Their fellow Polish nationals found the warmth of Indian kindness while escaping the Nazi concentration camps almost a century ago, and these youngsters have found similar warmth in the Indian families they have come to stay with.
It’s not just the kindness that these students are familiar with, but the culture here as they are exposed to a Indian school at Hyderabad Public School, Ramantapur. The school is hosting 21 Polish students from The Bednarska First Charter High School, Warsaw, led by its principal Bartek Pielak for 11 days as part of the Good Will Society’s Expeditions and Exchanges.
“These students will stay with the families of HPS students to understand the family system here and Indian ethos, apart from participating in joint cross-cultural exercises in the form of workshops, discussions, debates, arts, music and dance programmes,” said HPSR principal S. Narasimha Reddy.
The Bednarska schools were started in Poland in remembrance of Maharajah Jamsaheb Digvijay Singhji of Jamnagar, who saved 500 Polish children from being sent to Siberian concentration camps during the World War II. He provided them with facilities to stay in India for several years before they moved to Poland after the World War II was over. Dr. Narasimha Reddy said Maharajah Digvijay Singhji was given the title ‘Good Maharajah’ and his statue is a huge attraction in Warsaw. As a tribute to his actions, the Bednarska schools were started, and he was named its patron Saint.
Mr. Bartek Pielok, principal of Bednarska school, said the programme would help Polish students live through what they have been taught in school about Indian culture, kindness and hospitality over the years. “It’s a great experience to be friends with these students who understand India and its culture so much,” said Urvi Bhosekar, a class VIII student with whom Santiago Ybarra and Paloma Ybarra are staying.
The brother-sister duo are overwhelmed by the warmth and love shown by their hosts. “This will be an experience to be cherished for life and we will carry great memories to Poland,” Paloma said.
Adam Burakowski, Poland’s Ambassador to India, would be the special guest at the Good Will Exchange Programme and he would interact with students on Sunday at the school. Interestingly, the Ambassador himself is an alumnus of the Bednarska school.
Last year, a group of HPS students had gone to Poland as part of the exchange programme and the expedition included a visit to the concentration camps in Auschwitz and the historic art and cultural capital of Krakow.
