31st July 2010 - The Scindia School
31st July 2010 - The Scindia School
31st July 2010 - The Scindia School
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Interview of<br />
Mr. A.N. Dar<br />
former Principal of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Scindia</strong> <strong>School</strong>, by Aayush Tandon<br />
AT: What qualities should a public<br />
school teacher have<br />
AND: An independent mind, passion for<br />
life and self respect such that he develops<br />
trust and faith in both his students and<br />
colleagues i.e. his community.<br />
This applies not only to public school<br />
teachers but to teachers of any school.<br />
<strong>The</strong> teacher needs to have passion for<br />
life to give him enough energy to enjoy<br />
his work. Today we talk about all kinds of<br />
schools: public, international, world school<br />
and global, etc., which leaves me utterly<br />
confused. For me teaching is not a job<br />
or a profession but a calling: we should<br />
talk about nurturing that is inclusive of<br />
all and not simply teaching. Teachers in<br />
any school are nurturers, and not just<br />
facilitators. Any nurturer anywhere should<br />
have these qualities.<br />
Several teachers in my days in <strong>Scindia</strong>,<br />
my school, who were my role modelsincluding<br />
my father had these qualities in<br />
abundance.<br />
AT: You have been a student and the<br />
Principal of the <strong>Scindia</strong> <strong>School</strong>.<br />
What did you enjoy more and why<br />
AND: As a student I only dreamt of<br />
being a schoolmaster in <strong>Scindia</strong> <strong>School</strong>.<br />
Thank God I didn’t become a master<br />
here because I also dreamt of occupying<br />
the office of the Principal of the <strong>Scindia</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong> and as tradition here is: “Thou<br />
shall not be the Principal of <strong>Scindia</strong> if you<br />
are a teacher.”<br />
As a student, I enjoyed every moment of<br />
my stay here. As the Principal, it hardly<br />
mattered to me whether I was enjoying or<br />
not for my prime concern was to ensure<br />
that I was successful in putting others in<br />
their zone of comfort. It is for history to<br />
judge whether I lived up to my ideals.<br />
I dreamt of being the Principal of <strong>Scindia</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong> because even as a child I felt that<br />
the direction of <strong>Scindia</strong> <strong>School</strong> needed<br />
correction and my colleagues, my board,<br />
my students all helped me during my<br />
tenure here to achieve what I believed.<br />
AT: You have referred to the<br />
tradition of non <strong>Scindia</strong>ns heading<br />
<strong>Scindia</strong>: What about your successor,<br />
Mr. Nirmal Tewari<br />
AND: That is exactly what I meant that<br />
I have believed in corrections in the<br />
direction of the school. However, Mr. K.C.<br />
Shukla, the second Principal of <strong>Scindia</strong><br />
rose from starting here as a warden and<br />
Mr. J. L. Dar became the Principal after<br />
being the VP here. I am certainly happy<br />
that Mr. N. K. Tewari succeeded me.<br />
AT: You used the expression<br />
schoolmaster. According to you,<br />
what is the difference between a<br />
teacher and a schoolmaster<br />
AND: A teacher confines himself to<br />
a subject and text books and a tutor<br />
restricts himself to exams while a<br />
schoolmaster is a mentor i.e. he interacts<br />
with his student in varied ways.<br />
AT: What do you consider as<br />
your most significant moment<br />
in the <strong>School</strong><br />
AND: My departure from the <strong>Scindia</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong> at 10:30 a.m. on April 24th, 2000<br />
– the day I turned 60. I was delighted to<br />
hand over the gown to Mr. Tewari in my<br />
office immediately after my last Assembly<br />
at SMoaT.<br />
That was the day I fulfilled my destiny<br />
and the <strong>Scindia</strong> community bade farewell<br />
to my wife and me. That was the most<br />
significant moment of my life because I<br />
thought my innings were over, unlike many<br />
Indian politicians who linger on and stick<br />
to their chair. I am grateful to the <strong>School</strong><br />
that they bade me farewell at the right<br />
time and in the right manner. <strong>The</strong> moment<br />
had its own dignity. Interestingly, this was<br />
a second farewell for me at <strong>Scindia</strong>: the<br />
first was in 1958 after I completed my<br />
Intermediate (I had lived here since my<br />
birth) and the next was 42 years later as<br />
the retiring head of <strong>Scindia</strong>.<br />
Mr A.N. Dar giving a speech after receiving the Madhav Award<br />
AT: Do you think that student<br />
behaviour has changed over the<br />
years<br />
AND: That is what the world believes but I<br />
don’t. At the Old Boys’ Night at the SMoaT<br />
we saw and heard pop music and you<br />
guys danced. Had I been your age I would<br />
have done the same. How can people<br />
think that human behaviour has changed<br />
I think it’s evolution. Basics are just the<br />
same: grow, interact, enjoy – and die. <strong>The</strong><br />
behaviour of men is evolving and this is<br />
visible in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Scindia</strong> <strong>School</strong> too.<br />
AT: Which is the first place you like<br />
to visit when you arrive at the Fort<br />
AND: <strong>The</strong> trouble with me is that I haven’t<br />
divided the <strong>School</strong> into parts. For me the<br />
world is one place. When I was on the Fort<br />
I wandered. Even in my thoughts I am a<br />
wanderer, a dreamer. Looking down the<br />
Fort wall and walking freely on the roads<br />
– there is history, religion, freedom and<br />
privacy all around. <strong>The</strong> Fort changes at<br />
dawn, during night, under the starlit sky at<br />
midnight. It is painted in different colours<br />
in summer, in winter or during rains.<br />
Mr Dar handing away a trophy during the athletic meet<br />
AT: How do you feel that now the<br />
Assembly Hall will be adorned with<br />
two of your portraits: one as the<br />
former Principal and the other as a<br />
Madhav Awardee<br />
AND: I feel privileged as the only other<br />
person who has this honour is my<br />
schoolmate and then the President of the<br />
Board of the <strong>School</strong>: Late His Highness<br />
Maharaja Madhavrao <strong>Scindia</strong>. Yes, I<br />
also figure in the list of Cariappa Shield<br />
winners. I am really amused because my<br />
name figures in some other boards of the<br />
captains also.<br />
I feel grateful to the <strong>Scindia</strong> Board and<br />
thank God for giving me the opportunity<br />
to serve my alma mater. I get a feeling of<br />
comfort.<br />
AT: Any message for the young<br />
<strong>Scindia</strong>ns<br />
AND: Only one message – be a<br />
schoolmaster, whether at <strong>The</strong> <strong>Scindia</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong> or some other school. Some of you<br />
should actually aspire to be the Principal<br />
of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Scindia</strong> <strong>School</strong>.<br />
Mr. A. N. dar (Ex Rn ’58)<br />
Principal, <strong>The</strong> <strong>Scindia</strong> <strong>School</strong> 1994-2000<br />
Madhav Awardee, 2009<br />
AT: Aayush Tandon<br />
AND: Mr Amar Nath Dar<br />
14 Interview<br />
VOL 8 | Jul <strong>2010</strong>