QUEST
A schools’ initiative from The Express Group
Quest is a project conducted by The Indian Express in schools in and around Delhi. It covers more than 50 schools in Delhi and NCR.
Quest aims at stirring awareness and opinions. Today, when all that children see are shopping malls and cineplexes, we at The Indian Express want to show a completely different picture of this city to them. Delhi has changed beyond nostalgia and recognition since Independence. How many of these kids know of the ‘Seven Cities’ of Delhi or the stories of the pigeon fliers of Old Delhi?
The idea behind such an activity is to create awareness about the various structures and monuments that the students do not know about. This is a specially designed programme, which will help the students appreciate the rich culture and background of this city. In association with INTACH and ASI, this is a small effort on our behalf to depict a phase of our national life and the decay of a whole culture, a particular mode of thought and living. The visit is followed by the students sending in articles, pictures, poems, paintings, and collages to express their experiences about the heritage walk.
We invite schools to be a part of this Express Group initiative.
For queries mail to heritagewalks@expressindia.com

THE FIRST WOMAN PM OF INDIA
Indira Gandhi is also known as ‘The Iron Lady of India’.
Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917, in Allahabad. She was the daughter of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Kamla Nehru. She was also the first woman Prime Minister of our country.
She studied at Shanti Niketan and Oxford University, London.
In 1942, she got married to Feroze Gandhi.
In 1966, Indira Gandhi became the Prime Minister of India. She stayed Prime Minister for 17 years. She had two sons — Rajiv and Sanjay.
Indira Gandhi was unfortunately assassinated by her security guards Satwant Singh and Beant Singh on October 31, 1984 after Operation Bluestar was carried out at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
— AKANSHA, VIII-B

PRESERVING NEHRU FAMILY HISTORY
The Indira Gandhi Memorial is a perfect example of interesting history.
We know many historical events about our first woman Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, who was also affectionately called ‘Indu’, but there are many facts still unknown to us.
A visit to the Memorial is a must if one wants to know more about the Gandhi family. The Memorial has many items used by her, as well as her son Rajiv Gandhi, on display. It seemed as if the items, like Gandhi’s study material and Rajiv’s things, were talking to us and telling us about the past.
Indira Gandhi was unfortunately assassinated by her own guards on October 31, 1984. The saree that she was wearing at the time of her assassination has been preserved at the Memorial.
Indira Priyadarshini Nehru was born on November 19, 1917. Her grandmother Swarup Rani wanted a grandson. But her grandfather Motilal Nehru was unbiased towards girls and boys, so she was never differentiated from boys. Her father was Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and mother was Kamla Nehru.
Once, the Nightingale of India, Sarojini Naidu called her “The Soul of India”. She had a keen interest in politics right from her childhood. On March 26, 1942, at the age of 25, she was married to Feroz Gandhi. Her marriage ceremony was held with great simplicity, as per her choice. In 1959, she was chosen as the Head of Congress Committee. Under her leadership, India won the India-Pakistan war in 1971.
The Memorial has many more such anecdotes for us to explore.
— APARNA SINGH, VIII-A

INDIRA GANDHI : ‘THE SOUL OF INDIA’
Indira Gandhi was a woman of power, strength and act. She faced many obstacles in her life with courage and perseverance and never gave up.
Last Thursday, the students of Bharti Public School had an exciting and adventurous trip to The Indira Gandhi Memorial.
For me this trip was full of memories of the Nehru family. I learnt a lot of things over there which I was not aware of before.
Indira Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917, at Anand Bhawan in Allahabad. She had her early education at a well-known school in Delhi — Modern High school.
In 1940, she went for further education to London and stayed there till 1941. After she returned to India, she had a UP Student’s Conference at Kanpur the same year.
After her studies, she got married to Feroze Gandhi in 1942. The transfer of power act was held in New Delhi in August 1947. She had two sons — Rajiv Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi.
Indira, the lady of power, became the Prime Minister of India in 1966. She declared Emergency in the country on June 26, 1975. She also organised an act of safeguarding the environment. In the Shah Commission hearing, she defeated Sanjay, Bansilal, Gokhala and Swaran Singh. She said, “Every man is the architect of his own fortune”.
She was shot by her own security guards in October 31, 1984. I left the Memorial in tears after seeing her sacrifice for the country.
“A man with power and strength is the man of god, she had said.
I was really impressed by her deeds and have made her my role model.
— DIVYA SHARMA, VIII-A