vicennial celebration
TRANSCRIPT
MMXX / October/ Issue.1
Sr. No. 62 “May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we
please, but as opportunity to do what is right.”
Vicennial Celebration
The 2nd day of October is extraordinary to us not only as a nation, celebrating the birth of Mahatma Gandhi and Shri Lal Bhadur Shastri, but also as a member of the SeQuin community. A time for celebrating the lay- ing of the foundation stone of our school. A day set aside to honor our history and revisit and explore the school's past to reconnect with and to imbibe invaluable learning from.
On this auspicious day, 20 years back, our chairman Mr. Om Pathak laid the groundwork for what would evolve into our abode of learning. A place in the verdant and idyllic Doon Valley for us to call home, SelaQui International School.
Foundation Day is an opportunity for us to honor our founding fa- thers. A time for us to reflect on the commitment, resilience, and devotion showed by them to see their vision turn into the reality of a healthy SelaQui family.
I am certain that every SeQuin, restricted only to their own houses right now, will be reminiscing about their experiences on Foundation Day. The day has an aura that words cannot do justice to. Waking up to a fresh October morning with dewdrops on the blades of the grass refracting the sunlight and the chants from the scriptures pervading the air, the customary “Havan” is elevated to more than a holistic experience.
While this year all this might seem like memories from another lifetime, still hope abounds in the world. A world which needs a bit of magic right now to overcome all the despair and despondent thoughts hurtling around. Our SelaQui is that beacon of hope, a family unlike any other. Our teachers who always have stood by us in our journey of learning and exploration, now more so than ever. Teachers who have showed us that learning is not caged within the confines of our walls in such disconsolate times as this. SelaQui has been able to sustain the excitement of learning through online lessons and keep our house spirit kindled through the multitude of intramural activities to hone our skills and competencies. I do not believe in miracles, but I also know for certain that we will get past this crisis, the whole SeQuin community, together.
So, let us take inspiration from the Father of the Na- tion, Gandhiji, and our founding fathers today as we set out on our voyage on stormy seas of uncertainty with the same convictions as these men. A vision of a nation of excellence and an institution where we aspire for the ideals of leadership and excellence. I cannot wait to embark yet again on a new adventure to face what the world throws up in our journey of realizing our aspirations and goals as individuals, as a community, and as a nation. Onwards then to the next 20 years and more….
-Yash Singhal & Neelanjana Gupta Choudhary
The sequin
Chairman of the Board, Mr. Om Pathak, Members of the
Board, all parents, boys, and girls who are missed terri-
bly today, colleagues, and friends of SelaQui. A very
happy 20th Foundation Day and Gandhi Jayanti to all of
you. As you are aware, we are here for the vicennial cel-
ebration of an institution that is fast making a place for
itself amongst all the leading boarding schools of India.
We are witnessing the making of history and are an inte-
gral part of it. The journey that began on 2nd October
2000 was by no means an ordinary journey and SelaQui
was not meant to be another school. However, it has
been a journey just like any other journey marked with
disappointments, of apprehensions, maybe doubts but
most importantly of accomplishments, triumphs, and
joy. When I look back at our 20 years of journey, as the custodian of this institution, my heart swells with pride in
what we have achieved in such a short time as compared to others. As we strive to lead for many more years and cen-
turies to come, I must recall the vision of our founder and Chairman of the board, Mr. Pathak that the school will be
guided by a value-based institution with leadership and excellence at its core. The universal values of internationalism,
peace, tolerance, integrity, camaraderie, respect and brotherhood, concern for weaker sections, empathy are our guid-
ing values, to produce outstanding and just leaders who have the breadth of vision and who will put nation and society
before self is our noble duty and strive for excellence in whatever we do is our passion. These are the values that each
SeQuin swears by and remembers each passing day. I now wonder, what would have been going through the minds
and hearts of the founder, Mr. Pathak, Mrs. Pathak, Board members, the first Headmaster, Mr. Dev Lahiri, and a few
others who gathered under this same spot under the sprawling peepal tree surrounded by big boulders and elephant
grass. If they could gaze through the crystal ball, what would they have seen? Did they see barren land being trans-
formed into a green oasis inhabited by numerous birds and trees? Did they visualize knowledge and wisdom, the bed-
rock of any worthwhile learning meandering its way through the hallowed corridors and classrooms and cacophonous
laughter and joy of boys and girls in the boarding houses? Did they wonder how the journey will unfold over the years
and what history institution would be part of? What we have achieved or not I will leave it to history to judge us, but
one thing is certain that when history will be written, it will remember the words and vision of our Founder, the guid-
ing lights of our board members, the sweat and toil of my predecessors who were at the helm in the last twenty years,
and it will record the contributions of all colleagues, teaching and support staff in making of this institution, we called
SelaQui. After all, an institution is nothing but bricks and mortar if not for all students and teachers who inhabited this
52-acre campus in the last 20 years. I must thank them and their parents for being part of this 20 years journey with us
and I am certain all alumni who left this portal will carry our message and learning to all parts of the world. From the
beginning, this institution was rooted in symbolism. The fact that the first bricks were laid under the peepal tree which
is also our school’s insignia demonstrates our commitment to imparting knowledge and wisdom. It was under the pee-
pal tree thousands of years ago, that Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment. The date of the foundation day is also
extremely significant. 2nd October is celebrated as Gandhi Jayanti, the birthday of the apostle of peace and the father
of the nation – Mahatma Gandhi. If you look at the values that this institution is founded on, you will find remarkable
similarities with Gandhian values. The world needs these values to be cultivated and disseminated and perhaps now
much more than ever. To me, Gandhi and Lal bahadur Shastri whose birth anniversary we are observing today sym-
bolizes peace, harmony, empathy, and hope for all of us, especially in these troubled times. In Gandhi, we have the
best teacher to guide us. From uniting those who believe in humanity to furthering sustainable development and ensur-
ing economic self-reliance, Gandhi offers solutions to every problem. The pandemic has stretched us and made us
humble, but it has also taught us to value some of the principles, Gandhi, and school stand for. We all have been hit by
it. Some more than others. As the head of the SelaQui community, I am pledged to look after the interest of everyone,
students and our parents and support them as far as possible. We as an institution have taken everyone together and we
take pride in our small family. As I look ahead, I see SelaQui standing shoulder to shoulder with the biggest giants of
the world and leading a community of students and teachers grounded in research and learning and espousing the val-
ues we stand for. We will be judged in times to come by how well we have contributed to nation-building and in fur-
thering the values that bind humanity together. We will with the blessings of our founder, Mr. Pathak, and board mem-
bers, parents, and friends of SelaQui, always strive to lead!
Headmaster’s Vicennial Address
The sequin
Chairman’s Address Thank you, Mr. Rashid Sharafuddin. The Headmaster of SelaQui. Thank
you, ladies and gentlemen, for being here despite very difficult circum-
stances that all of us have been through. While I compliment and congrat-
ulate each one of you who made this possible I must also say how badly
we miss our students on campus. The buzz has gone missing. It would
have been so much of a happier occasion had those young minds be with
us today. But never the less I do hope given the circumstances they would
have joined us in the best possible way which is online and I hope they
can participate in the 20th year celebrations. At the very outset, I should
like to thank each one of the members of the teaching staff and the admin-
istrative staff for having toiled so selflessly with such announce commit-
ment and that in difficult times you rose to the occasion and the kind of
things you did the past six months were probably or not have been proba-
bly possible in happier times. But you saw an opportunity, even in adversi-
ty. And I must thank you and I must share with my students and also with
the families that are was under your able leadership that is the headmaster
Mr Shariffudin’s leadership and your very active and very prepositive par-
ticipation that the school defined new destinations, new ways, new meth-
ods to move on. This COVID is bad in many ways as said also help you
identify opportunities and this was the time that you took off to reposition
your sites, realign your sights, with what lies ahead. I am talking about the
new curriculum design 2020 and I'm happy to share with you and you
know it probably already that the teachers at SelaQui were at their for the
front of this movement, so thank you very much indeed, I highly com-
mend and appreciate the efforts that you made. I would also like to thank
our students who passed out of the school, the alumnus of the school who
have made us who we have become today and wherever they are I extend
my compliments and my good wishes to them and I'm sure that they
would be holding their head high and pride the SelaQui flag where ever
they are. And I'm sure the students today would do likewise in time to
come. I would like to thank families who stood by us in these difficult
times despite there own difficulties and they deserve high praise and a
loud round of applause. So to them too thank you. The journey of the past
20 years has not been without anxieties, has not been without high points
of success and lately what the school achieved was something that most
boarding schools can't even think of the very high attainment by the stu-
dents both in classes ten and twelve. One might debate about what is the
indicator of true success in a school system but what we have today is
what we have to go by and what we have today the standard of measure is
the performance at the board results. And all of you and your students
have done us all proud by achieving the absolute unthinkable feet for a
boarding school. I have heard about day schools doing well you know in
terms of high positions and high percentages of CBSE board exams but
I've not seen or heard about many boarding schools do that. And I think
the reason why or the probable reason why you were able to do it because
you were looking at the future, and the future is not just to develop scho-
lastic developments its also about academic, intellectual, cultural, social,
emotional, spiritual all kinds of developments, and you are making it pos-
sible here together with your students so that’s a high point of this journey.
And I'm sure that at this 20th foundation day we have repositioned our-
selves to go far and further and I'm sure SelaQui would not only be able to
maintain a leadership position but you will also be keen to handhold with
any other school, with any other student anywhere to share with them
what you have created. What you have achieved that is spreading the good
effect of quality education.
It was the year 1999. The Chairman had made up his mind about furthering the cause of edu- cation, and he believed in the concept of a boarding school. Being associated with DPS Ghaziabad, he knew the vulnerabilities in a day school, and he wanted to bridge the gap. He and I made several trips in UP, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttrakhand (then UP). After a while, he decided on Dehradun, as the best schools are from the hills. I remember a vast patch of land in far flung nowhere, with rocks and huge clumps of wild grass, and I never imagined that land would one day be SelaQui, and I would be writing my memories for 20 years of its being. I was closely associated with the school and its planning, both physical and academic. It has always been ahead of its times in every which way. Though we went through our set of challenges, some trivial and some huge, though we saw our tough days, looking back, it all seems worth it. Life in SelaQui has taught me a lot and shaped me into what I am today. I am sure it has done the same if not a lot more, for each child who has passed through its gates. Today, the school has made a place for itself amongst the finest schools in the land, be it sports or academics or universi- ty placements. Our children are no longer chil- dren, but men and women of consequence, handling diverse fields from being actors to politicians to businessmen to professionals. The love and warmth with which each SeQuin has applauded the 20th anniversary of SelaQui shows how beautifully connected we all are, and shall always remain so. I wish SelaQui sets new benchmarks and standards in education, and continues to en- rich the lives of those who touch it Mr. Rohit Pathak Former Headmaster
So in times ahead, I wish the best of luck
to everyone and I'm sure that there would
be many more such occasions the next one
that I am looking at is the 25 years when
we will unbury and take out the time cap-
sule that we had put somewhere in the
school and we will compare with what we
had intended to be and had we achieved.
So that would be very interesting. So la-
dies and gentlemen once again to the
members of the board to the members of
the teaching staff to the members of the
administrative staff to all the students, to
all the families I extend a very hearty,
happy 20th foundation day. Thank you
very much. God, bless. Mr. Om Pathak
Roots Of SelaQui
orable association with SelaQui”,
was not a job but was a journey, was not a
workplace but a family.
thorough professional; all because of the
numerous opportunities and experiences
Development Programs (FDPs) and
personal and professional growth and de-
velopment.
about NEP-2020 and its features, I get a
feeling that it’s nothing new to me and
that I have gone through this literature
earlier.
about the future of education in India that
he made us sail through this voyage years
back (more than a decade) focusing on the
development of 21st century skills and
competencies among students, faculty de-
velopment, experiential and differentiated
pedagogical practices etc.
Management/BOGs, and all the Headmas-
ters under whom I worked (especially Mr.
Rohit Pathak & Mr. Rashid Sharfuddin)
for their motivation, encouragement and
support all the way through and paving the
way to what and where I am today.
I would also like to thank all my ex-
colleagues and ex-students for their love,
respect and bearing with me for being
strict, demanding or harsh at times. I real-
ly miss everything about SelaQui and de-
sire to be back with family again for rea-
sons that just cannot be expressed in
words.
entire SelaQui Family.
-Mr. Ambrish Singh
Looking Back Good Morning Mr. & Mrs. Om Pathak, Mr. Rohit Pathak, Mr.
Anshul Pathak, Mr. Rashid and all the members of SelaQui
family who are known and unknown to me.
I wish each one of you Happy Foundation Day. SelaQui has
always been in each and every drop of blood. It would not be
wrong if I say that my learning started at SelaQui and ended at
SelaQui. I gave 10 long years of my life to SelaQui and I can
proudly say that that was not wasted.
My mentor and guide Mr. Om Pathak, Mr. Rohit Pathak and
Mr. Rashid were always there to give me the support and guid-
ance which was required during my learning process and I will
always be thankful for that. During my job at SelaQui Interna-
tional School, I too made good friends Mr. Satish Sah, Mr.
Satya, Mr. Devvrat, Ms. Priya, Ms. Sakshi, Mr. Ashford, Mr.
Subodh and many more. I personally want to thank all of them
for all the patience, love and regard they gave me during my
stay at SelaQui.
Although I left SelaQui approximately 3 years back, but there
was not a single moment I have not remembered any one of
you. I have a dream that I should rejoin SelaQui International
School as Headmaster in coming future and that will be my
last resort before I quit from the world of education. A dream
remains a dream if we see and not work for it. So, I am getting
ready fulfill my dream. Thanks to everyone and Ms. Priya for
giving me this opportunity to speak out my heart on this occa-
sion. Would be very happy and lucky if given chance to be the
part of SelaQui once again in near future.
At last, I would say few words for Mr. Rashid, you have al-
ways been a wonderful guide, friend and pathfinder for me. I
miss you a lot as a friend as I still remember some of our con-
versations. Hope you also remember me. I would request you
to start a teachers alumini also so that we can meet and spend
some good time-sharing experiences with each other. I know
that every teacher/faculty left would have left for his/her
growth, but actually all of them were the wheels who helped
SelaQui to complete this journey so far, on this Foundation
Day we should also remember them..
- Mr. Sharad Aggarwal
For I was incorrigible
Chivalric and knowledgeable
But Oh! My soul so blue
I felt that I was orphaned
In a world all too new
The dormitory was claustrophobic
The only solace was my pillow
That absorbed my midnight tear
The next day was regimental
Every event by the clock
Only twenty minutes to eat my food
That was quite a shock!
Lights out at ten o’clock
Make your bed as you rise
During morning activities
Facebook and Insta were substituted
With TED talks and News
As if Reading wasn’t bad enough
I was made to write reviews
Evening Prep and Night prep
A dedicated time for study
Certainly, wasn’t thought out well
For its not for everybody
Ode to SelaQui Twenty-one days of agony
Imposed incommunicado
Keep up the bogus bravado
When I finally called my parents
I planned out well the scam
But as fate would have it
They didn’t buy the sham
Escape ruled out, I had no choice
But to reconcile to my lot
As resistance gave way to adaptation
My past was soon forgot
I recognized diversity
And realized that discipline
Was a social norm
That Life it self’s a kaleidoscope
Of panoramic hues
For in giving does one receive
I conditioned myself to modesty
No matter what I’d achieve
I met people who were
professionals
Who took great pains with me
Though I was not their ward
The playfield turned my haven
The Art room my haunt
Friends and frolic all around
What more could I want
I could act, I could sing
Even dribble the ball
few
sponse
That disdain surely repels
While empathy does attract
crossed
The adolescent me was left be-
hind
Yet I know for certain
Wherever or whatever I be
I only am the one I am
Because of SelaQui
The sequin
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“ ” ‘ ’ |
SeQuin
The sequin
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-
-
surmise that Gandhian principles don't have
much relevance in the 21st century pertaining
to the different events and affairs that the world
has to deal with. The complications today may-
be dissimilar from that era but one can't disre-
gard the fact that
adopted the innovative techniques of civil diso-
bedience and social transformation, which had
several exemplary features and is used by many
leaders across the world in their political and
social space. For a world that has increasingly
become vexed with intolerance and extremism,
the life and teachings of Gandhi Ji still remain
intact with their humanitarian message of truth
and universal fellowship.
We today have a choice between whether
to act or not, we must come out on the right
side of it, irrespective of our personal leanings
and keep in mind his concepts of interfaith dia-
logue that should push us to cultivate compas-
sion, non-violence, emancipatory aspect of our
beliefs against the fundamentalist intolerant
aspects and with that, I leave this opportunity
to you whether to stand by the principles of a
person who changed the course of the entire
world just by the power of his ethics or watch
the world falling apart.
facts about
Lal Bahadur Shastri was born as Lal Bahadur Varma. When
he graduated from Kashi Vidyapeeth in Varanasi, he was
given the title 'Shastri'.
Shastri went to jail for taking part in Gandhi's non-
cooperation movement. But, he was let off as he was still a
minor of 17 years.
male drivers and conductors in public transportation
At his wedding, he accepted a Khadi cloth and spinning
wheel as dowry.
During his tenure as the Minister of Police, Shastri intro-
duced the rule of spraying jet water to disperse crowd in-
stead of lathi charge.
Shastri also took part in the Salt March, for which he was
jailed for a period of two years.
As the Home Minister, Shastri introduced the first commit-
tee on Prevention of Corruption.
After Nehru's death, it was Indira Gandhi who was first
asked to take the prime ministerial charge. Indira declined
and Shastri took the charge.
Shastri also promoted the White Revolution, a nationwide
campaign for increasing milk production.
He supported the Amul milk cooperative based at Anand,
Gujarat and created the National Dairy Development Board
: Shastri also integrated the idea of the Green Revolution, a
national phenomenon, to boost demand and propel India's
food production.
He joined the freedom movement in the 1920s and served
as a prominent leader of the Indian National Congress
Inspired by Gandhi and Nehru, he led the country during
the tough times of Indo-Pakistani war of 1965.
On January 10, 1966, Shastri signed the Tashkent Declara-
tion with the Pakistani president, Muhammad Ayub Khan,
to end the 1965 war.
Shastri died due to a heart attack. However, according to
his physician, Dr R N Chugh, Shastri had no sign of cardiac
weakness previously.
Mystery still looms over the death of India's second prime
minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri.
-PUBLISHED IN INDIA TODAY
Sr. No. 62 “May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we
please, but as opportunity to do what is right.”
Vicennial Celebration
The 2nd day of October is extraordinary to us not only as a nation, celebrating the birth of Mahatma Gandhi and Shri Lal Bhadur Shastri, but also as a member of the SeQuin community. A time for celebrating the lay- ing of the foundation stone of our school. A day set aside to honor our history and revisit and explore the school's past to reconnect with and to imbibe invaluable learning from.
On this auspicious day, 20 years back, our chairman Mr. Om Pathak laid the groundwork for what would evolve into our abode of learning. A place in the verdant and idyllic Doon Valley for us to call home, SelaQui International School.
Foundation Day is an opportunity for us to honor our founding fa- thers. A time for us to reflect on the commitment, resilience, and devotion showed by them to see their vision turn into the reality of a healthy SelaQui family.
I am certain that every SeQuin, restricted only to their own houses right now, will be reminiscing about their experiences on Foundation Day. The day has an aura that words cannot do justice to. Waking up to a fresh October morning with dewdrops on the blades of the grass refracting the sunlight and the chants from the scriptures pervading the air, the customary “Havan” is elevated to more than a holistic experience.
While this year all this might seem like memories from another lifetime, still hope abounds in the world. A world which needs a bit of magic right now to overcome all the despair and despondent thoughts hurtling around. Our SelaQui is that beacon of hope, a family unlike any other. Our teachers who always have stood by us in our journey of learning and exploration, now more so than ever. Teachers who have showed us that learning is not caged within the confines of our walls in such disconsolate times as this. SelaQui has been able to sustain the excitement of learning through online lessons and keep our house spirit kindled through the multitude of intramural activities to hone our skills and competencies. I do not believe in miracles, but I also know for certain that we will get past this crisis, the whole SeQuin community, together.
So, let us take inspiration from the Father of the Na- tion, Gandhiji, and our founding fathers today as we set out on our voyage on stormy seas of uncertainty with the same convictions as these men. A vision of a nation of excellence and an institution where we aspire for the ideals of leadership and excellence. I cannot wait to embark yet again on a new adventure to face what the world throws up in our journey of realizing our aspirations and goals as individuals, as a community, and as a nation. Onwards then to the next 20 years and more….
-Yash Singhal & Neelanjana Gupta Choudhary
The sequin
Chairman of the Board, Mr. Om Pathak, Members of the
Board, all parents, boys, and girls who are missed terri-
bly today, colleagues, and friends of SelaQui. A very
happy 20th Foundation Day and Gandhi Jayanti to all of
you. As you are aware, we are here for the vicennial cel-
ebration of an institution that is fast making a place for
itself amongst all the leading boarding schools of India.
We are witnessing the making of history and are an inte-
gral part of it. The journey that began on 2nd October
2000 was by no means an ordinary journey and SelaQui
was not meant to be another school. However, it has
been a journey just like any other journey marked with
disappointments, of apprehensions, maybe doubts but
most importantly of accomplishments, triumphs, and
joy. When I look back at our 20 years of journey, as the custodian of this institution, my heart swells with pride in
what we have achieved in such a short time as compared to others. As we strive to lead for many more years and cen-
turies to come, I must recall the vision of our founder and Chairman of the board, Mr. Pathak that the school will be
guided by a value-based institution with leadership and excellence at its core. The universal values of internationalism,
peace, tolerance, integrity, camaraderie, respect and brotherhood, concern for weaker sections, empathy are our guid-
ing values, to produce outstanding and just leaders who have the breadth of vision and who will put nation and society
before self is our noble duty and strive for excellence in whatever we do is our passion. These are the values that each
SeQuin swears by and remembers each passing day. I now wonder, what would have been going through the minds
and hearts of the founder, Mr. Pathak, Mrs. Pathak, Board members, the first Headmaster, Mr. Dev Lahiri, and a few
others who gathered under this same spot under the sprawling peepal tree surrounded by big boulders and elephant
grass. If they could gaze through the crystal ball, what would they have seen? Did they see barren land being trans-
formed into a green oasis inhabited by numerous birds and trees? Did they visualize knowledge and wisdom, the bed-
rock of any worthwhile learning meandering its way through the hallowed corridors and classrooms and cacophonous
laughter and joy of boys and girls in the boarding houses? Did they wonder how the journey will unfold over the years
and what history institution would be part of? What we have achieved or not I will leave it to history to judge us, but
one thing is certain that when history will be written, it will remember the words and vision of our Founder, the guid-
ing lights of our board members, the sweat and toil of my predecessors who were at the helm in the last twenty years,
and it will record the contributions of all colleagues, teaching and support staff in making of this institution, we called
SelaQui. After all, an institution is nothing but bricks and mortar if not for all students and teachers who inhabited this
52-acre campus in the last 20 years. I must thank them and their parents for being part of this 20 years journey with us
and I am certain all alumni who left this portal will carry our message and learning to all parts of the world. From the
beginning, this institution was rooted in symbolism. The fact that the first bricks were laid under the peepal tree which
is also our school’s insignia demonstrates our commitment to imparting knowledge and wisdom. It was under the pee-
pal tree thousands of years ago, that Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment. The date of the foundation day is also
extremely significant. 2nd October is celebrated as Gandhi Jayanti, the birthday of the apostle of peace and the father
of the nation – Mahatma Gandhi. If you look at the values that this institution is founded on, you will find remarkable
similarities with Gandhian values. The world needs these values to be cultivated and disseminated and perhaps now
much more than ever. To me, Gandhi and Lal bahadur Shastri whose birth anniversary we are observing today sym-
bolizes peace, harmony, empathy, and hope for all of us, especially in these troubled times. In Gandhi, we have the
best teacher to guide us. From uniting those who believe in humanity to furthering sustainable development and ensur-
ing economic self-reliance, Gandhi offers solutions to every problem. The pandemic has stretched us and made us
humble, but it has also taught us to value some of the principles, Gandhi, and school stand for. We all have been hit by
it. Some more than others. As the head of the SelaQui community, I am pledged to look after the interest of everyone,
students and our parents and support them as far as possible. We as an institution have taken everyone together and we
take pride in our small family. As I look ahead, I see SelaQui standing shoulder to shoulder with the biggest giants of
the world and leading a community of students and teachers grounded in research and learning and espousing the val-
ues we stand for. We will be judged in times to come by how well we have contributed to nation-building and in fur-
thering the values that bind humanity together. We will with the blessings of our founder, Mr. Pathak, and board mem-
bers, parents, and friends of SelaQui, always strive to lead!
Headmaster’s Vicennial Address
The sequin
Chairman’s Address Thank you, Mr. Rashid Sharafuddin. The Headmaster of SelaQui. Thank
you, ladies and gentlemen, for being here despite very difficult circum-
stances that all of us have been through. While I compliment and congrat-
ulate each one of you who made this possible I must also say how badly
we miss our students on campus. The buzz has gone missing. It would
have been so much of a happier occasion had those young minds be with
us today. But never the less I do hope given the circumstances they would
have joined us in the best possible way which is online and I hope they
can participate in the 20th year celebrations. At the very outset, I should
like to thank each one of the members of the teaching staff and the admin-
istrative staff for having toiled so selflessly with such announce commit-
ment and that in difficult times you rose to the occasion and the kind of
things you did the past six months were probably or not have been proba-
bly possible in happier times. But you saw an opportunity, even in adversi-
ty. And I must thank you and I must share with my students and also with
the families that are was under your able leadership that is the headmaster
Mr Shariffudin’s leadership and your very active and very prepositive par-
ticipation that the school defined new destinations, new ways, new meth-
ods to move on. This COVID is bad in many ways as said also help you
identify opportunities and this was the time that you took off to reposition
your sites, realign your sights, with what lies ahead. I am talking about the
new curriculum design 2020 and I'm happy to share with you and you
know it probably already that the teachers at SelaQui were at their for the
front of this movement, so thank you very much indeed, I highly com-
mend and appreciate the efforts that you made. I would also like to thank
our students who passed out of the school, the alumnus of the school who
have made us who we have become today and wherever they are I extend
my compliments and my good wishes to them and I'm sure that they
would be holding their head high and pride the SelaQui flag where ever
they are. And I'm sure the students today would do likewise in time to
come. I would like to thank families who stood by us in these difficult
times despite there own difficulties and they deserve high praise and a
loud round of applause. So to them too thank you. The journey of the past
20 years has not been without anxieties, has not been without high points
of success and lately what the school achieved was something that most
boarding schools can't even think of the very high attainment by the stu-
dents both in classes ten and twelve. One might debate about what is the
indicator of true success in a school system but what we have today is
what we have to go by and what we have today the standard of measure is
the performance at the board results. And all of you and your students
have done us all proud by achieving the absolute unthinkable feet for a
boarding school. I have heard about day schools doing well you know in
terms of high positions and high percentages of CBSE board exams but
I've not seen or heard about many boarding schools do that. And I think
the reason why or the probable reason why you were able to do it because
you were looking at the future, and the future is not just to develop scho-
lastic developments its also about academic, intellectual, cultural, social,
emotional, spiritual all kinds of developments, and you are making it pos-
sible here together with your students so that’s a high point of this journey.
And I'm sure that at this 20th foundation day we have repositioned our-
selves to go far and further and I'm sure SelaQui would not only be able to
maintain a leadership position but you will also be keen to handhold with
any other school, with any other student anywhere to share with them
what you have created. What you have achieved that is spreading the good
effect of quality education.
It was the year 1999. The Chairman had made up his mind about furthering the cause of edu- cation, and he believed in the concept of a boarding school. Being associated with DPS Ghaziabad, he knew the vulnerabilities in a day school, and he wanted to bridge the gap. He and I made several trips in UP, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttrakhand (then UP). After a while, he decided on Dehradun, as the best schools are from the hills. I remember a vast patch of land in far flung nowhere, with rocks and huge clumps of wild grass, and I never imagined that land would one day be SelaQui, and I would be writing my memories for 20 years of its being. I was closely associated with the school and its planning, both physical and academic. It has always been ahead of its times in every which way. Though we went through our set of challenges, some trivial and some huge, though we saw our tough days, looking back, it all seems worth it. Life in SelaQui has taught me a lot and shaped me into what I am today. I am sure it has done the same if not a lot more, for each child who has passed through its gates. Today, the school has made a place for itself amongst the finest schools in the land, be it sports or academics or universi- ty placements. Our children are no longer chil- dren, but men and women of consequence, handling diverse fields from being actors to politicians to businessmen to professionals. The love and warmth with which each SeQuin has applauded the 20th anniversary of SelaQui shows how beautifully connected we all are, and shall always remain so. I wish SelaQui sets new benchmarks and standards in education, and continues to en- rich the lives of those who touch it Mr. Rohit Pathak Former Headmaster
So in times ahead, I wish the best of luck
to everyone and I'm sure that there would
be many more such occasions the next one
that I am looking at is the 25 years when
we will unbury and take out the time cap-
sule that we had put somewhere in the
school and we will compare with what we
had intended to be and had we achieved.
So that would be very interesting. So la-
dies and gentlemen once again to the
members of the board to the members of
the teaching staff to the members of the
administrative staff to all the students, to
all the families I extend a very hearty,
happy 20th foundation day. Thank you
very much. God, bless. Mr. Om Pathak
Roots Of SelaQui
orable association with SelaQui”,
was not a job but was a journey, was not a
workplace but a family.
thorough professional; all because of the
numerous opportunities and experiences
Development Programs (FDPs) and
personal and professional growth and de-
velopment.
about NEP-2020 and its features, I get a
feeling that it’s nothing new to me and
that I have gone through this literature
earlier.
about the future of education in India that
he made us sail through this voyage years
back (more than a decade) focusing on the
development of 21st century skills and
competencies among students, faculty de-
velopment, experiential and differentiated
pedagogical practices etc.
Management/BOGs, and all the Headmas-
ters under whom I worked (especially Mr.
Rohit Pathak & Mr. Rashid Sharfuddin)
for their motivation, encouragement and
support all the way through and paving the
way to what and where I am today.
I would also like to thank all my ex-
colleagues and ex-students for their love,
respect and bearing with me for being
strict, demanding or harsh at times. I real-
ly miss everything about SelaQui and de-
sire to be back with family again for rea-
sons that just cannot be expressed in
words.
entire SelaQui Family.
-Mr. Ambrish Singh
Looking Back Good Morning Mr. & Mrs. Om Pathak, Mr. Rohit Pathak, Mr.
Anshul Pathak, Mr. Rashid and all the members of SelaQui
family who are known and unknown to me.
I wish each one of you Happy Foundation Day. SelaQui has
always been in each and every drop of blood. It would not be
wrong if I say that my learning started at SelaQui and ended at
SelaQui. I gave 10 long years of my life to SelaQui and I can
proudly say that that was not wasted.
My mentor and guide Mr. Om Pathak, Mr. Rohit Pathak and
Mr. Rashid were always there to give me the support and guid-
ance which was required during my learning process and I will
always be thankful for that. During my job at SelaQui Interna-
tional School, I too made good friends Mr. Satish Sah, Mr.
Satya, Mr. Devvrat, Ms. Priya, Ms. Sakshi, Mr. Ashford, Mr.
Subodh and many more. I personally want to thank all of them
for all the patience, love and regard they gave me during my
stay at SelaQui.
Although I left SelaQui approximately 3 years back, but there
was not a single moment I have not remembered any one of
you. I have a dream that I should rejoin SelaQui International
School as Headmaster in coming future and that will be my
last resort before I quit from the world of education. A dream
remains a dream if we see and not work for it. So, I am getting
ready fulfill my dream. Thanks to everyone and Ms. Priya for
giving me this opportunity to speak out my heart on this occa-
sion. Would be very happy and lucky if given chance to be the
part of SelaQui once again in near future.
At last, I would say few words for Mr. Rashid, you have al-
ways been a wonderful guide, friend and pathfinder for me. I
miss you a lot as a friend as I still remember some of our con-
versations. Hope you also remember me. I would request you
to start a teachers alumini also so that we can meet and spend
some good time-sharing experiences with each other. I know
that every teacher/faculty left would have left for his/her
growth, but actually all of them were the wheels who helped
SelaQui to complete this journey so far, on this Foundation
Day we should also remember them..
- Mr. Sharad Aggarwal
For I was incorrigible
Chivalric and knowledgeable
But Oh! My soul so blue
I felt that I was orphaned
In a world all too new
The dormitory was claustrophobic
The only solace was my pillow
That absorbed my midnight tear
The next day was regimental
Every event by the clock
Only twenty minutes to eat my food
That was quite a shock!
Lights out at ten o’clock
Make your bed as you rise
During morning activities
Facebook and Insta were substituted
With TED talks and News
As if Reading wasn’t bad enough
I was made to write reviews
Evening Prep and Night prep
A dedicated time for study
Certainly, wasn’t thought out well
For its not for everybody
Ode to SelaQui Twenty-one days of agony
Imposed incommunicado
Keep up the bogus bravado
When I finally called my parents
I planned out well the scam
But as fate would have it
They didn’t buy the sham
Escape ruled out, I had no choice
But to reconcile to my lot
As resistance gave way to adaptation
My past was soon forgot
I recognized diversity
And realized that discipline
Was a social norm
That Life it self’s a kaleidoscope
Of panoramic hues
For in giving does one receive
I conditioned myself to modesty
No matter what I’d achieve
I met people who were
professionals
Who took great pains with me
Though I was not their ward
The playfield turned my haven
The Art room my haunt
Friends and frolic all around
What more could I want
I could act, I could sing
Even dribble the ball
few
sponse
That disdain surely repels
While empathy does attract
crossed
The adolescent me was left be-
hind
Yet I know for certain
Wherever or whatever I be
I only am the one I am
Because of SelaQui
The sequin
- ; ‘’ ‘’ ! 1869 - | , , | , , | ‘ ’ - , , ' ' ' ' , , , , , ‘ ’ ‘ ’ ‘ ’ , | | 2 | ,
“ ” ‘ ’ |
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-
surmise that Gandhian principles don't have
much relevance in the 21st century pertaining
to the different events and affairs that the world
has to deal with. The complications today may-
be dissimilar from that era but one can't disre-
gard the fact that
adopted the innovative techniques of civil diso-
bedience and social transformation, which had
several exemplary features and is used by many
leaders across the world in their political and
social space. For a world that has increasingly
become vexed with intolerance and extremism,
the life and teachings of Gandhi Ji still remain
intact with their humanitarian message of truth
and universal fellowship.
We today have a choice between whether
to act or not, we must come out on the right
side of it, irrespective of our personal leanings
and keep in mind his concepts of interfaith dia-
logue that should push us to cultivate compas-
sion, non-violence, emancipatory aspect of our
beliefs against the fundamentalist intolerant
aspects and with that, I leave this opportunity
to you whether to stand by the principles of a
person who changed the course of the entire
world just by the power of his ethics or watch
the world falling apart.
facts about
Lal Bahadur Shastri was born as Lal Bahadur Varma. When
he graduated from Kashi Vidyapeeth in Varanasi, he was
given the title 'Shastri'.
Shastri went to jail for taking part in Gandhi's non-
cooperation movement. But, he was let off as he was still a
minor of 17 years.
male drivers and conductors in public transportation
At his wedding, he accepted a Khadi cloth and spinning
wheel as dowry.
During his tenure as the Minister of Police, Shastri intro-
duced the rule of spraying jet water to disperse crowd in-
stead of lathi charge.
Shastri also took part in the Salt March, for which he was
jailed for a period of two years.
As the Home Minister, Shastri introduced the first commit-
tee on Prevention of Corruption.
After Nehru's death, it was Indira Gandhi who was first
asked to take the prime ministerial charge. Indira declined
and Shastri took the charge.
Shastri also promoted the White Revolution, a nationwide
campaign for increasing milk production.
He supported the Amul milk cooperative based at Anand,
Gujarat and created the National Dairy Development Board
: Shastri also integrated the idea of the Green Revolution, a
national phenomenon, to boost demand and propel India's
food production.
He joined the freedom movement in the 1920s and served
as a prominent leader of the Indian National Congress
Inspired by Gandhi and Nehru, he led the country during
the tough times of Indo-Pakistani war of 1965.
On January 10, 1966, Shastri signed the Tashkent Declara-
tion with the Pakistani president, Muhammad Ayub Khan,
to end the 1965 war.
Shastri died due to a heart attack. However, according to
his physician, Dr R N Chugh, Shastri had no sign of cardiac
weakness previously.
Mystery still looms over the death of India's second prime
minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri.
-PUBLISHED IN INDIA TODAY