Milkha Singh, Farhan Akhtar get Standing Ovation at Scindia School

The annual event saw the Scindians showcase their sportsmanship in the school’s 75th Athletics Finals, and horse-riding skills. There was also a march past by the Old Boys (alumni) and a performance by the band boys in their band uniform.

The day culminated in a colorful cultural evening presided over by Jyotiraditya M Scindia, President of the Board of Governors, The Scindia School. The Principal Samik Ghosh along with teachers and staff coordinated the evening.

Hundreds of students and Old Boys took part in the school’s annual celebrations to cheer the heritage and traditions of one of India’s most admired and oldest educational institutions. The audiences were thrilled to see the real-life Milkha Singh and reel-life Milkha Singh share the same stage. The bond between the two celebrities was obvious, with the 85-year-old sports star praising Farhan Akhtar for his lead role in the biopic Bhaag Milkha Bhaag based on Milkha Singh’s own life.

Milkha Singh’s Big Regret

The Scindians sat transfixed as India’s most well-known sprinter Milkha Singh recounted incidents that became turning points in his life and career. Purposely delivering his address in Hindi, he asked students not to be ashamed of speaking in India’s national language, just as foreigners have no problem in speaking in their own.

Milkha Singh said he had one big regret in life: “It has been 54 years since I ran in the Rome Olympics. Despite a population of 120 crore people, India has not produced another Milkha in all these years. I am saddened by this. Four more Indian athletes reached the finals in Olympics after me, but could not take a medal. Before I die, it’s my wish to see an Indian finish what I left unfinished in Rome by claiming an Olympics medal in athletics. Athletics is the king of sports. The real sports prowess of India will be proved on the international stage only when we start bagging medals in athletics. I hope some students of the Scindia School will fulfill this dream.”

Milkha Singh added that the most deserving Indian sportsman who should get the Bharat Ratna is Major Dhyan Chand. “Dhyan Chand is today considered the greatest field hockey player of the world. He did India proud in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Dhyan Chand once told me that he used to hang a bicycle tire on the goal post and hit 500 hockey balls through it every day. That kind of training and discipline was the secret of his success. Today, India has regressed in hockey. The country needs new sporting icons other than cricketers.”

Flying Sikh v/s Flying Bird

Milkha Singh told the audience his story of the race he won in 1960 in Lahore against Pakistan’s best sprinter Abdul Khaliq (nicknamed “Flying Bird of Asia” by Pandit Nehru). The feat earned the hardy Indian the sobriquet of “Flying Sikh” from Pakistani President General Ayub Khan.

Milkha Singh said: “Over 60,000 Pakistanis had assembled at the stadium to watch the 200 mts race between me and Abdul Khaliq. The result has been immortalized in the movie Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. My victory left Khaliq in tears. I was asked to do a run-round of the stadium after my win. The newspapers said that 10,000 Pakstani women were also present in the stadium, all of whom raised their burkas as I passed by, to get a better look at the Indian who defeated Pakistan’s best athlete on its own soil. Looking back, I can say that my life story is similar to Prime Minister Modi’s. It proves that will power, discipline, character and hard work can achieve anything in this world, a lesson every Scindia student should remember.”

What Hurt Farhan Akhtar

Farhan Akhtar said that The Scindia School is all about the never-ending quest for excellence, about never saying that good is good enough. “Awards, success, money are all important, but we need to be excellent. Excellence is not about rewards or acclaim from others. It is about having a conviction that if any work needs to be done by us, it better be the best because our name is attached to it. We have to make sure that we have excellence in whatever we do,” he added.


The well-known actor and director asked the Scindia students to take life’s challenges head on and not get defeated easily. He gave an example from his own life. “When the cast of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag was announced, some people said that the lead role should be played by a Sikh because only a Sardar would be able to do full justice to the character. When I heard this, it hurt me deeply. I took that as a challenge and worked extra hard for months till I began to look and act like the Flying Sikh. I gave it my best and the success of the movie spoke for itself. We need to learn to make our weakness our strength.”

 
Doing Things Differently

 
In his welcome address, Jyotiraditya M Scindia asked the students to keep in mind that winners don’t do different things – they do things differently. “We at The Scindia School want to give our students the ability to sense, grasp and actualize opportunities and deliver dividends to themselves, the society and the country. Our focus is always on creativity, innovation, original thinking and development of character. We have grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years. In 2010, Scindia School was at number 10 position in Education World’s survey of best boys boarding schools in India. Now, it has reached number 3.”


He touched upon the unfortunate incident involving a Class IX student of the school a few months back. “It has caused all of us a great deal of distress and anguish. That is something which should not have happened at all. The Scindia School has always been a home away from home for students. We have pledged to make sure that such an incident never occurs again. Many new measures such as trained guards in hostels, student counsellors and CCTV cameras are now in place to ensure that the school remains in a safe and nurturing environment for everyone.”


Before the evening programme, Jyotiraditya M Scindia along with Farhan Akhtar and Principal Samik Ghosh went around the exhibitions put together in the academic block by the students. The dignitaries were then escorted to the Shukla Memorial Open Air Theatre as the school band played Colonel Bogey, Mustafa, Fanfare and Chariots of Fire. After the school choir sang the school song, the dignitaries paid floral homage to HH Maharaja Jiwajirao M Scindia, and HH Maharaja Madhavrao J Scindia II.

 
The school orchestra played the composition “Move on, Make Your Own Way” based on Raag Marwa to celebrate the spirit of Milkha Singh’s life. The Principal Samik Ghosh presented the school’s annual report, highlighting the various achievements over the year. The event saw the presentation of awards to meritorious students. The HH Maharaja Madhavrao Scindia II Medal for All Round Proficiency in class XI went to Shishir Garg. The HH Maharaja Jeewaji Rao Scindia Medal for All Round Proficiency in class XII was awarded to Bhuwan Saraogi.

 
Sanjeev Aga, the ex-MD of Idea Cellular, was acknowledged as an Old Boy of Eminence for his exemplary acumen in the world of corporate business and deep commitment to ethical practices by conferring upon him the Madhav Award 2014.

 
The theatrical performance included a one-act play “The Yellow Kite” which touched upon the issues of sportsmanship, effort, talent and courage to confront our deepest fears. The day concluded with singing of the national anthem and the hope to carry forward The Scindia School’s legacy with aplomb.

 
Located in the historic Gwalior Fort, The Scindia School is India’s premier boarding school for boys, spread across 110 acres dotted with artifacts, statues and monuments dating as far back as the 9th century AD. It was established by the late HH Maharaja Madhorao Scindia I of Gwalior in 1897 as Sardar’s School. It was renamed The Scindia School in 1933. The school has classes from grade 6th to 12th, with over 600 students.