FAREWELL SPEECH - 1994/95

Principal Sir, my loving teachers, and my fellow Tenacians:

Words don't come easy to me when it comes to speaking on an occasion like this. All throughout my school life, I've seen batches of students being bade farewell by the school and in all those times, I've feared the day when I'll be among those stepping out of the doors of this institution for ever. Today, the time seems to have come for me too to make a transition from present to history.

I don't know if you realise how difficult it is for a student who has spent thirteen years of his life, in fact more than half his life thus far, in a school, to step out of it. Perhaps what makes it more difficult is the fact that you're leaving behind the care and guidance of ever-respectful teachers, the love from friends -- only to soon find everything shrunk to a handful of memories.

An episode of my life is over, and perhaps the most important one, but the greatest happiness lies in the fact that it couldn't have been more memorable.

Today, as I'm here to bid you goodbye, I'd like to share a few of my experiences with you.

I was in LKG and was told that I'd won a prize. Like we have now, we used to have rehearsals for prize giving. Mr Tashi Tenzing was the acting chief-guest. I was given a school diary. I thought it was the prize and started walking away with it. Mrs Damayanti Gatraj came running after me and took the diary away.

On the actual day, the chief guest handed over the prize to me. I remembered the day of the rehearsal and handed the prize back to the surprised chief guest.

I also have a confession to make. I was in Class VI or VII. It was the time when the Suggestion Box was newly introduced in our school. I used to speak in elocutions and debates and would find it very difficult to project my voice. I wished that we'd be provided microphones while speaking. One day, I wrote two suggestions in different handwritings requesting the introduction of mic's. The next day, I tried to be expressionless as Mr Nadik approached me. He said, "Naresh, we're going to have mic's in elocutions this year. You know, two students have suggested that we have it."

One important aspect what was in my mind, but which perhaps I've not emphasised enough is the usage of English as a communicating medium. The primary reason was the guilt in my mind. Until and unless the senior-most Class XII students decide on speaking in English, there is no use in forcing the juniors. Ours being a public school, we should all understand the importance of English. I'm not just saying this because we're so used to hearing it time and again, but because I realise how much it counts today when you step out into a world of your own.