March - Jamshedpur Jesuits

keeps him occupied distributing application forms for KG admission. The thatched roof and lack
of facilities have not kept the people away – more applications have been sold than last year!
The Parish welcomed Somy with dance and songs. He offered his first Mass in the parish on 1st
February, along with Greg, the PP.
St. Paul Miki parish had its Feast Day celebrations on the 8th of February. After the solemn Mass
by the PP, the parishioners prepared a „bara khana‟ and shared the joy of the feast. Somy moves
out to the villages to offer Mass, to meet people and to get better acquainted with the culture and
language. Bene has takes his pastoral duties more seriously these days. In the first week of
February, he was away in Jhinkpani parish preaching a retreat in the villages for about 10 days. In
the last week of February also he went to preach two3-day retreats.
- Somy Mathew
DNS, Digwadih
The much awaited KG results were out on 14 th Feb. While the selected students are being
admitted to the school, the parents of the not-so-lucky ones are still visiting the campus
with the faint hope of getting an appointment to see the Principal, George Fernandes.
The recent fee hike-created much publicity about our DNS schools. In the context of the
implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission, the tuition and annual fees were raised to
meet the proposed salary structure of the staff of our schools. But a group of parents
reacted violently against this fee-hike. They held ugly demonstrations and locked up the
school-gates of a few schools, whereby preventing the entry of the students and the staff
into the school premises. Some political parties and students‟ unions also joined with
these parents against the fee-hike in order to reap some political-religious advantage of
the situation. The officials of the civil administration were not at all prompt in
maintaining law and order when trouble started in our schools. They seem to be very
passive in their attitude towards the private schools. Hence, on February 3 rd , the teachers
of the private schools held a peaceful demonstration before the District Education
Department in protest against the “loose statements” made by the DEO and then
proceeded to D.C‟s office to submit a memorandum. Bro. Amalraj accompanied the
Digwadih teachers in this demonstration. George Fernandes and George Thana
attended all the emergency meetings of the principals of the private schools to take stock
of the situation and to formulate appropriate action plan.
De Nobili School, Bhuli, is all set ready to start the session towards the end of March. All
the classrooms in the ground floor are ready and the interior decor of the office is going
on.
The Jharkhand Board Exam began on 21 st Feb. Our students are appearing for their
exams in one of the centres in Jharia. In the past, there used to be a big rush for KG
admissions to the Hindi School. But in recent years there‟s been a noticeable drop. If it
continues, what would be the fate of the Hindi school?
The ISC practical exams have already started. George Thana, as Inspector of ISC/ICSC
exams, visits the different exam centres of the coal belt while Kosga, is the supervising
Examiner of the ISC exams in the main school.