The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : A spirited journey of self-discovery

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Monday, Feb 25, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

A spirited journey of self-discovery

Staff Reporter

Students of V-Excel Educational Trust put up a class act

— Photo: M. Karunakaran

Fun on stage: Children from the V-Excel Educational Trust perform at the annual day celebrations at the Narada Gana Sabha on Saturday.

CHENNAI: A land of wonder and enchantment unfolded on stage as the curious caterpillar explored the world to find its destiny. Students of the V-Excel Educational Trust put up a show of dreams and colours on Saturday to celebrate the annual day of the Trust.

The curious caterpillar was an apt metaphor for a special life that searched for adventure and inspiration. Amid fruit salads and friendly dinosaurs, through unfamiliar lands and sudden challenges, the caterpillar explored before finally discovering the butterfly inside.

The students and their special educators alike seemed to have a ball on stage, and it showed. So did all the hard work. The caterpillar’s journey and the special children’s performances moved the audience to spontaneous applause and uninhibited smiles.

Founder and Director of V-Excel Vasudha Prakash read out the annual report thanking the Trust’s supporters and reminiscing the years gone by. From a few people’s dream to a large-scale movement that has now spread across Tamil Nadu, the Trust had scaled great heights. “The performance today was the culmination of two months of hard work,” she said.

Filmmaker K. Balachander, chief guest at the function, said he was dumbfounded by the performance of the children. He said he had been credited with bringing out the talents of great actors, but his achievement was small compared to that of the teachers who had brought out the talent of these children. “Nothing can undermine the child’s power of self-expression,” he said. Consulate General of Japan in Chennai Kazuo Minagawa, Guest of Honour at the function, related his personal experience of discovering his talents and reminded parents of the immense potential that lay inside every person. “I was so touched by the performance of these children that I forgot that they were disabled. I have seen some of the world’s greatest operas and performances, but have never been so moved,” he said.

The speeches and formalities that followed were not enough to take away the charm that the children had spun. It was a fitting finale when 12-year-old Shyam Gopal performed some of his own compositions on his keyboard, much to the awe of the audience. Fascinated with predicting the weather and a gift to perform and compose music, Shyam not only wowed the crowd, but also reiterated the curious caterpillar’s journey of self-discovery.

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