Who’s Modi? They did not know

Sitting in a dingy room, the children struggled to stay awake. Occasional rounds of applause, egged on by their teachers, jolted the groggy students

September 06, 2014 08:27 am | Updated 09:15 am IST - NEW DELHI:

They clapped along with the children on the screen, but municipal school students watching Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Teachers’ Day speech had no clue as to who the man was.

Students from five North Delhi Municipal Corporation primary schools gathered at a school in the Turkman Gate area to watch the Prime Minister address the students. Due to the incessant rain on Friday, satellite signals were disrupted so the children missed the first 15 minutes of the programme.

 

The schools cater to residents of Shakur Basti, Takiya Kale Khan and slums around LNJP Colony, Dhobi Haat and Mata Sundari Road. North Corporation’s Standing Committee chairperson Mohan Bhardwaj, who visited the Turkman Gate school, said the Prime Minister’s address was a historic event.

“This is a predominantly Muslim area and it is wonderful to see the excitement among students and teachers. This is a great example of strengthening unity and patriotism from the ground up,” said Mr. Bhardwaj.

While the teachers and corporation officials claimed the children were excited, the bored faces of the students’ told another tale. Class III students Sameer and Faiz looked at each other in confusion when asked whether they had heard of Mr. Modi. Sharika, a Class IV student, said she knew it was Teachers’ Day, but did not understand what was happening.

“Our ma’am told us a few days ago that we would be coming to school late because of Teachers’ Day,” said Sharika.

Sitting in a dingy room, the children struggled to stay awake. Occasional rounds of applause, egged on by their teachers, jolted the groggy students. The principals of the schools had come together to arrange a projector, large screen and a set-top box.

Turkman Gate girls’ school principal Chaman Bano said: “We want the children to become good citizens, so the Prime Minister speaking to them directly is a good idea.”

Ms. Bano added that the children would remember the day for the rest of their lives. However, with the students struggling to pay attention, a lifelong memory seems unlikely.

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