Manmohan Singh was the chief guest at The Telegraph School Awards for Excellence in 2003, nine months before he became Prime Minister.
Singh had arrived 45 minutes before the event was scheduled to start and was apologetic for having landed so early, said one of the organisers.
The 2003 awards were held, like most years, on the last Saturday of August. Singh was anointed the country’s Prime Minister on May 22, 2004.
He had no airs about him, came across as very humble and handed over the School of
the Year award, said the organiser.
“We thought that as chief guest, he would, like many chief guests, come just a few minutes before the start or come late. But Dr Singh came early and he was almost apologetic for coming early,” said Barry O’Brien, founder-convener of the awards and trustee, The Telegraph Education Foundation.
“As I was walking in, I saw him, sort of alone, accompanied by one of the organisers of The Telegraph School Awards for Excellence. The first thing that struck me was that he looked so humble. He turned out to be even more humble than he looked,” said O’Brien.
Among those who had the opportunity to get up close with Singh at the awards is Terence Ireland, the principal of St James’ School then and now.
Ireland told Metro on Friday that Singh murmured a few words to him off the microphone.
“Must be a proud day for you and your school,” he said in a lowered voice as he was giving away the award.
“Going up on the stage to receive the award and to be able to shake hands with him has been a memorable moment for me. We were asked not to carry our cameras,” said Ireland.
“At the award ceremony that year, cameras were not allowed. There were no smart phones. The only picture I have is what I saw published in The Telegraph,” he said.
St James’ School and Don Bosco Park Circus were the recipients of the School of the Year award.
“He was not the Prime Minister but he was a noted person. I found him to be very soft and humble, unassuming and simple,” said Ireland.
O’Brien felt that The Telegraph School Awards made a mark on Singh.
“The school awards moved him, specially the way it reaches out to out to those less fortunate... bringing children, schools and teachers from far-flung districts and honouring them on the same stage as well-known schools or schools that are more visible in Calcutta — that really struck him. Having accomplished so much, he was so down to earth,” said O’Brien.