Elocution competition

Roshni Mogal of Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Parsee Charitable Institution (BJPCI) bagged the second prize of Rs 3,000 while Natasha Bana of Alexandra Girls’ English Institution who came third took home a prize of Rs 2,000 at the Fourth M. R. Pai Inter School Elocution contest held on January 26, 2008 at the Indian Merchants’ Chamber, informs Marzban Giara in a write-up sent to Parsiana.

Every year the Forum of Free Enterprise celebrates Annual Youth Day on Republic Day by conducting the finals of Inter School and Inter Collegiate Elocution contests. This year the contest, sponsored by Godrej Industries Limited, had as many as 647 participants from 60 schools taking part.

Perhaps for the first time students from as many as four Parsi schools — the Alexandra Girls’ English Institution, the BJPCI, the Dadar Parsee Youths Assembly (DPYA) High School and Girton High School — reached the finals out of the nine schools that were represented. Those under the false impression that Parsi schools are not among the best should note that some of the most successful Indians are products of these institutions, Giara feels. Anil Kakodkar, present chairman of India’s Atomic Energy Commission and Vikram Pandit, CEO of Citibank are both products of Dadar’s DPYA High School.

In the 43rd A. D. Shroff Memorial Inter Collegiate Elocution Contest 35 colleges took part, but there were no Zoroastrian students who reached the final round.

"There is a preponderance of lady participants — 11 out of 16. The speeches were rich in content, forcefully delivered with passion,” said Bombay Parsi Punchayet chairman and president of the Forum of Free Enterprise Minoo Shroff in his concluding remarks. He congratulated all the participants, parents, principals and teachers. The Forum of Free Enterprise also conducts leadership training camps for youths at the Leslie Sawhney Centre at Deolali.