“Strength does not come from physical capacity, it comes from an indomitable will,” said Gandhi ji, a man whose strength lay in his simplicity. VDJS organised Cross-Country Run on its campus to commemorate the International Non-Violence Day and Gandhi Jayanti on 2nd October. It took ten days of rigorous practice to put up a flawless Inter-House Cross Country Contest by the Jindalites, as it is the only competition in which the entire school participates.
Dazzling with dewdrops, in the twilight hours of the morning, the track field was abuzz with students and staff at 5:40 a.m. The classes were divided into four slots and after a short warm up, Ma’am Principal, Ms Shalini Mehrotra, flagged off the races, with loud cheers in the background for the participants. Each student skedaddled, defying her limitations and showcasing determination and perseverance that Mahatma Gandhi preached and practised. The spirit of unity threaded every Jindalite with each other, as the little champs were seen rallying for their seniors and seniors were seen motivating their juniors to reach the final line. And then, there were friends who accompanied those who were left behind, as for them, winning hearts was more important than winning the race. The school choir gave a mellifluous presentation of Gandhiji’s favourite bhajan, ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram’ to celebrate the auspicious day and medals were awarded to the winners. In her address to the gathering, Ma’am Principal appreciated the students and the staff for making the event a success and exhorted the VDJS community to continue to follow the path of unity and integrity, laid out by the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi.
