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Former cadets stroll down memory lanes at Sainik School reunion
The cadets of the 1979-85 batch were welcomed by Col Rajesh Raghav, the principal of the school, along with teachers, staff, and cadets.
LUCKNOW A mix of joy, nostalgia, and pride was felt by cadets of the 1979-85 batch on Sunday as they gathered at the Uttar Pradesh Sainik School campus for a reunion. Several of them zoomed inside the school premises in their swanky cars. They were welcomed by Col Rajesh Raghav, the principal of the school, along with teachers, staff, and cadets.
Lt Gen Pratik Sharma, PVSM, SM, was proudly leading the contingent comprising successful people from different walks of life. Cadets of the 1979-85 batch found success in diverse fields -- including defence, railways, bureaucracy, politics, and business. A special programme was organised by the school authorities in the assembly hall to give these alumni a befitting tribute for gracing the occasion.
In his welcome address, Col Raghav spoke highly about this illustrious group of cadets who made an indelible mark in various professions. He apprised the audience of the glorious history of the school and the immense contribution of teachers and alumni. In his address to the august gathering, Col Raghav illustrated the present challenges of this school. He apprised them about the corrective and other necessary administrative steps taken in the recent past to upgrade the academic and training standards.
Col Raghav also expressed his hope of taking the institution to glorious heights by implementing a new setup of standards applicable to teachers, staff, and cadets. Prior to the main programme, a wreath-laying ceremony took place at the school war memorial to pay floral tribute to school martyrs. On this occasion, Shini Sharma was welcomed by Savita Raghav, wife of principal Col Raghav.
The whole programme was co-ordinated by wing commander Jitendra Bhatia. The cadets of the 1979-85 batch were invited on stage to share their past experiences during their stay in the schools. Interesting anecdotes were narrated by ex-cadets Anil Agarwal, Rakesh Gupta, and others which regaled the audience and left them in splits.
On this occasion, Lt Gen Pratik Sharma urged cadets to focus on doing the right thing at the right time and practising humility. He also pledged his wholehearted support for the betterment of the school. Some retired teachers of yesteryears -- Mr R P Shukla, Mr C D Mishra and Mr Rajiv Upadhyay -- were also present at the event. These retired teachers were felicitated with mementos by the ex-cadets.
Ravikant presented a t-shirt signed by the Indian Hockey Team after winning the Bronze medal in the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics to the school. The batch of 1979-85 also offered a tractor-trolley and additional implements as ‘Guru-Dakshina’ to the school. Col Rajesh Raghav expressed his gratitude for this noble gesture.
