It was a rousing home-coming and a hugely emotional moment for Arundhati Bhattacharya, Chairman, State Bank of India when she visited her alma mater, the Bhilai Steel Plant-run English Medium Middle School, Sector-9 on Friday.
It was a moment of fond recollection for Bhattacharya and an immensely proud moment for the school students, teachers and the entire Bhilai as the most famous and distinguished alumni of EMMS, Sector-9 took time off to visit the school, a primary school way back in 1962, when she had started her schooling.
Accompanying Bhattac-harya were M Ravi, CEO, Bhilai Steel Plant, KT Ajit, Chief General Manager, SBI, Bhopal and senior officers of SBI and Bhilai Steel Plant.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhattacharya said, “50 to 60 years ago, it would have been hard to imagine the kind of growth that Bhilai has achieved. Back then the area was a barren piece of land. On this barren land, Bhilai as a Temple of Modern India was planted. It became a melting pot of various people from all over the country and the cosmopolitan culture that grew in Bhilai is all because of the steel plant”.
Reminiscing of her early days in the school, particularly the day when she sat for the entrance exam to gain admission in the school, she said it was a project school that communicated and inculcated very strong values in the students.
“The kind of grounding that we got was par excellence. It stood us in good stead as we went on to pursue higher learning and in our subsequent careers”.
Speaking of Bhilai and the manner it has grown into a city, “It is something we can all be proud of. I am proud that was part and parcel of this school. It was a growing school that strongly ingrained in us very fundamental values.”
Addressing the students, she said, “You have places to go, your future is bright with the teachers to guide you”.
Upon her arrival, students and teachers welcomed Bhattacharya, who also unveiled a statue of Swami Vivekanand in the school campus. She visited the class-rooms and the school premises.
At the outset, a short film on Bhattacharya, that depicted her school and Bhilai years, was also screened. On viewing the film, Arundhati Bhattacharya commented, “It has touched my heart strings seeing that a lot of effort has been put in finding details about me for making the video-documentary”.
later, Bhattacharya visited the company house in Sector 10 where she lived with her parents. She also addressed and interacted with a cross-section of executives of Bhilai Steel Plant at the Human Resources Development Centre.