A magic called CKC alumni meet
Bonding
Alumni meets are the flavour of the season. But there is one that happened last Sunday which has left those who attended it craving for more and those who missed and heard about it green with envy. N Niranjan Nikam shares a ringside view of this CKC alumni meet.
If one was there just before the group photograph was taken, it was a scene straight out of the characters in the Asterix comics. There was total cacophony and chaos. Each group unto themselves.
That was the time, when the lady made a grand entry. She was in a flowing pink salwar-kameez. There was a collective gasp from ex-students who had gathered for the photo session. She had kept her promise. She had said, “Even if I have to come on a wheelchair, I will be there.”
This is how the story of the first alumni meet of Christ the King Convent, with a 67-year history unfolded. In this long history of the school, more than a lakh of students have passed out. But, neither the alma mater nor the alumnus ever imagined that there could be a day, when both would converge and there would be a plethora of significant moments and memories.
It was a feast to the eyes and ears on that day — December 11 — when the alumni was welcomed at the gate by smartly clad girls in uniform. As they entered, each one of them had a surprise in store. There was ooh and aahs, peckings, huggings and handshakes all around. It did not matter whether you were a boy or a girl, a student or a teacher or a nun. There was so much bonhomie that everything past or present was erased. The relationships became blurred.
Photographs
The students who were scared of the stern nuns or strict teachers during their student-days were standing shoulder to shoulder. Everyone was clicking photographs with everyone.
How did this all happen? The buzz started a year ago when an ex-student floated the idea of a CKC alumni association. It took a year for the idea to fructify. A registered association was formed and a team was elected. Then the long trek began. The day was frozen first. Then the team worked around the date.
There were apprehensions. How many would come to the meet? May be just about 100 to 150 was the number figured. When the thought was put on that great connect Facebook, not many were convinced. The number 40 mockingly stared us in the face. They were just the few CKCites who had given their consent.
The team had to find a way. The team approached the school. Sister Christal, the manager and headmistress of higher primary school who is in charge did not bat an eyelid. Sister Bernie, the headmistress of the high school gave us all the support.
The first hurdle was passed. But the finances continued to dog the team. A few in the committee had decided to chip in, if the worst befell. Then the young dynamic team led by secretary Arun Mandal of 1985 batch and treasurer Pramod Narayan of 1984 batch went about attracting sponsors and getting memberships.
It was a tough task. They pulled it off when they discovered a sponsor for lunch. However, the number of CKCites attending the meet was still a mirage. It started with 100 to 150 and as the optimism grew, it went up to 200, then 250, 300, 350 and finally stopped at 400.
There was pure magic when CKCites came in droves across generations and from all over the world to register on the spot. It crossed 500.
The school had begun in 1944 in a building on Ambedkar road rented out by Boriah Basavaiah and Sons. Not many, including old teachers of the school, knew the history.
Hence a decision was taken to honour the students of a few batches who had studied in the old building. Thus a few names like Madhura Vani Vittal/Das a student who joined in 1945, her sister Jyotsna Rao/Das (who came on the wheelchair), Usha Deniz, B A Parvathi, Lalitha Sukumar and Rajeshwari came up. They were all honoured. B Balachandra, son of Boraiah was also not forgotten.
The teachers were also honoured. If there is one thing a person who enters the teaching profession earns, it is the unalloyed love and respect of the student. There were many. Starting with Mother Fermina, 87, followed by Sister Prudentia and Sister Carina and the guest of honour Sister Fridoline (provincial superior, Carmelite Sisters of St Teresa, Karnataka province). The list of teachers included D S Saroja, D S Leela, Rita Fletcher, Taramani, Revathi, Sajida, Jayanthi and L Leela. Each teacher was mobbed and there were many who touched the feet of their gurus.
The tears were rolling when Jyotsna Rao spoke on behalf of the students honoured.
Her strong voice belied her frail body. Her memory of 60 plus years ago in the school was so vivid that it blew everyone off their feet. The CKCites demanded that her husband H M R Rao who accompanied her should be honoured, and he was.
As an ex-student who was not able to attend so aptly put it, “The crux of all this is, one has attachments to one’s roots, irrespective of what they have become or achieved in life. Hence they were all there.”
Everyone partook of mouth watering food.
There were many glitches. But no one cared. It was best summed up by the guest of honour Sister Victorine, the Superior General of Carmelite Sisters of St Teresa India and abroad. “I have attended many alumni meets. This is the best in my entire career I have attended. May God bless you all.”
