In this school Gandhigiri is not new

CAPPED WITH LOVE: Students say they sing Gandhi's song to spread the message of communal harmony.

Bhopal: It may have taken a Lage Raho Munnabhai for many to rediscover the values that Mahatma Gandhi stood for. But for students and teachers of a school in Madhya Pradesh, Gandhigiri has been a way of life since 1947.

Students of the Government Primary School in Narsinghpur sing Gandhi's chosen bhajan, Raghu Pati Raghav, every day right after they sing the National Anthem.

It's a ritual of sorts, which has been followed since India gained independence.

Students say they sing Gandhi's song to spread the message of communal harmony. They also willingly wear the Gandhi cap.

"We get mental peace after wearing the Gandhi cap. I have been wearing this to school since I got admission," a student, Bijoy Chaudhary said.

This school is also alma mater to all the teachers. They say the message of truth and non-violence forms the crux of whatever they teach their students.

"Gandhi's philosophy of truth and non-violence is a way of life," a teacher, Anirudh Sharma explained.

Lage Raho Munnabhai may have been successful in coining new words like Gandhigiri and adding to the pop trend of Gandhi T-shirts and mugs. But in Narsinghpur's primary school, the Mahatma and his philosophy have always been a way of life.

http://www.ibnlive.com/