Handwara, Oct 18: The Annual Day Celebrations at Monarch Secondary School Handwara turned into a celebration of community, culture and poetry as the function witnessed strong community presence including senior citizens, serving and retired officers besides the people who have contributed to the education and other government sectors.
Unlike conventional school functions dominated by VIPs, the event emerged as a community-centred gathering, with the participation of elderly citizens and distinguished personalities lending it a sense of collective pride and shared heritage.
During the proceedings of the event, the poetry of late Ali Muhammad Shahbaz remained at the heart of the programme, adding a cultural and literary dimension to the celebrations
His poetic legacy struck a chord with the gathering, making the event more than a routine annual function.
Besides the community participation, the students of the school added vibrancy to the occasion through their stage performances displaying their talent and enthusiasm while providing a lively counterpoint to the event’s emphasis on community participation and literary heritage.
With the presence of people from different walks of life, the Annual Day function was a mix of education, culture and community engagement.
Besides routine stage performances on dance and cultural items, the students also kept the audience particularly their parents glued to their seats till late evening by holding sessions on various issues concerning society which include broken families, late marriages, mobile addictions, and air pollution. Through group discussions, the young students debated the issues.
A separate session on the poetry of the famous writer and revolutionary poet, late Ali Muhammad Shahbaz became the focus of attention on the Annual Day function of Monarch Secondary School. The students who performed on the stage turned every eye moist while narrating poetry of the legendry poet of north Kashmir.
Although many other programmes were presented by the students, Ali Muhammad Shahbaz’s poetry made people emotional and turned them towards him.
During the session, it was also demanded that Ali Muhammad Shahbaz’s poetry and his writing be brought to the mainstream as soon as possible, so that justice can be done with his talent.
In wake of this, Special Secretary Information Technology (IT) department Dr. HafeezMasoodi in his address informed the audience present at the occasion that he has documented all the writings of Ali Muhammad Shahbaz and the books will be published soon.
Earlier in his address, Member Parliament Shareef-u-Din Shariq complimented the management and the teachers of Monarch secondary school for grooming the students who fearlessly displayed their talent on the stage.
Notably, the event was presented in three segments- Kashmiri, Urdu and English.
“The management deserves appreciation for today’s function as their hard work was shown by the students through different stage performances. Running a school should never be a business interest but to provide moral education and prepare the future generations to face the world,” he added.
Principal Monarch Secondary School Saima Bashir in her address said the motive of the educational institution in its education journey was to take off a flight but “remain guided to our roots.”
She extended gratitude to the parents for being a “system of support” for the last two decades and reposing their trust in the school management.
About The Author
