The Chinar

T H E A UT U M N

C H I N A R T E R M E D IT I O N

C O NT E NT S Editorial

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House Captain’s Forward

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Assistant House Master [2010 - 2013]

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From the House Master’s Desk

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Senior Junior Relations

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House Spirit

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SC Section

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Social Service

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Taller, Faster, Stronger

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Interview

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E D IT O R I A L

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he Chinar attempts to embody what other publications in School cannot: it showcases the spirit of a house in resurgence, and a house that has redefined itself. But it also highlights the essence of what Kashmir House has always been, and for that reason, the Chinar has always been close to the hearts of the boys of Kashmir House. It is primarily because of this, that this edition of the Chinar doesn’t just chronicle life in the House over the past year, but also presents unique sections that have hitherto remained unexplored in house magazines across campus.

We present to you a magazine that shares intimate experiences through interviews, provides an account of our Dosco lives through pictures and dedicates a section to the batch of 2014. With this issue, we bid farewell to our Assistant Housemaster, MMR, who has taken on the helm in Oberoi house. But I’m confident that, as he put it himself, “the yellow in him will never go away.” This issue is dedicated to MMR for being ever accommodating and understanding, having reassuring chats with the SCs at 12:30 am, being ready to stand up for the SCs on social service outings, and with a smiling face, putting Kashmir House first. Always. This issue of the Chinar also attempts to recreate its purpose as the chronicle of a House that has revisited itself this past year. On the inter-house front, none of us can ever forget Apekshit’s incessant encouragement on the cricket pitch, or Tusnial’s dedication to Hockey practices, or Naman’s untiring leadership in music. We’ll always remember Yash and Harshil leading the racquet sports, Aahan and Madhav on the track and field, Arnav’s and Jai’s dedication to boxing and First-Aid respectively, and Shubham’s fantastic diving. On the non-competitive fronts, Kashmir House was well represented across inter-school activities, on the stage, at the podium, in the swimming pool, on the tennis courts. So we’ve had much to celebrate about. But there tends to arise a sense of complacency with the lack of trophies to adorn our empty Trophy Cabinet.

So is it fair on our part, on the part of the boys of Kashmir House, to consign the value of trophies and accolades to the waste basket; to begin to believe that as a House, we no longer need recognition on the school front? Absolutely not. Kashmir House must continue to grow, but never lose the cohesiveness that has come to define it. In the words of Shakespeare, “We know who we are, but not what we may be.” This is the spirit with which Kashmir House must approach the future. And on the behalf of the batch of 2014, this is what I hope remains the tenets of Kashmir House.

K U N A L

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F R O M T H E H O U S E C A PT A I N

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our first duty is to your country; your second duty is to your school; your third duty is to your House. However, when you spend 8 months a year for half a decade in your House, the priorities do shift! The past year has been one of change, on both the individual and house level. I have seen the House’s atmosphere change beyond recognition.

Students have started getting more involved in activities, and they’ve tried much harder in the Inter-House competitions.

Our house has dealt with a lot of hard times over the past decade and it’s safe to say that things can only get better!

This report wouldn’t be complete without some of the highlights of the past year. The first one would definitely be the Inter-House cricket competition.

Though we ended up coming a close third in the final tally, the team played their hearts out and had it not been for the rain, we probably would’ve come first or second! After this, it was the Inter-House One Act play that occupied all the Kashmir House boys’ schedules. The daring musical, “Bakree”

was received warmly by the community and as a result we were placed second.

Surprisingly, most of the Kashmir House boys are really excelling in extracurricular activities. I The autumn term brought with it a fair share of see a house of able musicians, debaters, artists torrential rain and an even more adventurous and dramatists. At the end of the day boys are recognized in the school level through activities of this importance and I’m glad that Kashmir house boys are making their mark.

I have been a part of Kashmir house a significant fraction of my life and it is only now that I can really feel and see what my seniors used to talk about so enthusiastically: House spirit. It is knowing that you have 90 odd boys behind you no matter what activity you’re taking part in; it’s the fact that you can talk to anyone in the house freely; most of all, it’s that sense of belonging towards the house. soccer competition. Across the spectrum, K-House boys of all shapes and sizes came out to play the sport that is no arguably the most popular sport in school.

M A D H AV D UTT

Our House is a cohesive unit and I’m honoured that I was given the opportunity to lead it. You can never give enough for the house. It is with these words in mind that I hand over the house to an equally able batch, the batch of 2015.

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A S S I ST A NT 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 3

M R

H O U S E M A ST E R M A N U

M E H R OT R A

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H O U S E M A ST E R‘ S D E S K “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.”

- Mary Anne Radmacher t is another cycle that has rolled on and founder’s is approaching. The year that has gone has been one of tremendous growth and of enormous lessons learnt. What I have noticed in the boys of Kashmir House is their competitive spirit and even when the going has been tough, I have seen them with their heads high. The effort of hard work has shown results and no one has been perturbed by the fear of failure. This has been learning for me as well from the boys and I compliment them for always being my motivation.

Being a part of a house inculcates in one many values: the values of teamwork, friendship, sacrifice and the beauty of these values are they talk of taking responsibility and working in an independent environment. The success behind the house has been that the boys of Kashmir House have displayed these moral values in their fields of endeavor and have not allowed their shoulders to drop. When I talk about sports, in particular, the House XI cricket match against Oberoi House or the close House XI football contest against Hyderabad House will be in my memories for a very long time even though in both the matches the results were not in our favour. This is what I would like to encourage more in my time to keep going when the odds are against you but never to disgrace the platform. As Ralph Ellison once said “Life is to be lived, not controlled; and humanity is won by continuing to play in face of certain defeat.”

The batch that left us in 2013 indeed made us proud by some excellent college placements which include McGill, Warwick, Canada, and Singapore and even in India. I can see the current Sc form which has many IB students as well focused about their future lives and their academic results suggest to me that they are definitely aiming some elite universities. This is a good sign as it is a competitive environment and my students in the house are keeping the flag of the school flying proudly. The juniors coming up are a very bright lot and I see in them a sincere focus on academics, sports, activities and initiatives.

I am very pleased that as the year has passed, I have noticed that we have lived with our ethos “The House of Gentleman”. Interestingly this is not a definite entity but one that always has been expounded by the boys themselves. What I like about this is that it holds the house together. This tradition is there in Doon as it provides the opportunities to talk your views and initiate discussions. At the same time, I must remember that it should be transient and change should evolve with the needs. Yet, I am a believer that it is the ethos that plays a significant role in shaping up one’s personality.

What in my opinion is a Happy House is where it encapsulates the right spirit of Junior-Senior relationship and this was noticed in the one-act plays or the music. The House on one side has the maturity and experience of the seniors and the excitement and exuberance of the juniors. This combination always brings in a very happy environment and I welcome this excellent change. In boarding, bonding in my opinion an experience and all these activities which bring in many boys and girls together is the right spirit.

At the same time, I would like to take this forum to tell the boys to avail of the opportunities effectively in school. I was particularly happy to notice that facilities provided to the boys have been to good effect with videos of inter-house soccer matches being shown to come up with new strategies. The season began well with cricket and the house put up an excellent show. I have noticed that Sports has taken a move up and most

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boys are identifying their areas of strength and it has been a good year. I have seen in them the dogged attitude in every single game in every sport and the happiness in their faces of just being together. I would urge my students that Doon provides this beautiful environment and my desire would be to see all boys showing active interest in their strengths.

Another very important development in the house has been the initiatives that the boys have taken in the school. This year we have seen a number of activities where boys are have showcased their talent of good leadership in the Model United Nations, The Young Entrepreneur’s Conference , new initiatives in service or involvement in Founder’s pay programme in various capacities. All this indicates that the boys are focused and driven by new challenges and they are confident to overcome any obstacles that come their way. Here I must add that we are members of the school community first and not only members of the house.

I am happy to note that boys have taken a giant stride in the endevour of social service. It is at the core of The Doon School education and after our state was hit by the devastating monsoon in the Kedarnath valley, it indeed was our responsibility to get out to the people of our hill town. The boys of Kashmir House along with the boys from Hyderabad House has in this recently concluded midterms worked in the villages of Uttarakashi and what is important is that this is going to be an ongoing process and bring back the smiles in the people affected by the natural calamity.

I would also take this opportunity to thank Mr. Manu Mehrotra who I have worked together both in the department as well as in the house. He has been a great source of strength for me and I wish him all the best for his new assignment as Housemaster of Oberoi House. Mrs. Sandhu has played her role with deep passion and taken great care of the boys. Her team does a very thankless job even when the boys are out on vacation and I have seen how they work out of the call of duties for the boys. Thank you. My sincere thanks, to all tutors who have played a very pivotal role in the lives of the boys. All of them have contributed in various specified responsibilities and the results have already been noticed in the shaping up of our boys. I want to take this opportunity to thank my prefects, led brilliantly by Madhav Dutt who has kept the house together as a single unit. My good wishes. I would also thank Devesh Sahai, Ritvik Kar , Jai Ahuja and their team who have brought out this issue amidst all the busy pressure they go through in school and I appreciate their love and care for the Sc form. And finally, a house is meaningless without the boys. Thank you for being the happiness in my life.

M R . A N J A N K U M A R C H A U D H A RY

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S E N I O R – J U N I O R

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hen I shifted into this house as a New C Former after staying in Martyn House for just a short span of two months; I didn’t have the vaguest idea of what this house, Kashmir House “ The House of Gentlemen “ had in store for me. I had heard stories; plenty of them at that but never knew which ones to believe. But the first aspect of shifting into the main house was parting ways with my form mates belonging to different main houses.

And writing a new chapter in the story of my life which was pretty much inevitable. At first I felt a bit sad on why this transition had to happen but then to convince myself I always said whatever happens happens for the best.

So anyway the second aspect was the seniors.

Now almost ninety five percent of the stories I had heard revolved around them the scary, the terrifying, seniors. Not that I believed those stories but you never know. I was pretty excited to meet these strange creatures known as seniors. I met them alright but I was a bit disappointed because I thought they would have AK 47s and a bunch of grenades ready to torture me but they seemed just like me, maybe a bit bigger and a lot hairier but they were all in all average teenage humans. So at first they didn’t seem to be that bad but I still suspected them. Now almost two years have passed since I have shifted into Kashmir House

R E L AT I O N S

and I can assure you with all certainty that none of those ghastly stories or more precisely rumors are true. Kashmir house is an extremely happy House. We may not have those many achievements to show for us as compared to other houses but there is something which we possess which I can assure none of the other houses possess. And that is, one of the strongest senior junior bonds in the school.

And at the end of the day that’s what matters.

It’s true we have to accept their authority in this hierarchical system and do a few favors every now and then for them. And it’s them only that keep the discipline maintained in this school without the concept of seniors and juniors this school would be in a state of chaos which it could never recover from. They are the actual heroes which keep this system running and believe me when I say this I’m not complaining.

This is because it’s actually them that are the hands of the clock. They guide us, help us, show us the right way but most importantly listen to our ideas and opinions as well. And actually help improve ourselves for the betterment of not only ourselves or the house but also the society for the many years to come . And thus I can say with full confidence with a bond and cooperation as strong as this the future of Kashmir house is very bright.

A S HW AT H M A D H O K

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H O U S E S P I R IT

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ne of the most frequent terms that we hear in our day-to-day life in The Doon School is ‘House Spirit’. It is very hard to actually define what house spirit is but in the simple words it can be said to be ‘a sense of patriotism for the house’. Many times it is this sense of patriotism that makes us do things that we do for example, why is it that we get in a fight with someone who says bad or wrong things about our house? It is the same sense that makes us play the inter-house competitions with ‘josh’.

In my five years in school, I have come to realize how important this feeling is. It is not only for ourselves that we do things but I believe this feeling gives people a reason to fight and it also gives them personal satisfaction. I have also seen people fight their heart out in the name of their house even though they know that there is absolutely no chance that they can win the cup for a particular competition. House Spirit is one of the most powerful feelings in a Dosco’s life because it gives them incentives to do things which very few other feelings could or can provide. After all, don’t each and every one of us want to prove ourselves to the house.

This feeling is not only compelling but also it is very important. Let me explain why. Without house spirit, no one will want to do anything.

House spirit gives everyone a purpose and it is what motivates them to do a particular event

and take part in inter-house competitions. When we practice for a competition we do not think of the house colours or any other awards before we think of the house. This feeling does not require being inculcated in someone, it comes from within. I remember an incident that happened with me in my D-form. It was hockey season and one of my form mate of another house said that K-house will lose. I didn’t say anything because I had faith in my house and that K-house will be able to win that match. As fate would have it we won the match by one goal. After the match, I went to my form mate and just said, “See.” I knew we were going to win because our amazing team had the support of the entire house and I believe that if any team has the support of the entire house they are bound to win. Many people say that cheering does not make a difference, I agree with them but I would like to give an example of this year. Our House Soccer Captain, Aahan Menon, said that cheering was not compulsory but what happened was that the entire house turned up at the field to support the house.

Besides this, I couldn’t help but notice that overall the house spirit of Kashmir House is going down but being a well wisher of the house I am hoping that the boys of this realize this before it is too late and will revive the old glory of Kashmir House. Go Chinar!

K U N A L S R IV A ST AV A

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THE BATCH OF 2014 What they really are...

Perfect Match

Getting Senti

HTGS WGS Alliance

Waiting for the man

Jarnav page10

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S O C I A L S E RV I C E

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ocial Service in school has come a long way, having records which date back to Arthur Foots Time. It is a much favoured activity in school which brings together the entire community as whole. The school has been performing many relief features on disaster affected areas. In 1991, after the great earthquake of the north, The Doon School, were one of the first few groups who had gone to help the disaster affected people living in that area.

Putting that aside, social service in Doon plays a crucial role and has been apart of the schools tradition for more that 75 years, and looking at the schools records, Kashmir House, as the ‘House of Gentlemen’ has always played an important role in performing these relief actions. This year, having the School Social Service secretary amongst us, the house saw many of its young members taking part in various social service events, ranging from the local Bindal slum, to the flood affected parts of Uttarakhand. If, god forbids, any other disaster hits any part of India, we Kashmir House boys, won’t be far behind. Even

withing the school walls, Kashmir House has played its part. We were involved in the cleaning of the ghat area behind the new basketball courts till the area behind the Rose Bowl, where we worked side by side with our tutors and even our headmaster.

beautifully played the chords of the school song “ Lab Pe Aati” on his flute, while the rest of them sang with him. The song actually suited the situation because inside the hall were a group of young men who had survived the floods and now want a different beginning in life by joining the Many groups of boys, were seen heading out Indian Army. to local places like The John Martin school (named after our second headmaster), Once again , this year would not have been a Sapera Basti, Balbir Road and StreetSmart. success without the help of the school social There were also many boys of the house service secretary, who provided more and heading out to celebrate Labours Day, more oppurtunities for the members of the where we thanked the support staff of house, especially the junior members of the the school for their muc h needed help house and under his leadership, the house throughout the year and we realized that if also took up a few social service initiatives. I it weren’t for these people, Doon would not feel that his involvement of juniors in social be in the position it currently is. service created a sort of attachment for the boys towards the activity, and this is why This year, the A and S form boys of the house, we will soon see many leaders rising from headed out to the flood affected areas of the house in the years to come, which will Uttarkashi, where they helped the locals in benefit both the house and the school. After the preparation of a new wall, by transfering all, we must leave the school as a member Silt, stones and other necessary items from of an aristocracy. the river bed. They had also visited the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering where, suprisingly, they had met an old boy , who

I S H M A A M C H OW D H U RY

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T A L L E R, S T R O N G E R, F A S T E R

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here is no doubt that in the recent past, Kashmir House has been struggling constantly; be it in sports, co-curricular activities or academics. In the past, there were several occasions when I was on the receiving end of nasty jokes directed primarily at the house, and consequently, me. This would leave me in despair. However, all it took at the time, for me to escape this helpless state, was a foresight.

those who give in their heart and soul to ensure that the house excels in whichever activity.

Kashmir House, in my time here, has remained true to the spirit of the Doon School – that is of allround education. The House has been titled the ‘House of Gentlemen’, and has only corroborated this name by producing well rounded gentlemen. This is an outcome of the students’ commitment to the house and themselves. This quality does further my view that this House has a bright future.

What we have is immense scope for improvement. To maximize our potential, we need to work relentlessly, cooperate with no conditions, and do so day in and day out. We must motivate one another, and be motivated by one another. Our hard-work and endeavors will pay off in the Today, I can say with certainty that the House long run, and will only brighten our future. Having been in the House for two years now, I have has come a long way since. It is not only our observed traits that we possess exclusively. There is an element of resilience that has emerged. positions in the plethora of activities on offer For a possible future to become our present, we must remain sincere to our ideals, and keep up over here that testify to this, but also the the good work. Viva Kashmir! general ambience in the House. The time when the students of the House were reluctant to step out on to the field, or to explore the wide range of activities in school is long gone. Today, we strive for excellence. This new attitude of the students of the House can only do good, and nothing else. The past and present indicate at this, and I am positive that the future will indicate at the same.

The beauty of the matter is only enhanced by the fact that this change was not bought out by coercive means, but was bought out by the love we, the students of the House, have for it. It is our way to express our gratitude to all J A IV I R P U R I

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I NT E RV I EW Gopalji is the House tailor who has served us for the past 30 odd years. A man of brilliant insight and an ardent follower of the Indian political system, Gopalji takes his job very seriously. Following are excerpts of an interview conducted by the Chinar.

Q1. You have worked in this School for 30 years. What would you like to say about your time here?

A1. I joint this School in the January of 1984. I felt at the time that if I had worked in another school, I would have earned more than I earn now, however, I knew, and yet believe that this School is a venerated one, known worldwide for its excellence. Also, I wanted to build my character with help from the students and faculty at large, which was something I felt only the Doon School could give me. When I came to the School, I found that the students could answer most of my questions and helped me settle in, which motivated me to stay on. It is now that I feel I was lucky to have been given a chance and to have made the right choice.

Q2. How do you feel the School has changed, especially in terms of the students and their behavior as time went on?

A2. In these 30 years, I don’t think there has been much change in the behavior of the students. Now, as there are more activities in the School, and the students are busier than ever, they have realized the value of time management. Thirty years ago, students weren’t really busy, and the rules weren’t enforced, as strictly as they are now, so time was highly undervalued.

Q3. What has been your most enjoyable moment in the past three decades?

A3. In 1986, there was a hartal in the School, and after it, I had to meet the Headmaster as I was a part of the Worker’s Union. At the time, the Headmaster was Mr. Gulab Ramchandani, who was very bold. When I met him, we had a long discussion, after which he asked me to submit a document explicitly stating the reasons for which the staff had gone on hartal.

One year later, I was the leader of the Kashmir House First-Aid team, and we won the Competition. I had to go and receive the award during assembly from the Headmaster. The memory of the past year was running through my mind as I walked up to the stage, however, the sound of boys clapping for my team’s success and me drowned out these thoughts. The Headmaster shook my hand warmly and congratulated me. He then whispered in my ear, “Is everything alright?” while I was walking back, I was smiling the whole time. This was my most enjoyable moment in the School.

Q4. Where do you think the School should change, and what do you suggest we can do to implement this change?

A4. Earlier, the School used to be like a big family, however, the School seems to have turned into a company more than an institution. However, if I think about Kashmir House, I would still say it is a family, because the bond between students is still there.

Q5. What do you think about the upcoming 2014 General Elections?

A5. In recent years, corruption, or more specifically, bribery, has reached its peak. Due to political decline, the country is in a very volatile situation.

The honest bureaucrats are worried, as it is because of political clashes that there is a high rate of inflation in the country. In my opinion, India needs a leader who can take firm decisions, and I feel that Gujarat’s Chief Minister, Narendra Modi is the ideal candidate. page16

E D IT O R I A L

E D IT O R - I N - C H I E F K U N A L K A N O D I A

P H OT O G R A P H E R A M A L A G A RW A L

E D IT O R S D EV E S H S A H A I J AY A H U J A R ITV I K K A R

D E S I G N E D BY R I T V I K K A R

B O A R D

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A KASHMIR HOUSE PUBLICATION © COPYRIGHT: THE DOON SCHOOL, DEHRADUN