AN ODE TO A FRIEND: HEMI AND THE MAKING OF SANSKRITI SCHOOL

By Livleen Bhagat

A bare envelope was delivered to my doorstep. I opened it to realise it was from Sanskriti School. This year the school celebrates the silver jubilee of its formation. We were the founders of the Sanskriti School. And before I know, vivid images from the past stream in, like it all happened yesterday. When I think of Sanskriti School, I think of my friend Hemi Surendra Singh.

This was more than thirty years ago, we were neighbours in Bapa Nagar–Delhi. Blessed with an affable personality, Hemi has the ability to get people to do things her way. She has a mind of her own, is driven and takes initiative, and uses her charm to good effect. I admire her for her qualities, for I’m one of the very few people who understand how seamlessly she operates and make things happen.

A diva in a chiffon saree, she’d walk into a room and it was practically impossible to not take note of her. She'd stand out, though wasn’t loud, her attire, hairdo, jewellery all blended so well, and she carried herself with grace, subtle yet impactful.

Hemi has an uncanny ability to make you feel like the most special person. She’s persuasive without being overbearing. A friend of a friend, she goes out of the way to help a friend. We became lifelong friends, though, lately, we don't get to see each other often.

At her request, I took her to two Delhi Police-run public schools. We met the principal, she had a 15-minute conversation about what it takes to establish and run a school. When we were driven back, she told me in uncertain terms, ‘I will set up a school.’

A few years later, her husband was promoted to the position of Cabinet Secretary, and she became the chairperson of the Civil Services Society–the spouses of all serving officers of All India and Central Civil Services of the rank of Additional Secretary and above are its members. She initiated the groundwork for setting up the school. The plan was that 25 quality schools will be established all over the country, the first in Delhi followed by one in every state capital.

A 11-member committee was formed, Hemi was the chairperson, with some distinguished members like Shobha Ramachandran wife of the then home secretary, Sarita Prasad was an IAS officer, Kusum Haidar was married to the then foreign secretary, Sunanda Roy represented the Customs and Central Excise Service, her husband was the then Chairman of the board. I was one of the members, the wife of a top cop.

This committee was entirely Hemi’s brainchild and the meetings were held at her official residence. She was the force behind the initiative, and others chipped in. Thanks to her perseverance, charm and position things were expedited at an express pace.

Sarita, being a bureaucrat, helped us deal with the nitty-gritty of the paperwork and adhering to government rules and regulations that come with the setting up of a school. Kusum organised the initial Rs 21,000, the much need resource to keep the committee running. Sunanda with Sarita, both active and efficient, and KTS Tulsi (the then Additional Solicitor General of India), whose help was welcome and forthcoming, dealt with legal matters. Sunanda was also instrumental in getting a generous contribution from the Indian Customs and Central Excise Service–and set the ball rolling.

An architect had to be found. Jasbir Sawhney--known to be close to the Gandhi family, also designed Ansal Plaza-Delhi--was hired to do the job. He made an attractive building but not practical, there are so many nooks and corners, which to me, is not the best design for a school–particularly unfriendly to differently-abled students and staff.

Before Hemi left for Washington–her husband joined the World Bank–she had laid the framework. The venue of committee meetings shifted to my place at Tughlak Road for the next year and a half.

The principal, teachers, and administrators, were my friends. I often visited the school for many years, just to have a coffee with the principal and derive pleasure in seeing the school flourish year after year.

In all these years, to me, Hemi remains synonymous with Sanskriti School. It was only because of her initiative that the school came into being. And not much has happened since. The plan to set up branches of Sanskriti in every state capital remains a pipe dream.