The Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Programme was conceptualised by the Government of India with the idea of a sustained and structured cultural connect between people of different regions. Introduced by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, the programme aims to celebrate the cultural diversity of India through mutual interaction and reciprocity between the people of different states and union territories. Under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Programme, Delhi has been paired with the idyllic state of Sikkim.
Under the guidance of the esteemed Principal, Ms Padma Srinivasan and the Supervisor of Classes VI-VIII, Ms Vinita Gupta, various activities were conducted under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme for the students of Classes VI-VIII of Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram between the months of October to February in order to promote the spirit of national integration through a deep and structured engagement between Delhi and Sikkim. The multifarious activities aimed to showcase the rich heritage and culture as well as the customs and traditions of Sikkim, thereby enabling students to understand and appreciate diversity so as to foster a sense of common identity.
The details of the activities for the various months are as follows:
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER:
The alphabet lays the foundation of a language and helps to communicate with people from all around the world. In order to provide exposure to the Sikkimese alphabet and language, the Department of Hindi organised ‘Weave a Way’ activity for the students of Classes VI-VIII. The students participated in the activity by not only writing down the language proficiently but also by making an attempt to pronounce different words in the aforementioned language. Idioms and names of various body parts and objects of daily use were also understood and articulated in the Sikkimese language. Children got a glimpse of the language and culture of Sikkim through the activity which proved to be the pillar of the concept of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat. The teacher incharges for the activity were Dr P Chinna, Ms Rupali Mohindru, Ms Nikita Khera and Ms Mansa Mary Thomas.
The beauty of the Sikkimese language was also exhibited through pledges taken by the children on ‘swachhata’, single-use plastic, saving water and national unity which were presented during the morning class presentations. The teacher incharges who helped in presenting the various pledges were Ms Priyanka Yadav, Ms Aakriti Sharma, Ms. Shipra Rai and Ms Kaveri Dhar.
DECEMBER:
The Department of English conducted an Essay Writing Competition titled ‘Essaying Sikkim’ for the students of Classes VI-VIII that aimed to promote learning about the partner state, Sikkim, by sharing their best practices. The students of Class VI penned their thoughts in the form of essays and composed short stories based on the theme ‘The Land of the Red Pandas and Rhododendrons’. The students of Class VII wrote essays on the topic ‘Valuing the Flora and Fauna leads to Sustainable Development’ and the participants from Class VIII expressed their views on the theme ‘Nature and Industry go hand in hand in Sikkim’. The activity was conducted by Ms Ruma Madan, Ms Deepti, Ms Sangita Bajpai and Ms Sapna Sharma and judged by Ms Shraddha Parmar, Ms Kanika Chamoli and Ms Eisha Aleem.
All the students enthusiastically participated in the competition and their essays reflected their understanding of Sikkim and its natural vegetation, geographical features, flora and fauna, wildlife, industry and the efforts made by the government to practice sustainable development. The following students from Classes VI-VIII wrote the best essays on the given topics:
JANUARY:
To showcase the rich culture, heritage, customs and traditions of Sikkim, the Department of Social Sciences organised an Intersection Virtual Role Play Competition on the theme ‘Blending Ethnicity- Samagrata Mein Ekta’. Through their acts, the students of Classes VI-VIII brought to life the rich culture of Sikkim by dressing up in traditional attires and paved a way to reveal the myriad aspects of the state like dynasties, dance forms, culture, clothings, important places to visit in Sikkim, etc. The competition served as an eye-opener to appreciate, learn and exchange best practices and experiences by imbibing the spirit of national integration at large. The teacher incharges for the event were Ms Madhu Rai, Ms Sakshi Pandey, Ms Priyamvada and Ms Nuzhat. The event was judged by Dr. P Chinna and Ms Livano Banerjee for Class VI, Ms Shaloo Khanna and Ms Dimple Menon for Class VII and Ms Shruti Mishra and Ms Ruma Madan for Class VIII.
The results of the competition were as follows:
FEBRUARY:
The Departments of Physics, Chemistry and Biology conducted an Intersection Powerpoint Presentation Competition titled ‘Pluralist Versions – Ekatmak Sanskaran’ on ideas/thoughts of various themes on Sikkim such as the historical monuments, dressing styles, painting, dance, music, folk arts, handicrafts, alphabets and basic sentences, flora and fauna, wildlife, knowledge of plants used for traditional medicines, climate, ecosystem, etc. The competition strengthened the research abilities of the students and enabled them to showcase and appreciate the rich heritage and culture of Sikkim, thereby inculcating a deep knowledge of diversity and cultivating a sense of common identity. The teacher incharges for the event were Ms Dimple Menon, Ms Neelam Ajwani, Ms Saveri Lal and Ms Bharti and the event was judged by Ms Ruma Madan, Ms Ritu Kumar and Ms Vibha Arora.
The results of the competition were as follows:
Therefore, the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme for Classes VI-VIII was a grand success during which the students and teachers not only engaged with the cultures of Delhi and Sikkim in the myriad spheres of language, literature, cuisine, festivals, cultural events, tourism, etc. but the programme also helped to celebrate the unity in diversity of our nation and promoted the spirit of national integration.