“Come on Yamuna, buck up! Ganga, you can do it!” cheered a crowd of 450 ex-Sulonians and 50 teachers as they gathered in the Malhar Hall of the school, for the first reunion of its kind, Anusmaran 2011.

What is Anusmaran? Anusmaran is an effort of a group of enthusiastic ex-Sulonians that brought together alumni from as far as the batch of 1975 to as recent as 2010 under the Sulonian roof.  The registration booth was teeming with ex-Sulonians and senior teachers as they hugged, smiled and laughed over a flash of memories. While some raised a high five to friends they met after eons, others happily munched on piping hot wada pavs! “Where have you been?, are you still in Thane, what do you do?, are you still single?, do your kids go to JK, too? some of the very few questions, ex-Sulonians asked each other to keep abreast of what their long lost friends have been doing.

In true Sulonian style, the pilots wearing their house caps and the captain holding the flag marched into the Hall. The evening started with the lighting of the lamp followed by the school song that left many a Sulonian teary-eyed. We travelled back in time when singing the school song would mean the official commencement of any programme- be it the Parents Day, Annual Day or the Assembly programme.  It’s a song etched in our minds- a song that stands for humanity. The official programme began with a welcome speech followed by the introduction and felicitation. Principal Srinivasan in her keynote address, emphasized on holistic education and discipline as the crux of Sulonian life. She outlined the school’s progress and highlighted the importance of academics and extracurricular to make every student not just an individual but a good human being and thanked the alumni for coming out in such a huge number.

As ex-Sulonians, we fondly remembered our then Principal, Mr. M.D.Jani, who multiplied, divided, subtracted and added elements of school that gave meaning to every Sulonian. And when we played the slideshow of his journey in school, he received a standing ovation from all the students. We students clapped and cheered all our teachers as we recalled the little incidents that have made us individuals what we are today. As a mark of respect, we also paid a tribute to all our teachers who played a significant role in our lives but have left us for their heavenly abode.

But the evening was not just about teachers, it was also about ex-Sulonians who came in from as far as Finland, New Delhi, Bangalore and Pune to relive their days of glory. The Masters of Ceremony did a wonderful job of keeping the audience engaged by asking them school trivia and giving away bookmarks (especially designed for the reunion) as prizes. 

They say experience is the best teacher and we, ex-Sulonians, thank our teachers for giving us the most valuable lessons of life while we were in school. They made us stop, think and adopt values that made us a proud Sulonian. And as a humble gesture for all their greatness, we felicitated our teachers with a token of gratitude for being the guiding light of our lives. What followed was a trigger happy moment for the ex-Sulonians. Teachers posed for the shutterbugs (read students) who wanted to capture every smile, every face and every moment.

Be it academic excellence, sports, drama, creativity etc, Sulonians have been there, done that. This can only come from a school that has always offered more than what we asked for. Roshani Thakur took us on a walk down the memory lane and chronicled the journey of the school followed by a slideshow of pictures from all the extracurricular activities in school. The audience revisited their boyhood and girlhood days where they played a Meerabai in a skit, danced to Rajasthani folklore, sang to the tunes of Marathi bhakti geet, ran with the baton to ensure their house won the sports trophy, crafted a beautiful fairy tale house made of biscuits and chocolates and many such events. Those memories will always be treasured and cherished for they have molded our lives and given a meaning to be called a Sulonian. Amidst all the nostalgia, there was a surprise packed in, too. Dhaigude sir in his inimitable style came up on stage and played the dafli while some alumni volunteered to do the lezim and dance to his tunes! To say it in one word- happiness!

What happened next is indescribable. Keeping in line with the school’s tradition, Anusmaran hosted a house quiz that had both alumni and housemasters as team members. The crowd shouted, prompted, yelled, screamed and cheered for their house to win, just like they did when in school to lift the Raina trophy at the Annual Day! It’s hard to tell which one of these events was the most popular simply because every moment was a Sulonian moment. We were all back in school, back in spirit, back in our elements and back under the umbrella that gave us the shade of comfort and warmth. 

As they say, all’s well that ends well. After the official vote of thanks, the crowd rushed to meet their teachers, friends, click pictures with them, and all that they couldn’t for so many years- be it because of the physical distance or simply because they couldn’t keep in touch. 

A special thanks to all the volunteers and school staff for selflessly extending their help and support to make Anusmaran a successful event. Their calm and cool exhibit amidst all the brouhaha is commendable.

Anusmaran was not just an event, it was not just for one evening, in fact, it is a state of mind, for our beloved institution, yesterday, today, and every day.

Once a Sulonian, always a Sulonian.

Rama Ramanan
Ex-sulonian, Batch 1996.