The hands of the clock move on, every living moment adds on to the richness of the
part. 'Time and tide wait for no man' – yet, it is in man to make the 'moments'
that comprise life as meaningful as he desires. It is this power which enthused
and spurred the many visionaries who made Delhi Public School Mathura Road, the
parent body which gave birth to virtual fleet of schools. One must remember that
it is not merely a question of numbers. In its long trail DPS Mathura Road (the
only DPS till 1972) has nurtured and contributed in the growth of what then were
merely children, into luminaries in their own right today. Dipsites are everywhere
be it in the field of academics, politics, sports, the creative arts or the file
pushers in the corridors of power.
From a small beginning in the President's Estate in 1941 as Church High School to
Naveen Bharat School in 1947, and finally in 1949 in its present location on Mathura
Road, DPS has traversed a long journey. The birth of a new nation in 1947, was in
a way the beginning of DPS (called Naveen Bharat then). A momentous time in the
history of our nation, when many a beginning was made to fulfill a social, national
need. DPS was not a silent witness to the trials and tribulations of the growing
metropolis, but contributed richly to the growth of the capital, specially academically.
By the 70's the parent DPS was ready to spread its wings. The many off- spring that
followed from R.K. Puram 1972 to the most recent at Mumbai are simple assertions
of the strength that is DPS. Today at the turn of the century, with more than fifty
years behind us and sixty branches, both in India and abroad we are filled with
pride. 1999 is 'a milestone' which needs to be celebrated and remembered with pride.
A pride that stems from a tenacity to over come problems, survive and prosper. Every
member of the DPS family must share this joy today.
This book is a collection of contributions by our ex-students, the Dipsites and
the teaching faculty – pillars on which rest the growth of any social order. It
is an effort to capture time in a few pages. We do not attempt to recount the history
of this great exercise in growth and learning. Through these little trips down memory
lane, we hope to capture the very essence of life at DPS in the last six decades
(from the 40's to the 90's). It is a celebration of times gone by – a romance, recalling
many precious moments.
Deeply grateful and indebted are we to each and every Dispsite and member of the
staff who spared their valuable time to look back, reminisce and reflect on their
days in school. As the reader goes through the coming pages – the name of many Dipsites
and members of the staff will bring back the past. Each incident certainly adds
on to the richness of living.
In a short period of two months, we have attempted to contact as many Dipsites and
ex – staff members as possible, by post and telephone. The eagerness of the early
batches was suitably matched by the enthusiasm of the 90's. Some promised to respond
and never did; others lived up to unspoken promises.
The book carries all the contributions received by us; except those which reached
us a little too late. We apologize for our inability to include them in the book.
A sincere effort has been made to present the contributions in their original form.
Each contribution is an individual's perception of the past and must be read in
that spirit. Keeping the length and focus of the book in mind, occasionally we were
forced to edit the writings of our contributors. The contributions have been interspersed
with photographs which tell own tale.
We thank the authorities, specially our Principal Mr. M.I Hussain, for giving us
his support and encouragement. We are beholden to the Principal for placing his
trust and faith in us.
Our thanks also goes to every member of the staff at Mathura Road. Deeply grateful
are we to Mrs. M. Jalil (Senior School Librarian) a great resource person, for her
involvement. Our special thanks to Rajni Dhingra (English Department) and Ritu Khurana
(Social Science Department) for helping us in more ways than one. Deeksha Khera's
(Physics Department) accessing of the internet was an invaluable help. The Souvenir
brings together Dipsites from various walks of life. Their writing recreates the
years gone by in a rich nostalgic tone.
Dwelling in the past, we are full of hope for the future – for in the words of Robert
Browning –
'Grow old along with me'
'The best is yet to be.............'