
touched and went back home feeling
empowered to save the world from
ruin by ushering back peace, love, joy
and goodness and willing to sacrifice
their personal gains so these lost values
may once again govern our thoughts,
words, decisions and actions.
MARCH 2019

17


teen fiction

YASHI TRIPATHI

I

t was a cold, winter night. The sky
was covered with a thick, dark
canopy of clouds. From a patch in
the never-ending sky, peeped a
silver, full moon. Fog hung low
over the harbour. The ocean

glimmered silver and amber
because of the reflection of
the dim harbour lights.
Everything looked faded and
vague in the thick fog which
covered the ocean and ground.
“Hurry up, Dave. It’s already
11 p.m.; we’re going to be late. We
need to find a hotel. Drive faster!
We will freeze out here!” Katherine
complained.
It was the weekend and four
teenagers, Katherine, Dave, Esther
and Greg had decided to take a road
trip to a nearby town and spend the
weekend there. They had one year
left until college and because they
had all been selected to different
colleges, they wanted to spend as
much time together as they could.
“I’m trying. The hotel is just
around the corner,” Dave assured
them. At that very moment, the car
stopped. Katherine looked panicked.
“Don’t worry, I’ll check that,”
Dave said and got out of the car. He
opened the hood of the car. “The
engine has heated up too much. We
need to take a break”.

18

MARCH 2019

“But we have to get to the hotel”
Katherine protested.
“Come on, Kat. Don’t be such a
party-pooper. The reason why we
are taking this trip is because we
wanted to explore some new place
and have some fun,” Esther insisted.
“Yeah, Kat. Look there’s the
harbour. I can get some sweet
pictures for my photography
portfolio. It wouldn’t hurt to
look around. You could sketch
something,” Greg said as he took out
his camera from its case.
“Okay, fine. But if something bad
happens, for the record I already
warned you,” Katherine said as she
got out of the car.
The cold, night air blew in their
faces making their faces flushed and
red. They started walking towards

the harbour. Amber streetlights
lit their way as they walked down
the road. There were abandoned
buildings on each side of the road.

This part of the town was abandoned
as it was very old and the people
who lived here had migrated into
a different part of the town. The
residents decided to let the buildings
stay because they wanted something
by which they could remember the
good old days.
They soon reached the harbour.
It was made out of wooden planks
and rusted iron nails. The wood
screeched beneath their weight as
they walked towards the edge.
“Whoa…” Esther exclaimed,
captivated by the hollow,
unadulterated, pure beauty of what
was ahead of her.
“See I told you it would be worth
it,” Greg said as he started taking
pictures with his camera. Katherine
decided to sit on a conveniently


just increases the value of it.
Honestly sometimes I think the wait
is better than the outcome,” she said.
“What do you mean?” Greg asked.
“It means that I don’t know
what lies ahead. He might come
home well or he might be ill. He

could’ve deserted me, too. I don’t
know what’s coming. Sometimes,
ignorance is better than knowledge.
As they say, ignorance is bliss,”
she replied, wiping a tear from the
corner of her eye.
“It’s somewhat true,” Katherine
replied. The lady turned to look at
Katherine.
“Besides, the waiting is romantic.
It’s filled with hope and
promise, that’s all one needs,
right?” she asked.
“Maybe,” Katherine
replied. It was then that
the wind started blowing
furiously.

placed bench and sketch out the fine
view. They spent some time talking
and working. “I have finished it. It’s
just a rough sketch right now, I will
fair it out at home,” she said.
Suddenly, they heard a loud thud.
Esther said, “Did you hear that?”
“Yes,” they all replied.
They turned around and saw a
woman, clad in a black dress, staring
at the ocean.
“Hello, my dears,” she said,

smiling. “What brings you here on
such a cold night?”
She had curly, raven coloured hair,
a porcelain face and deep blue eyes.
Something about her seemed soft
and fragile.
“We’re just hanging around.
Checking this place out, taking
pictures and stuff,” Dave replied.
“Do you like it so far?” she asked,
her smile never leaving her face.

“I think so, I
mean it’s quiet
and peaceful,”
Esther replied.
“I’m glad you do,” the lady replied.
“What brings you here?” Katherine
asked.
“It’s a long story. My husband left
with his ship a few months ago. I
haven’t heard from him since. I like
to come here at night and look at the
ocean, waiting for him to come back.
I am sure he will come back soon…”
the lady said with hope and promise
in her voice.
“Wow, sounds romantic!” Esther said.
“It would be if he comes back,” the
lady replied, smiling as she stared

out into the open ocean.
“So, you just sit here and wait?”
Dave asked.
“Yes, I do. I have been waiting ever
since he left. Waiting for something

“We should get going,
nice to meet you, Mrs …?”
Dave said.
“Arianna Joel,” the lady
said with a smile which would
remain engraved in their minds.
When they got back to the car,
the engine roared to life without a
hitch. They soon reached the hotel
and took refuge in the warmth and
comfort of the insides. Katherine
took the liberty to ask the manager
about the lady.
“Um... do you know that lady
who hangs out around the harbour?
It was some Arianna Joel waiting
for her sailor husband?” Katherine
asked the hotel manager.
His face turned chalk white, he
looked shaken and scared. When he
recovered, he replied, “So, you saw
the Lady of the Harbour. I thought
it was something my mother had
cooked up to scare me at night.”

“What do you mean?” Katherine
asked and everyone else turned to
look at them.
MARCH 2019

19


teen fiction
“Fifty years ago, this harbour was
alive and swarming with ships.
Arianna was married to Henry Joel.
They had both settled in this town
after running away and marrying
for love. Arianna was rich, she used
her fortune to buy her husband a
ship and get a place in this town. Her
husband had to go on a voyage for
trade. Arianna was very sad when
he left; she used to wait all night by
at the harbour. Under the moonlight,
she used to stare at the ocean until she
couldn’t keep her eyes open anymore
and slept, listening to the sound of the
rising and falling ocean waves. She
had spent a month waiting when she
heard the awful news. Her husband’s
ship had been taken by the storm and
had sunk. Her husband was dead.
After that for some time Arianna

grieved and mourned. She used to lie
awake all night at the harbour, still
staring at the ocean waves, her tears

mixing with the ocean. Eventually,
she forgot that her husband was
dead. Like in the first few months
after her husband’s departure, she
used to wait at the harbour. She died,
waiting in that very harbour, having
frozen to death. It is said that her
hope lived on even after her death.
She still sits there, waiting every
night for her husband’s return. Her
hopes are still alive and her ghost
keeps on waiting for that someday
when he will return…”
Everyone was shocked and moved
at the same time.
“I know we just probably met a ghost
but I don’t feel scared,” Esther said.
“Ghosts were people after all…”
Greg added.
Everyone remained silent, not
knowing what to say. The story was still
beating with every beat of their heart.

Months after the trip, when
Katherine finally finished the
painting, it looked like this:

There was the ocean ahead,
glimmering and shining. It was full
of millions of possibilities.
There was the moon smiling
brightly down at everyone.
The harbour with its lights lit up
looked like it was saying ‘hi’ to the
moon.
Then in the middle of everything,
there was The Lady of The Harbour
and her husband. Both of them were
sitting with their hands enveloped
in each others’, staring out into
the open sea. The ship could be
seen peering from the seams of the
picture.
Yashi Tripathi (14) is a student of
City Montessori School, gomtinagar, Lucknow

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MARCH 2019

21


inspiring lives

MaJ. (reTd) PradeeP Khare
“Let no one ever come to you without
leaving better and happier. Be the living
expression of God’s kindness: kindness
in your face, kindness in your eyes, and
kindness in your smile.”
― Mother Teresa

S

indhutai Sapkal is much more
than just a name. Sharing
her birthday with Jawaharlal
Nehru, the 70-year-old lady
hides many stories behind her
strong personality. Full of energy
and passion, she is referred to as
“Mother of Orphans” and as she
talks about her life and her children
you can see the pain, troubles and
miseries she has faced and overcome
with her hard work during her
lifetime. But, from all the emotions
you see on her face, an unusual
sense of confidence which she has
derived over the years through her
experience is something you get
inspired by.
“I am there for all those who have
no one,” she says with affection.
You can see flashes of her life as she
talks about her journey and how
she became “mother”. Being an
unwanted child, she was nicknamed
“Chindhi” which means ‘torn piece
of cloth’. Though her father was
keen on educating her, she could

22

MARCH 2019

not continue her studies after fourth
grade due to family responsibilities.
She got married at the tender age
of ten to a thirty-year-old man. Her
abusive husband beat her up and
threw her out of the house when
she was twenty, and nine months
pregnant. She gave birth to a baby
girl in a cow shelter outside their
house the same day and walked a
few kilometres in that condition to
her mother’s place, who refused to
give her shelter. “I cut the umbilical
cord with a sharp-edged stone lying
nearby,” she recalls. She thought
of committing suicide, but gave up
that thought and started begging at
railway platforms for food to look
after her daughter.
Can you believe that she has now
changed the lives of thousands of
people! Till date she has adopted
and nurtured over 1,400 orphans,
helped them get education, got them
married and supported them to settle
down in life. She is fondly referred

to as “mai” (mother). The children
are not given up for adoption. She
treats them as her own and some of
them are now lawyers, doctors and
engineers.
The circumstances she has faced
could force anyone to lose courage
and succumb to the adverse

situations. But Sindhutai emerged
stronger with every difficulty
she faced and became a ‘mother’
to over 1400 homeless children,
when she herself was in a handto-mouth situation. With her love
and compassion, she has gathered
a huge family of 207 sons-in-law,
36 daughters-in-law and over
1000 grandchildren. Till date she
continues to fight for the next
meal. She does not take support
from anyone but gives speeches
to earn her daily bread and butter.
“By God’s grace I had good
communication skills. I could talk to
people and influence them. Hunger
made me speak and this became my
source of income. I give many talks
at various places and this gets me
some money which I use to take care
of my children,” she says.

Born in Pimpri Meghe village in
Wardha district of Maharashtra,
she was keen on completing her
education and used Bharadi tree
leaves to write as the family could
not afford a slate. Her early marriage
put an end to her desire to study.
“I was told there are only two
processions in a woman’s life; once
when she gets married and the other
when she dies. Imagine my state
of mind when they took me in a
procession to my husband’s home


The unusual life of Sindhutai is an inspiration
for all of us. Even after facing so many
hardships, she stood tall and made her way
into everyone’s heart. She proved that if you
are dedicated, nothing can stop you from
changing the lives of thousands of people
around you.

in Navargaon forest in Wardha,” she
says.
While begging, she realized that
there are many children abandoned
by their parents. Having faced
difficulties herself, she could feel their
pain and she decided to adopt them.

She started begging more earnestly
in order to feed the many children
that she had adopted. Gradually she
decided to adopt every child who
came across as an orphan and, over
a period of time, she emerged as the
“mother of orphans”. “When I was
out myself on the streets begging for
food and fighting for survival each
day, I realized that there are so many
orphans who have nobody to go to. I
decided to take care of them and raise
them as my own,” Sindhutai says.
To eliminate the feeling of partiality
among children she gave away her
biological daughter to Shrimant
Dagdu Sheth Halwai, Pune. Her

daughter herself runs an orphanage
today. Many years later, her husband
came back to her and apologized for
his harsh deeds. Having devoted all
her life to the orphans, she forgave
him and accepted him as her ‘child’,
as she could only harbour motherly
love for all. She affectionately
introduces her aged husband as the
eldest child!
She has six organizations operating
under her name which work towards

various needs of orphans. “I had no
one with me, everyone abandoned
me. I knew the pain of being alone
and unwanted. I didn’t want anyone
to go through the same. And I feel
immense pride and pleasure to see
some of my children doing so well
in their lives. One of my children

made a documentary on my life,”
she says. Her life’s story inspired
many and a Marathi film called Mee
Sindhutai Sapkal was made on her
life which won a national award.
She has received over 500 awards
for her extraordinary support to
orphans. Whatever amount she
received as awards, she used it to
construct homes for her children.
The construction is still going on and

she is constantly looking for more
help from across the globe to give
shape to her dreams. “I approached
the Maharashtra government several
times for help but I never received
it. I used to beg earlier to fulfil the
needs of my children and I will
continue to do so,” she says.
The unusual life of Sindhutai is an

inspiration for all of us. Even after
facing so many hardships, she stood
tall and made her way into everyone’s
heart. She proved that if you are
dedicated, nothing can stop you from
changing the lives of thousands of
people around you. We salute this
brave lady and hope that the country
gives birth to many more such strong
daughters and mothers.

Maj (Retd.) Pradeep Khare is a veteran of the Indian army.
he has authored two inspirational books real Inspiring Stories
and Unsung heroes. he writes a motivational blog Fragrance of
Success and runs a motivational youTube channel guldasta.
he can be reached at
MARCH 2019

23


young achiever

A

rundhati Banerjee is a budding
young artiste who has won
prestigious dance competitions.
At the young age of 16, she
is an Artreprenuer and founder

member of AIDA-Bharatanatyaved,
a dance academy in South Australia,
imparting training in Indian
classical, contemporary and folk
forms.
A resident of South Australia of
Indian origin, this Class 11 student
of Brighton Higher Secondary School
has been selected to represent South
Australia as a national finalist at Miss
Diamond Australia 2019 in Brisbane.
As part of her pageantry journey she
supports the institution e.motion21,
a non-profit organisation that
provides Australian-first, evidencebased, innovative dance and fitness
programmes for children and young
adults with Down Syndrome.
She identified e.motion21 as an
organisation as her charity given that

24

MARCH 2019

she is passionate about performing
arts and how dance can make a
difference, bring joy and happiness
irrespective of age, gender and levels
of abilities. She believes that “Dance
is for everybody — integration of

mind, body and soul.”
Arundhati will soon be coming up
with a production titled the Dancing
Sutra this Fringe Season 2019 at the
Marion Cultural Centre in Adelaide.
Dancing Sutra will be a dance ballet
depicting the Story of Eve around the
theme “From Darkness to Light”
integrating Indian classical, folk and
western forms. The proceeds from
the show will go to the organisation
e.motion21.
Arundhati has trained in
Bharatanatyam under renowned
Guru Padmashree Shobana Chandra
Kumar, a national award winner,
actress, dancer, and choreographer.
She is currently receiving training in

western forms of dance like ballet,
hip-hop, jazz, tap, etc., in addition
to getting specialised training in the
areas of art of emotions, the ancient
text in dramaturgy and learning to
play the instrument nattuvangam.
She has been awarded membership
in the prestigious International
Dance Council partnered with
UNESCO for a second consecutive
year. Just recently, she won the Miss

Glamourgenic-Talent Supreme Title
at Brisbane and was selected as the
National Finalist-Face of Capezio.
She is presently with the Australian
Girls’ Choir and performed at the
Adelaide Oval for the test match
between Australia and England.
Arundhati’s mantra is “Dance is for
the soul and for the betterment of the
society.”


F

encing is a relatively unexplored sport
in India, though it was one of the first
sports to be played at the Olympics.
It is based on the traditional skills of
swordsmanship.
Siddhi Misal, a student of Fr Agnel
Multipurpose School, Ambernath, started
training in fencing when she was in Std
7. The sport attracted her when it was
introduced in the school. With the help
of her coach, Rajesh Shinde, she regularly
participated in tournaments organized by
the Maharashtra Fencing Association.
She won the first position at the
District Level in the Under-14 category.
Motivated by her success, she went on to

participate in the State Level tournament,
where she bagged the silver medal.
Siddhi, now a student of Std 9, has
been an avid sportsperson since she
began her schooling. She enthusiastically
participates in athletic events and even

plays volleyball. She brought home
the State Bronze medal in the Surya
Namaskar Competition, making her
school proud.
Siddhi lends her voice to the school
choir, participates in elocution contests
and general knowledge quizzes, and
all the while maintaining her position
as a meritorious student in academics,
too!
Achievers like Siddhi Misal are an
inspiration to young girls growing
up in small towns across the nation
where sporting is often of secondary
importance, and reserved as a boys’
domain. It is heart-warming to see
her parents support her in sports, and
especially in one like fencing which is
traditionally a man’s game.
Siddhi continues to foray with a
never-say-die attitude. We wish Siddhi
all the very best in all her endeavours.

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25