A special guest at Ash bury Public School

Ela Gandhi talks to primary school kids about her grandfather's work

As the primary school smdents sang the number F-l11m bonge kallf)'Ob ~!Ve shall oucrco,m) , an emocional Ela Gandhi related how she sang this very song to herself when she was incarcerated in a South Afr ican prison during the days of the anciApartheid struggle.

The parcicular song was a favourite of her iUustrious grandfather Mahatma Gandhi, and became an anthem of the movement be led for India's independence from British occupacion.

The smdents at Sydney's J\shbury Public School welcomed peace accivist Ela Gandhi ar a specia l school assembly, as part of a program on Indian smdies. Called 'India Calling', this innovative educational program is aimed at developing an understanding of lndia and its cuJmre among primary school children. With five other schools in the area, 520 students in Years 3 and 4 celebrate India's festivals and learn the Hindi language, as well as songs and dances from India. The project was launched b y the Sydney Region of the NSW Department of Education and Communities in 2008, as pare of its 'Expanding Horizons with Asia' initiacive.

At the assembly, Ms Gandhi interacted with the students, the blue of her sari in sync with the blue of their uniforms. She spoke to them about her grandfather, desc r ibing in particular his iconic Dandi Salt Jvfarch. (The smdenrs learned that with this 24- day walk on which thousands of people joined him, Gandhi triggered off the peaceful Civil Disobedience Movement that ultimately ended the Br itish colonization of India). The other participating schools joined in v ia video-conferencing.

Ms Gandhi also watched a special presentation in which a young student read out a peace poem. This was highlighted by a Powerpoint presentation made up of iUustrations created by the students. And of comse, chis was a perfect oppornmity to present !.hat Joi Ho dance number yet again!

As well, :Ms Gandhi planted a tree in the schoo l's Peace Garden.

Earlier on, she was welcomed in true Indian tradicion by Ashbury kids, who marked her fo rehead with a tikka

Relieving Principal Mrs Sally D'Arrigo said l ater, " It was a beauciful clay The stud ents got to see Ela Gandhi's peaceful nature first hand and learned of the value of non-violence".

Mala Mehta, founder of

the .lJ\BBV Hindi School in Thornleigh who helped devise the India Calling progran1, also attended the event ai1d was thriUed \Vith how weU it went. " I was quite overwhelmed, not only with the fact that the kids responded so weU, but also to note that the program has come so far as to be ab.le ro host a personality of the scanue o f E la Gandhi," she said.