Prime Minister’s speech inspiring, engrossing: Chennai Students

CHENNAI: Students and school managements after hearing the Prime Minister address students on Teachers’ Day felt that his speech was inspiring. Barring just a few, most CBSE schools in Chennai had telecast his address live as per the directive of the Central government.

“We are happy with the PM’s address. Students found the speech interesting and it was very useful for them. It was indeed a privilege for them to have a session with him,” said S. Namasivayam, principal, Maharishi Vidya Mandir.

A section of the students found the PM’s speech engrossing, especially his personal anecdotes.

“He took us through his life, he narrated many stories that had me listening throughout. I was excited when he recalled how mischievous he was during his student life, causing trouble to his teachers. His down-to-earth tone and jokes helped me feel comfortable and hooked me,” said R.Chandini, a Class 8 student of PSBB School, who did not get to see the telecast, but came home and made use of the links made available on the inter-net.

While some appreciated the speech, others strongly felt the language barrier (the speech was delivered in Hindi) and claimed that they could not connect with the speaker.

“We did feel a friendly association with the Prime Minister as he encouraged us to not fear him. He was outspoken and frank in his answers which all of us enjoyed. To an interesting question about the benefit to him by addressing the student community, he responded graciously. He said he felt happy, interacting with students. Some, who did not have fluency in Hindi, found it difficult to grasp the content of the speech,” said M.Chaitanya, a student of Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV), Chennai.

V. Suma Padmanaban, principal, Asan Memorial School, said that she could not understand much of the speech and that she would be able to connect the bits and pieces and frame an opinion only after discussing with her colleagues. “Even though many could not understand the language, the students were still proud about being addressed by the PM and they paid full attention, not showing any signs of restlessness,” she added.

“While it is common for teachers and parents to spend time with students, for a PM to do so, taking time off his busy schedule, is to be appreciated, and his speech did boost the confidence of the children. Nevertheless, an English translation would have helped us a great deal,” said M.Narasimhan, a teacher at KV,
Chennai.