The preparation has begun for the 150th Founder's. Everyone can be seen in his respective activity. Apart from this, a number of other things have taken place.

The annual hikes and camps were held from 20th till 27th April.

The Sanawarian Quiz team fared well by coming 3rd in a tiebreaker at a quiz held at RIMC, Dehradun. The team consisted of Karan Swani, Arjun Lamba and Reuben Chauhan. Karan Swanj, Manisha Nayyar, Reuben Chauhan, Madhav Gupta represented Sanawar in the 2nd Reverend Samuel Slater Invitational Debate. They reached the Semi Final. Karan Swani got the best debater and Head- master's special award for poise in the face of adversity during the course of the debate.

Himalaya 12 Points
Vindhya 10 Points
Nilagiri 8 Points
Siwalik 6 Points

Boys Department
Himalaya 2772 1^st
Vindhya 3577 2^nd
Nilagiri 3865 3^rd
Siwalik 3125 4^th

Girls Department
Siwalik 904 1^st
Vindhya 922 2^nd
Nilagiri 943 3^rd
Himalaya 1140 4^th

Prep Department
Siwalik 337 1^st
Vindhya 373 2^nd
Nilagiri 473 3^rd
Himalaya 578 4^th

Under-11
1st Deepika Minhas (S)
2nd Nikmenmenla Changkiri (S)
3rd Dimple Jangra (V)

Under--13
1st Taran Bhattal (S)
2nd Sumi Sharma (N)
3rd Shivaani Maediratta (N)

Under-11
1st Atul Sharma (V)
2nd Gaurav Gupta (H)
3rd Neeraj Grewal (V)

Under-13
1st Sandeep Paul (S)
2nd Manas Pegu (V)
3rd Sundeep Brar (N)

Himalaya 4272 1^st
Nilagiri 4966 2^nd
Siwalik 5066 3^rd
Vindhya 5490 4^th
(The house with least points wins)

Cricket: -B.C.S. won XI's, Colts and Atoms. Sanawar won in Electrons.

Table Tennis: - Sanawar won three of the five matches played.

 Sanawar Boys and Girls Basketball Teams left for Dubai during hikes. The girls came back as Runners-up and the boys, inspite of tough competition, played well.

A group of our students called "Meghdoot" went around to different places during hikes, performing a variety of folk dances, which were appreciated by all.

House Positions : -
1st Himalaya
2nd Vindhya
3rd Siwalik
4th Nilagiri

Individual Positions:
1st Yousuf Khan (S)
2nd Amit Goyal (H)
3rd Karandeep Mahal (H)

Sanawar was invited for an art competition organized by Rotary Club, Kasauli held in Senior Secondary School, Dharampur, on 4-5-'97.

 These and many more plans are in various stages of completion. The details of these and the Founder's program will be published in subsequent issues.

Jai Singh Gill IAS ('H' 54-61) has been appointed as Chairman of Punjab electricity Board. He has also been President of the OS Society.

Col. Ranbir Singh S.M. ('N' 66-70) has been selected as the Military Attache designate to China. He was earlier in 1989, decorated with a Seva Medal for Gallantry.

V. Samta
K. Swani

Having been posted in the geographical vicinity of Palampur, the foremost task that I set myself was to visit Mr. Jagdish Ram at his village Rakkar, which is located about 14 kms from Palampur in Kangra Valley.

During a long weekend at Yol in February this year, I planned the visit alongwith Ajai Singh (H '64). We were accompanied by my wife, our two daughters and Col. & Mrs. Harcharan Singh (incidentally Harcharan represented the Indian Hockey Team in the period when we were unbeatable).

Mr. Jagdish Ram has built a house away from the village amongst beautiful surroundings. We took Mr. Jagdish Ram by surprise but inspite of his fading health and memory he placed us. He has been rather unwell for over three to four months now. In fact, he has been having difficulty in walking since '93.

We spent an hour and a half at Mr. Jagdish Ram's place and I must add that to begin with his speech was not very coherent and memory a little rusty. However, as we talked of old times and gave him all the news of the school and the OS, his speech and memory came back to him. At times he even spoke in the same manner as he did while supervising Mass PT. The sporting nature of Mr. Jagdish Ram is still evident because he made it known to us as to how fortunate he considered himself in meeting a sportsman like Harcharan.

I left Mr. Jagdish Ram's place with moist eyes and a lump in the throat. I have one suggestion to make and that is, all OS who are in the vicinity of Palampur and who can make it to Rakkar should look up Mr. Jagdish Ram whenever possible because that is what will keep him going.

Regards and best wishes

Yours sincerely

Col. N J S Pannu
H Q 16 (I) Armd Bde
c/o 56 APO

As part of year long Sesquicentenary Celebration of our school and the Golden Jubilee celebration of India's Independence, the school hosted a seminar at Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi, on 17th April. The topic of the seminar was 'School Education in India After Fifty Years of Independence'. The seminar was attended by twelve schools, from Delhi and outside. The outside schools were The Scindia School, Gwalior, The Doon School, Dehra Dun, Yadvindra Public School, Patiala, WeIham Boys' School, Dehra Dun.

There was a good overall response and the speakers highlighted the very vital points of school education. Our Head Boy, Amitya Sharma and Head Girl, Nanki Mann also attended the seminar and spoke very well. From Staff side, the Headmaster Dr. H S Dhillon and Dr. Sharma represented the School. The Headmaster welcomed the Chief Guest, Dr. Anil Wilson, Pro Vice-Chancellor, H.P. University Shimla, all participating schools and started the seminar with his speech which covered all aspects of school education in India. Dr. Anil Wilson delivered the Keynote and also summed up the seminar.

The speeches will be published separately in the school newsletter.

The seminar was given coverage by the Press and the All India Radio. All the speakers were given participation certificates. Prior to the seminar, on the night of 16th April there was a get together and a dinner at Hotel Imperial which was attended by a large number of Old Sanawarians, Parents (all those who could be contacted) some participating schools and Dr. H.S. Dhillon, Dr. Sharma, Nanki Mann and Amitya Sharma from Sanawar. The arrangements were looked after by Mr. Vivek Mehra (Vice President, 0.S. Society) and his other fellow Old Sanawarians.

It was a matter of satisfaction that both programmes of 16th and 17th April were a great success.

V K. Sharma

This spring term Vindhyans were the first ones to put up their house show. The show went on in a smooth manner inspite of a few power cuts). It was undoubtedly a well-organized and well-coordinated show. The show started with an English play 'Bishop's Candle Sticks'. Though a well-directed play it could hardly evoke the interest of the audience as the matter and theme of the play was somewhat heavy.

On the other hand the Hindi play was a light comedy based on typical Hindi movie 'Masala'. It was thoroughly entertaining. Also the acting by the entire cast was appreciable. The Mime was again marked by excellent performances.

In English group song 'I swear' the sound of the cassette being played side by side was louder than the singers' voices. This appeared to be both funny and awkward. The dance sequence on a rhythmic Rajasthani Song enlivened the evening. Also another dance item presented by Sunaina and Anchal was well appreciated. The action song by Upper Fourers appeared somewhat kiddish.

The solo song presented by Karila was well sung, only if it could have been accompanied with better music or rather no music at all, instead of broken beats on the bongo. Though the show could not engross the audience throughout, it nevertheless was appreciable and meticulously put up. The effort put in by Vindhyans was well reflected by the sleek manner in which the show went on.

Manisha Nayar
U-VI B

One of the most awaited programmes of the month was the Himalaya House Show. Believing in the motto "Fight a good Fight", the Himalayans made the evening very colourful and lively, displaying all their varied talents.

The evening was adorned with a number of musical performances. The show began with 'Jhankar' performed by a galaxy of musicians. Then the sweet melody of Akhil Maedirata's flute filled the whole hall with sweetness. Also the duet by Dawa and Devika on the piano was well enjoyed. And who could forget the Band? The Band played really good melodies and left everyone tapping their feet on the floor.

The main attractions of the evening were the Hindi play 'Uljhan' and the English play 'The Shoemakers of Syracuse', which was enacted really well by the participants and enjoyed fully by the audience. The Hindi play, 'Uljhan' was a comedy, dealing with a person who's made a fool of by his best friend and his best friend's wife. The English play was about the Shoemakers of Syracuse in the eighteenth century, dependant on the Duke, and so when the Duke dies they plan to bring him back to Earth. The English play was very much enjoyed by the audience.

The juniors of the Himalaya Rouse entertained us by singing the evergreen melodious song "Stand by Me" which left us humming it afterwards. The Punjabi Song brought the atmosphere full of life, and the audience enjoyed it thoroughly. Also the song sung solo by Bhavna, and, the gazal by Iqbal were very much appreciated. The mime, 'A Night at Kolhapur Junction', though entertaining, didn't quite present the theme.

The juniors entertained us with 'machar marne wala dance', "Himalayans in Africa", choreographed by Kate Loiuse, (an exchange student from South Africa). The dance was native and performed well. The show came to an end with the girls performing the "Dandia Ras", enjoyed by the audience. With the curtain call, followed by the first verse of the school song, the memorable evening came to a close.

Good Show Himalayans

Rahisha Shrestha, Shilpi Singh
U-VI

The first inter-school match to be played, in 1997 was against YPS Mohali, at Sanawar. Electing to bat first, Sanawar piled up a score of 160 with good knocks by Pratap Bajwa (30), Piyush Singhla (26) and Vivek Garg (21). They were ably supported by Amitya Sharma and Arjun Minocha.

YPS Mohali were in a spot of bother from the beginning with three wickets falling quickly. But then a fourth wicket partnership of 82 runs almost brought Sanawar to the brink of defeat. A gem of a catch by the Sanawar Captain Ritwij Barali sent the top scorer back. Sanawar was right back in the match. A maiden 3 wicket by Piyush Singla and the match was over. Sanawar won by 24 runs.

Final Scores: LSS-160/9; YPS-136 all out.

Sanawar won by 24 runs.

A great catch again by Ritwij Barali started off the match. The O.S. Xl, choosing to bat first were bundled out for 125 runs, thanks to some great bowling by Atul Sharma, Ritwij Barali and Arjun Minocha. Atul Sharma took a hat trick in this match by getting all his victims bowled.

Sanawar achieved the required target comfortably with Nitin Chopra (29), Amitya Sharma (25), Arjun Minocha (21) and Piyush Singla (21).

Final scores O.S. XI-125 all out; Sanawar 131/6. Sanawar won by 4 wickets.

After the first match, another match was played between the two teams, This was a 15 over side affair. The OS batted first again. Some explosive batting by Mr.: Rakesh Sood (37) saw the O.S. score 97 runs in 15 overs.

Sanawar reached the target easily in 11 overs with Pratap Bajwa (44) and Amitya Sharma (22) scoring most of the runs.

Thus, Sanawar emerged victorious in both matches.

Final scores OS XI - 97; Sanawar-98/4. Sanawar won by six wickets.

This match was played under a new format. The BHC Team scored 179 runs before declaring their innings. Sanawar replied forcefully with Pratap Bajwa scoring (55) for the first half century of the season. He was well supported by Arjtin Nimocha (22) and Vivek Garg (21). The match ended in a draw with Sanawar on 144. Final score BHC-179/4 declared; Sanawar-144/5.

1st Himalaya .12 pts
2nd Vindhya 10 pts
3rd Nilagiri ... 8 pts
4th Siwalik 6 pts

Arjun Minocha

Cricket House matches this year were very inspiring for me It taught me most of the things, I was not aware of. I believe that there is a lot to know about each topic, but whatever lessons learnt this year are very special and I consider them to be the most important of all.

Our first match was against such a team, that we were not very sure of what was going to happen. In between the match, we first thought that we would lose because the opposing team was in a good position. Then when our house came to bat we were really very happy, as we were going at a good rate. We just needed eight runs to win and there were plenty of overs left. Surprisingly we couldn't make it and lost the match. Here I learnt my lesson number one - never to be overconfident, whatsoever the condition may be. Overconfidence made us complacent.

Our second match was with such a house that we were sure of winning. We batted first and our score was quite good. But as soon as the other team batted, we were in tears, as they were much better.

They could do well because of one of our player's foolishness. Just one over made the difference but it cannot be blamed on a single individual. Finally the way the whole team plays, matters. Here I learnt my lesson number 2 - do not ever consider your opponents to be weaker than you.

Our last match was with such a team that we had given up all hopes of winning as our opponents boasted of eight school team members. We were lacking in confidence and they were casual and over-confident. But we made up our mind to give it our best shot. We did that and it resulted in success.

Here I learnt my lesson number 3, that I must never lose hope in anything and fight to the best of my ability.

These lessons hold true for all and, in all circumstances.

Pratyush

A group of three students accompanied by Mrs. Saisha Khanna set off for the R.S.1.S. trip to Dehradun on the 8th Dec., 1996. It was a group of about 40 students who came from all over the world. We were at first excited but at the same time, very scared as to whether we would ever mix around with them or not, but all our fears were resolved as we found ourselves amidst people who in the next two weeks were to become friends for life. All four of us were put in the different groups, which was the worst part at first. Our day began at seven a.m. breakfast was served at seven thirty a.m. In the morning we had to move to the worksite by 8-00 a.m. where we were constructing two dome-like structures which were to be schoolrooms for the village children. The different groups were allotted different kinds of work for the day. We had the much needed break at 11.30 and by 12.30 we were back at the camp. Lunch was served at 1-00 p.m.

In the afternoon each group visited a few villages and surveyed the life of the people living there. For a change they even took us to pluck mustard, to play volleyball. They also took us to a village school to teach the children English there. Our surveys used to end by 4-00 p.m. and hot tea and sandwiches used to be waiting for us at camp. We were free till 7-00 p.m. and then all of us would assemble at the main tent to share our experiences of the day and for our next day's briefing. Sundays were off and we were taken to Dehradun where we had a few hours to eat, shop and party.

In the end we would like to say that anyone who gets an opportunity for such a trip must avail and make the best use of it. We would like to thank the school, our parents, Mrs. Khanna for making this experience possible.

Bhavna, Sakshi, Ainbika

This time four of us Kismat, Divya, Gulshan and I planned to go for an adventurous trip which was 'The Cycling Trip'. On the 20th of April we were flagged off from B.D Quad. Our destination was Dakpathar. To reach Sarahan we were to cycle 58 kms on the first day. While going down hill I heard my name 'Bagchi'. Some one screamed from behind. Oh ! it was Kismat Mann, who was on the ground with her cycle on top of her; her brakes had failed ! She had got hurt, we waited for Mr. Rahul Sequeria to come as we could not spot out Mr. Dhawan as he had gone further ahead. Mr. R. Sequeira repaired her cycle and then we were off again. Gulshan was the only girl who managed cycling those 18 kms. uphill to Sarahan and three of us saw the steep slopes and thought of packing up. We reached Sarahan at 5-00 p.m. and had our lunch. We were too tired so we went off to sleep quite early. 0n 21st at 9-00 a.m. we were ready to cycle to Nahan. It was a 45 km journey. It was pretty easy and we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. We reached around noon, rested for sometime and then went to the market in the evening, came back, had our supper and went off to sleep. On 22nd we were off on a journey of 45 kms. which was to Poanta Sahib. It was mostly plain ground that we had to cycle but we stopped a couple of times on the way for water and even Kismat's cycle gave a lot of trouble as her brakes used to always fail and her chain used to come off again and again. It was really hot in Ponta Sahib and we reached our rest house in the afternoon. We stayed in Ponta for 2 days, we also went to the Gurudwara. The second day which was the 23rd, we went to the forest rest house which was 25 kms away from Ponta. It was fun cycling in the forest through all the bumpy roads. We came back to our rest house by the afternoon. In the evening we went to shop round, we had ice cream. On 24th we started for Dakpathar, it was only 18 kms from Ponta Sahib. We reached fairly soon, we also clicked snaps on the way and as usual Kismat's cycle gave us trouble. After reaching Dakpathar we didn't have to cycle anymore. We reached quite early and also met another group at the rest house. In the evening, at our rest house, we played with the boys. On 25th we went to Dehradun in a bus. We were excited to reach Dehra Dun because that was the first civilized place where we could eat and shop around. We had lots of fun there, we saw the museum and IMA. The time of fun , was drawing to a close. On the 26th we went back to Ponta Sahib and there all of us started thinking of the school routine. We had had a lovely time on bicycles and were reluctant to stop. But we had to come back. That week passed so soon, that we just did not realize and there we were back in school on the 27th.

We enjoyed this adventurous and exciting trip. We all thank our incharges Mr. Rahul Sequeria, Mr. A. Dhawan and of course, the lady teacher Ms. A. Arora who made our hikes exciting. We thank our incharges for co-operating with us. Hope we always have exciting hikes as we had in the year of 1997.

Divya Lal & Sonali Bagchi

On Sunday 20th of April, while other Sanawarians left for camps and hikes, our group was anticipating something different. The beautiful water of the Ganga with its white beaches and exciting rapids awaited us. Those who had been before, told us of the near perfection, but nothing could prepare us for the week ahead. We traveled by bus and arrived late in the evening. We were greeted by the friendly camp staff who showed us to our tents and then around the bonfire we sang and had our supper (this became a nightly ritual).

The food on camp was delicious and after our hectic activities always very welcome. Our week was spent tackling the rapids like "Three Blind Mice'', "Golf Course" "Roller Coasters", etc. When we weren't screaming on the rapids we would swim or have fights with other rafts. We would always return to camp content and sunburnt. Our evenings were spent by either swimming, kayaking or playing volleyball which were all a lot of fun.

Half of our group left for the expedition to Alaknanda for two days. The rest of us were taken on a trek upto a primitive village. The walk was long and tiring but the beauty of the village made it worth. Once the rest of the group returned, our last night was spent walking to a 'haunted house' and telling ghost stories.

We were all sad to leave our lovely camp and the wonderful people we had met. We left on the 25th of April, spent a few hours in Dehradun and then spent the night at Nahan. On 26th of April we drove back to school after stopping in Kasauli for a while.

All of us will always remember the wonderful time we had and would like to visit it again. We would like to thank Mrs. & Mr. Vasisht, Mr. Parkash, Miss Debbie Tylor, Ajeet Bajaj and his friendly staff for looking after us during the trip and for making us have an incredible time. In the end, we would like to thank the Headmaster for giving us the opportunity to go for River Rafting.

Kate, Sakshi, Resham & Rumneesh

While the School was out on hikes and camps the Sanawar basketball boys and girls teams went to Modern High School, Dubai, to play an International, Inter School Basketball Tournament. The tournament was not only of high prestige but it also offered the experience most of us wouldn't have normally been exposed to as players.

More than the game what seemed to catch our attention was the amount of team spirit each player, regardless of the teams they belonged to, showed in every aspect. The weather was only kind to us on the first two days but then demanded the best out of us even under the blazing sun. Among the more popular teams were Chouifet Sharjah, Indian School-Muscat, Cambridge High-Dubai, Modern High-Dubai, Indian High Dubai. Mayo College Ajmer India, Bishop Cottons School, Bangalore--India, and Sanawar, of course.

On court, both the boys and girls of Sanawar played with all they had and although the boys did not reach high up, they showed amazing spirit and did not give up till the end. The girls team, however, showed their true colors on court and left everyone in awe. We had an amazing support from not only the viewers & other schools but also the Old Sanawarians present in Dubai. After reading Sanawar on the headlines of most sports news papers they were all there to cheer for us on the semi-final and final match. They also organized an excellent cruise where we had our first taste of Arab food & delicacies. This was an incredible experience and the basketball teams would like to thank our coach Mr. Daljinder Singh without whose guidance and confidence in us, we wouldn't have fared so well, Mrs. Anju Suri, for keeping our spirits and morale high all the time, Mr. Bunty Pathania (O.S.) Mr. Jayant Nanda (O.S.), Mr. Kanwarjeet Singh (Parent) and Mr. Arjun Batra ;OS) the Principal of Modern High School, Dubai and our own Headmaster.

- The basketball team.

A troupe of 25 students, Mrs. Robetts, Mr. Bannerjee, Mrs. Biswas and Sharon performed free shows of dance during the annual hiking period this year.

We performed at St. Mary's School Kasauli, Auckland House Shimla, A.P.S Dagshai and St. Xavier's School Chandigarh. We also performed at the Carnival at Chandigarh in 17 Sector.

It was a very nice exposure and all of us really enjoyed ourselves. All the schools which we visited were extremely hospitable and disciplined. They understood our needs and tried their level best to make us as comfortable and at ease as possible. They really liked our show and were surprised and pleased to find that culture was given so much value in our school and that we were performing as part of our Sesquicentenary celebrations.

We are grateful to the Headmaster and all other departments which helped in making this project a success.

Bhavna Sodhi

( Some Interesting Facts )

The Lawrence School, Sanawar, organizes 'Hodson Run', as part of Inter-House Competition, every year. This competition is named after William S. R. Hodson, the bold and skillful leader of Hodson's Horse Regiment. who was responsible for supervising the erection of the first buildings of Sanawar.

William S. R. Hodson, whose full name was William Stephen Raikes Hodson, was born on the 19th day of March 1821 and was the third son of the Rev. George Hodson who had eight children. Young Hodson was older than any of his contemporaries of that year when in the early part of 1837 he was sent to school at Rugby. He was never a good cricketer but was a runner of first grade. He used to run eight miles (equivalent to 12.874 kilometers in an hour. In October, 1840, William joined Trinity College, Cambridge. He took his degree in the spring of 1844.

At one time Hodson had thought of studying for the Bar but later he changed his mind to be a soldier. It was on 20th August, 1845 that he landed at Calcutta and at the age of twenty-five he was second lieutenant in the 1st Bengal Fusiliers.

In l846 Hodson went up to Shimla to spend a week with his new friend Colonel Henry Lawrence (later Sir Henry Lawrence, the Founder of The Lawrence School, Sanawar). Sometime later Sir Henry, while writing home in September to his wife, wrote "I brought up with me from Subathu a fine young fellow by name Hodson. I have seldom met so promising a young fellow. I get a good deal of help from Hodson, who works willingly and sensibly".

Sir Henry Lawrence had a long desire to erect an asylum among the Himalayan pines and cedars for the benefit of the children of European soldiers and nearly fixed on a spur of the Kasauli Hill, but finally selected the hill of Sanawar which had most of the requisites for an asylum-viz., isolation, ample space and plenty of water, at a good height, healthy locality not far from European troops. Sir Henry always owed this selection to his companions and Hodson was one of them.

In the spring of 1847, as secretary of the new asylum, Hodson engaged himself deeply in building and superintending the starting of the new asylum. Six hundred workmen were under his charge and he had to begin literally from mining, quarry and the forest. He himself went to the forest, selected trees from the wood and when cut down, showed the carpenters how to cut planks and then to make doors and windows out of them. At times he made moulds for bricks and pointed out their use even. Besides keeping accounts and answering inquiries and letters from all parts of the country Hodson's duty included drawing plans and designing buildings, procuring workmen and paying them. It was part of the scheme to make the institution support itself and to start a farmyard. Hodson started a fine large garden where one could see French beans, cabbages, strawberry plants, and fine potatoes.

The asylum was opened on 17th April, 1847 by Mrs. George Lawrence, wife of Sir Henry's elder brother Captain George Lawrence. The old buildings of present Sanawar stand as a testimonial to Hodson's unremitting hard work.

On 10th May, 1857, the great mutiny started in Meerut and on 11th May the mutineers entered the Imperial City of Delhi. The Commander-in-Chief, General Anson issued orders for the immediate dispatch of the white troops that garrisoned the hill stations of Kasauli, Dagshai and Subathu. Hodson marched with his regiment down to Ambala where on 16th May, Anson empowered Hodson to raise 1.000 irregular Horse, and appointed him as the head of the Intelligence Department, and sent him to Karnal for restoring communication between Karnal and Meerut.

Hodson began to enlist recruits for the new regiment of irregular Horse which he himself had been selected to command. Hodson asked his friend George Ricketts to get him as many good men as he could-a squadron, if possible.-and if possible, with their own horses under them, or sufficient money in their pockets to buy them. The men began to come in and Hodson had a pretty good number to select from. While going through the recruitment test these men were supposed to ride George Ricketts' grey mare, a country bred. This mare was a 'jungli' (untamed), and used to stand like a sheep until she was mounted barebacked. She used to fly right and left and bounce in the air and plunge down the road and get almost all of them off sooner or later. For the selectors it was easy to find out those who had ridden before. Others were rejected. The selected ones were speedily drilled by Hodson and brought into service-able form. These men could be in the saddle for fifteen hours out of twenty-four hours in the awful heat.

After Hodson's death this regiment was attached to the Cavalry Division and subsequently made into three regiments-1St. 2nd and 3rd 'Hodson's Horse'. On the reorganization of the native army, the 1st and 2nd regiments were renumbered and renamed 9th and 10th Bengal Lancers (both these regiments retained the additional title of 'Hodson's Horse' while the 3rd regiment was disbanded).

On 11th March, 1858. Hodson's regiment was in Lucknow and while storming the 'Begam's palace' he fell back shot through the liver, the bullet having entered between two of his false ribs in front and coming out between two of the same ribs behind. At 1-25 pm. of 12th March, 1858 the sad scene was over. He died most quietly, without a struggle. He merely ceased to breathe. On the evening of the same day, his body was buried in the garden of Martiniere (Lucknow). Great was the grief in 'Hodson's Horse' at the death of their leader, for no man was more loved by his men.

Hodson died without leaving his widow money enough to pay her passage home and she had to apply to the Compassionate Fund for assistance, which was granted. His effects included a ring, watch, Bible and Prayer book, and a miniature. The amount realized from the auction of his other things was only £ 170. General remarked "there was nothing in his boxes but what an officer might legitimately and honorably have in his possession."

Hodson was a man in all his varied aspects and relations, from the frank, kindly, sympathetic son, brother, friend, and husband, to the cool, clear headed, resourceful soldier, always ready to do, dare, or suffer greatly in the cause of manifest duty. His powers of attraction extended even to animals. His large white Persian cat used to follow him from room to room. His horses always yielded to the sound of his voice and seemed to convey to all that in him they had found master and friend.

Those who served under him and the sons of those who served under him used to speak by the title given to him by the old king of Delhi -Hodson Sahib Bahadur.

The word 'Hodson' has become a part and parcel of Sanawarian's life and they pay sincere tributes to this brave soldier by having annual 'Hodson Run', participated by each child-senior or junior, old or new, girl or boy.

(Source :The life of Hodson of Hodson's Horse by Captain L. J. Trotter; Published by J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd., London).
Dr. V. K. Sharma

11th of November '90, a Sunday, I gave my common entrance examination for Sanawar in Barne Hall. I did not know of Sanawar earlier, neither my parents did. It was during my summer vacation in 1990 that I had come to visit Shimla and its surrounding places with my parents. I was then in class 3. We had stayed in Kasauli. While going to Dharampur, we took the upper route from Garkhal which lead us to Sanawar. On July 30th 1990 my father registered my name to appear for the exam in November.

In February 1991 I received an unexpected and almost forgotten communication and I was told to join Sanawar in April 1991. I joined school on 19th April and on the 21st were the annual camps. It was fun, though difficult to survive with only the 30/- rupees pocket money.

After hikes and camps were the cricket house matches. Without being told where the big field was, I was expected to report there for Vindhya house practices on my own. Instead, I followed some one to the flame field just to see all the Nilagirians practice and to feel lost.

On the first day of classes, I was lead into a room where I had but only one person to talk to, or rather who was willing to talk to me. When our class teacher welcomed us to Sanawar and to F-2, I got up and said, "Ma'am, I am sorry, this is not the class for me, I am in Form 4". This made me the laughing stock of the class and I was to realize my mistake soon after.

On my first day of P.T., I was really amazed wearing only a pair of shorts and a cardigan. I could not do hand stand or dance-exercise for quite some time and was often punished.

In my first athletics, I qualified in all events, even though my weight was 40 kg, quite a lot for a Form Two-er. I also qualified in Hodsons, contributing to the cup that Vindhya won that year.

Today when I go home and compare my past and my present, it gives me some joy, some happiness and much satisfaction. Now all thanks to Sanawar, I can afford to deny what my mother always told me. She said that I have grown up in a complex of being socially incompetent.

S. Suneja

As I moved down from the lovely hilltop, my heart sank. I was sad and didn't really know why. It took some time for my thoughts to clear. I was missing Sanawar. As I moved on I felt as if a part of me was lost forever. The thought gnawed at the very roots of my soul. Before this, I didn't have any idea how deeply I was attached to Sanawar. How could I feel so bad?

The biggest flaw in us humans is that we only tend to remember happy times of our lives. All the bullying and pushing around don't seem to alter the image as I look back to those days. The monotony hasn't left any mark on me. 1 just feel indifferent to those things. Perhaps that is what nostalgia is all about. On the other hand, I did not know that my friends would miss me so much. Maybe they just remember the good side of me. I realized that I was no longer a part of that family, bound with latent threads of magic which tug at your heart when you aren't there anymore. A sudden feeling of loneliness descended on me. I felt lost. The worst part is that I did it all myself. I wanted to leave desperately because my career seemed to be at stake. I didn't ever bother to know how protected we were in that little world or should I say "Paradise" of ours; neither could I imagine how much I would be losing by leaving it. One hasty step and here I am, lost in an alien atmosphere, a sea of loneliness and plunged into oblivion.

I have to start all over again, of course for the better but my heart bleeds. I try to console myself by thinking that I only had one more year to go, but passion can't be suppressed. I don't know what I'm missing. Those corridors, slopes, passages, ledges and avenues seem to have grown onto me. I can't help crying.

I met a few of my teachers. They were all the same old people. I don't seem to know myself. I am estranged from my existence. My heart is still at Sanawar.

Sanawar taught me that you don't know about the best time of your life till it fades away. So Sanawarians (especially upper sixers), enjoy your life in Sanawar as long as you are a part of it. Cherish every thought and live for every moment. These days will never come back. Best of luck and "Never Give In".

Thamin Rashid
(Left after Class. XI! Ed.)

Children are sent to school for education. We get good food, health care, and other comforts. There are many others who are neglected. They have no desire or goals in life. These children lead a life like the pre-historic men did. They do not get the opportunities like we do. Many are talented but do not get a chance to show their skills or to improve upon them. The children who lead this kind of a life are said to be "Children OF A LESSER GOD". To make these children of a Lesser God into children of a greater God, we should not only give them money but something more essential: Education, Health Care, nutritious food, shelter, love and care.

Most of us think that street children are unkind and rude. It is just the way society has treated them that they become like this.

Now I ask you, is God, Bhagwan, Allah etc. really fair? Why has he made some rich some poor. Why can't all enjoy the same love and the same fun ?

To have an answer to all these questions the First Round Square Junior Conference was held in the Lawrence School, Lovedale.

From Sanawar five students along with Mr. Roberts went. The five were Reetinder Sidhu, Mandakini Singh, Gursimran Sangha. Chirag Garg and Myself. There, in Lovedale we had group discussions, a workshop in which we get creative work, the plenary session and other activities. We exchanged a lot of ideas with Welham boys, Scindia boys, Mayo College, Doon School and the Host School. I thank you, Sanawar, for making me realize and aware of children who are less privileged than myself. I appeal to all my friends that we should try in our own small way to help these children.

Sidharth Sarda
L-IV

D I S C I P L I N E
4 + 9 + 19 + 3 + 9 + 16 + 12 + 9 + 14 + 5=100
This proves that anything done with discipline will always be done 100% right.

Modern, but deft definitions:

Children :Small people who are not permitted to act the way their parents did at that age.
Dancing : the art of pulling your feet away faster than your partner can step on them.
Punctuality: the best way to avoid meeting people.
Sweater: a garment worn by the little one when its mother feels chilly.
Politician: a person who promises to build a bridge where there is no river.
Doctor : one who charges before discharging to heaven.
Beauty parlour: a battlefield where middle aged women wage war against old age.
Stereo System : an expensive device to make a lot of noise and to disturb the neighbour's sleep.
Life: life is like a cigarette that begins with flashes and ends in ashes.
Advice: a thing which everyone needs and everyone gives but no one takes.

Maninder Singh
U-IV C

Dear Sir,
My poem "Entering The Wild Blue Yonder" published in your issue of 1st April, was vastly changed from what was intended. Sadly, it didn't make sense with words like "igrore, depta and polities" instead of ignore, depth and politics, while "pay sora sora" was meant to be 'que sera sera".
Yours faithfully,
Giriraj Singh Kang
Ex- U VI A

(Sincere apologies; incidentally, this has happened after three proof readings! Ed.)