ISM HOLDS KHIMJI ACADEMIC AWARD CEREMONY &

 INTER-HOUSE ENGLISH DRAMA COMPETITION

Gokaldas Khimji Academic Awards Ceremony and Inter-House English Drama Competition was held at Indian School Muscat on 11^th October. Shri Kanaksi Gokaldas Khimji, accompanied by  his wife Smt. Kalpana Gokaldas Khimji, was the Chief Guest for the function.

The prestigious Gokaldas Khimji Academic Award is given annually to the top three students from classes VIII to XII. This year the Chief Guest bestowed awards to 29 students who topped in their classes.

Ria Raj, the Head Girl, welcomed the Chief Guest and his wife, Members of the School Managing Committee, Members of the Board of Directors, dignitaries, parents and well-wishers  to the function. She also introduced, the judges Mrs. Papri Ghosh (Head of Department of English, Indian School Al Ghubra), Mrs. Srimathi Venkatesh (Senior English Teacher, Indian School Darsait) and Mr. Rakesh Sharma (Senior English Teacher, Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir).

The Principal, Mr. Ainsley L. Edgar, at the outset, hailed the benevolence of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said towards Indian School Muscat. He lauded the selfless service rendered by Sheikh Kanaksi Gokaldas Khimji, for harnessing the resources of the Indian Community and thanked him for instituting the Academic Awards that encourage and inspire students to excel in academics.

The Inter-House Drama Competition is one of the most eventful activities of ISM. ‘Mother’s Day’ presented by the Yellow House  won the award for the best play for its subtle humour. The play, written by J.B. Priestly and directed by Mrs. Sudha Nayar highlighted the plight of a mother who was taken for granted by her family. This predicament compelled her to impersonate  another character which in turn brought recognition to her in the family.  Sheen Jacob, who played the lead role of the mother in this play, won the Best Actress Award for her remarkable performance. Akhil Ahluwalia and Bisa Saji of this play won the Best Supporting Actor and Actress respectively.

‘Strings’ written by Mr. Krishnadas and directed by Mr. Aklary Sajindran, poignantly portrayed the power of music in transforming a miscreant into a good human being. Aijaz Dadarkar, who played the lead role,  won the Best Actor Award for the  intense portrayal of a gangster. Aparna Prasenan, who played the role of a mother, won a special award for displaying her histrionic talents.

‘The Other Side’ presented by the Blue House and directed by Dr. Alex C. Joseph and Mr. Eskalin P. Gonsalves showcased the unenviable postion of a father who had to execute his own son as part of his duty.

The play ‘The Glass Menagerie’ directed by Mrs. Renee Mary Jetto for the Green House depicted a character who laid  to rest the haunting memories of his sister and mother which  had made him run away from home.

Aijaz Dadarkar, the Head Boy, proposed the vote of thanks. Sharon Ann Sam, Anjana Nanda and Alisha Fernandes compered the programme. In addition to the four plays, the musical entertainment provided by the school choir made the evening a memorable one.