FOR THE RECORD -- 3 ::

INTERACTION WITH THE FIRST INDIAN SUPERIOR GENERAL

BY P S SUNDAR

It was not only enchanting but enlightening to interact with the Superior General of Montfort Brothers of St Gabriel Society, Bro John Kallarackal from Rome, during his official visit to the Society’s only institution in the Nilgiris, St Antony’s Higher Secondary School in Coonoor, on February 10, 2015.   

“I am required to visit all the 360 institutions in 33 countries at least once in my tenure of six years.  Unmindful of the stress associated with travel and varying time-zone, I enjoy the visit because that helps me connect with the people and understand their real needs.   Anytime, this is better than remote management from Rome!”, he said.

Bro John Kallarackal, who will complete 66 years of age coming March 3, is a symbol of Indian excellence in the global congregation of Montfort Brothers.   A Keralite by birth, he is the first Indian Superior General of this congregation of 1,243 brothers.  “In the initial stages, the Brothers were active only in France.  Later, they spread to many countries and continents.  In 1903, they came to India, established, inter alia, a technical school in Tindivanam and so have completed 111 years of glorious service to the cause of education in India.  Today, Indian brothers are active in many countries including Fiji, Tonga, Tanzania, PNG, Brazil, Peru and Kenya”, he fondly recalled.

“In India, we manage 130 institutions.  From our initial objective of providing primary and secondary education, we have diversified, over the years to educating the physically challenged children.  We have a major role in educating through Braille for the visually impaired.  Saint Louis School for The Deaf and The Blind in Chennai has dome yeomen service to the physically challenged students. We have announced to establish a university for the hearing impaired there.  We are working on the details to press the university into operation soon.  We are also taking into consideration the new trend in India requiring ‘inclusive’ education to integrate the physically and mentally challenged children into the mainstream schooling”, Bro Kallarackal disclosed with a rightful sense of satisfaction.

“Our brothers in India are also diversifying into other fields of service like emancipation of poor and empowering women.   Some are focussing on educating exclusive children from slums, rural and tribal areas.  Just now, at Ranchi, an initiative to support the children of AIDS patients has been launched.  We, from the Rome headquarters encourage social service of such kinds”, the Superior General said.

As it happens, Bro Kallarackal is a former student of St Antony’s Coonoor.   “I had played in these grounds”, he told me as the Headmaster and Correspondent Bro S Soosairaj took us both, crossing the lower ground, to the new Library facility.  “Today, the Superior General gave new uniform and shoes to 250 poor students.   We also support 100 poor students with scholarships.  Today, we credited Rs 25,000 as Fixed Deposit in the name of Sudhir, our student who, despite hailing from poor family, excelled in national sports.  He also dedicated to the school a modern computer lab and audio-visual auditorium”, Bro Soosairaj said.  

These are highly relevant because St Antony’s is not a poor school but it caters to the educational needs of the poor.  Majority of the 1,716 students who study here hail from poor, lower and marginal income families.  Education is imparted free of cost to all.  The improvements to infrastructural facilities enhance the learning ambiance to these children to place them on par with schools where fees are collected.   

St Antony’s has the record of sending the highest number of students for public exams in the district.  Last year, for instance, it sent 275 students for Tenth class public exams – the highest among all the 177 schools in the Nilgiris district.   Interestingly, 95 per cent of the 275 students who took Tenth standard and 98 per cent of 219 who took Plus Two public exam last year passed.   The school has been consistently posting over 90 per cent pass results.   Bro Soosairaj is working hard to make each of the 236 students who will take up this year’s Tenth standard exam and 185 taking Plus Two exam pass.  

For this, Bro John Kallarackal’s prayers are with Bro Soosairaj (left).