School Days: Mass Drill Period

Mondays in school had a fixed period for Mass Drill; so the neat and tidy white P.T. Uniforms and white canvas shoes were compulsory. If we violated this rule, it invited a punishment. The last 40 minutes of the school hours were allotted to Mass Drill. Students from all the classes used to assemble on the school ground and stand in queue height wise. Boys and girls had different lines. The sessions were mostly taken by Raut Sir (Jitendra Raut) and sometimes by Saroj Mangella teacher and Sonali Churi teacher. There would be a boy to play the drum stroke for count one to eight and reverse. Raut Sir would start with "Parade Savdhaan" and the standing exercises would begin. It included turning the body to right and left and bending down and stretching and hand exercises. As usual many would play pranks and disturb the ones ahead of them and push others out of the line etc etc. Then we had the sitting exercises. We had to sit on the mud so the uniform and shoes were sure to get dirty. While sitting no one would dare to do mischief because they could easily be caught. Here again we had to turn to the right and turn to the left, many hitting the ones ahead of them with palms. The most loved exercises were the ending ones where we had to clap at three four and seven eight. We used to just fly our hands for the last one. Thus we had done for the day and create a task for Moms to wash the muddy uniform and we had to wash the canvas shoes, if not then at least colour it with white chalk.