The Ashok Hall Group of Schools celebrated the legacy of Late Manjushree Khaitan, who was the chairperson of Ashok Hall Group of schools, with a motivational talk session at Kala Mandir, recently.

The talk was organised to make students understand the life manta: “no matter how bizarre or uncertain situations become in life, never give up!”

The speakers had only one goal: To ignite dormant passions and fuel dreams with purpose.

Mohit Raj, a prisoner reformer introducing unsung heroes like Pramila, Ashraf and Avneesh, who have transformed either the face of their community or village or the condition of convicts in a world where people. Mr Raj, has been collaborating with such unsung torch-bearers. Mr Raj spoke of people who are wrongfully punished or imprisoned for extended periods in conflict-torn zones. His courage to speak up against injustice was particularly inspiring and made one reflect on the importance of standing up for what is right.

Another speaker Anurag Maloo, narrated about his grit, when he narrated his experience of scaling Mount Annapurna in the Himalayas. His story of ‘rebirth’, faith, resilience and hope deeply resonated with the young audience. His story of an unbelievable 250-ft fall from the mountain top to a crevasse and his subsequent survival, pepped up the students.

Despite his fall, the mountaineer called the mountain his ‘mother’, showing his immense gratitude for keeping him alive for three days and nights and saving him from the jaws of death. His story of human strength and determination is what we call the many vagaries of life.

Neonatologist Dr Radhika Batra highlighted the dismal condition of the underprivileged section of the society where thousands of children suffer from permanent blindness caused by malnutrition or lack of immunisation programmes. She spoke of her nightmarish experience where she helplessly watched little infants succumb to this malady year after year due to extreme poverty! With the project, Every Infant Matters, she not only brought about a health revolution in 15 states in India, but also relief to the under-nourished children of Nigeria and Philippines. The crusader received a thundering applause from her audience.

The youngest speaker was a 14-year-old child prodigy, Palak Chauhan. It was her confidence in self in taking the big decision to forgo formal education to pursue her passion for piano, which found instant appreciation. Her musical odyssey that started as a five-year-old has led her to tread the untrodden paths and make a name.

The students also interacted with the speakers. Sreyoshi Barman of Class XII from Mahadevi Birla Shishu Vihar, said, “This talk has broadened our perspectives.”

Ishitry Munda, a Class XI student, was curious to know what is the first step a leader takes after deciding that he wants to do something for the society, while Prachi Shekhar of MBSV wanted to know why so many children in Bihar still suffer from malnutrition.

Sonali Sarkar, principal of Mahadevi Birla Shishu Vihar, “These talks are not just worth spreading, they are worth cherishing as they ignite the spark of innovation, passion and empathy!”

English teacher Susmita Sarkar said the experience was transformative for the children and encouraged them to also prove their worth.