Hermineh Adamyan

To foreigners, India seems like a land of wonders. The country has a rich culture but it is impossible not be disillusioned in India. Here, you witness representations of all the various historical time periods – primitive lifestyle, monuments from the Middle Ages, and the legacy of modern day social and political thought and the latest values of cutting edge scientific achievements.

They say that foreigners in India cry two times. The first is from culture shock when they enter the country and the second is when they set out to return to their country of origin but don’t wish to leave India. I think that I have gotten over the culture shock stage. I walk the streets and no longer notice everything surrounding me. It’s the only way. We Armenians here know that we can always return to the cozy confines of the Armenian College whose students call it the cleanest place in Calcutta. It would be good to give a short description regarding how the school was founded. The Armenian Philanthropic Academy was founded in 1821 in the West Bengali regional capital of Calcutta. In comparison, Calcutta’s college was founded in 1857 The Armenian College has had its ups and downs over the years and even was on the verge of shutting down. Today, it is experiencing a rebirth of sorts. In 1999, the Mother See of Etchmiadzin assumed administration of the school and later on Catholicos Garegin II dismissed Mrs. Sonia John, the Manager of the College for her unsatisfactory academic supervision and hindering development of the school. The modern period of the school starts at this point and it’s definitely on the right track today. It quickly became clear that during the term of Sonia John many violations had taken place. From a legal viewpoint, the Mother See only has the right to administer the school. It is the Indian government who is the legal owner. For some inexplicable reason the Armenian churches in Bengal and the academy were sold to the government at a pittance. Later on, two buildings on the academy’s grounds were rented to some unidentified individuals. During the administration of Mrs. Sonia John, the academy forfeited most of its reputation. “Hetq” has frequently covered the situation of the Academy and readers can read the following for supplemental information. (“Armenian children are neglected in Calcutta”,  “Armenian children are neglected in Calcutta – 2”, “Financial misappropriations at the Armenian College of Calcutta”, “The Lives of Armenian Children are in Danger in Calcutta”) Today, the Academy is attempting to regain some of its former prestige under the auspices of the Mother See. Very Reverend Father Khoren Hovhannisyan, the new manager, places great emphasis on improving the quality of education at the school. It is an issue that the College faces. The Armenian College has a ten year curriculum and doesn’t hand out high school diplomas. It did in the past. Classes are taught in English. Armenian language and literature classes as well as Armenian history and music are part of the curriculum. 11th and 12th grade students attend other schools and the transfers are facilitated by the College administration. The school is now trying to regain its former status as a high school which would eliminate a host of bureaucratic and academic wrangling and would allow students to complete their high school education at the one site. Those students completing twelve years of high school can go on to college. The Academy takes care of the academic expenses and gets waivers for military service. Today, the school has sixty students and there are plans to increase the number. This has been put on temporary hold until a new girls’ dormitory is built. The present building is in disrepair and cannot serve as suitable housing for new students. The school’s classrooms and cafeteria have been renovated. The gymnasium is state of the art. The Academy is co-ed, even though there is a mistaken notion that it’s an all male school. The daily academic schedule is quite precise. Students wake up at 5:30 am. They don’t change the clocks in India during the summer and winter. Right now, Indian time is a mere half hour ahead of Armenia. Students awake, do their morning exercises, shower and have breakfast. At 8:00 am there is joint prayer and the Academy anthem is sung. Classes begin at 8:10 am. Students and teachers sit down together for lunch at 2:00 pm. Students also have rest periods and can take a dip in the school’s pool to relax. Students can also join the school’s choir and band. The choir also sings at Sunday church services. The school’s rugby and football teams are well known in the city. An important repository of Armenian literature, the Ararat Library, is also located at the school. Sadly, most of the books have been damaged over time due to neglect and indifference. Computers linked to the internet are also available to students at the library on a limited basis. The library also subscribes to a number of local newspapers. The 188 year-old institution is equipped with all the necessary teaching facilities. Given that students come from Iran, Iraq and Armenia, there is a language problem. The students joke that they have come up with a new language; a mixture of Armenian, Persian, Arabic and Indian. As an Armenian history teacher I sometimes have a tough time in presenting the subject material. Often, I am forced to come up with several synonyms for just one word. Students here find the textbooks from Armenia to be more than they can handle and it’s a problem that teachers of Armenian studies always confront. This year four professional instructors have been invited from Armenia to teach Armenian language, literature, history and song and dance. This is a ground-breaking step since in the past one instructor taught a combined course in these disciplines. At the initiative of the Catholicos, the school assembly hall is being renovated and will be furnished with air conditioners and other modern facilities. The school will also attempt to regain possession of those buildings it formerly leased. An agreement has already been reached regarding one of these structures. If the Academy manages to succeed in this regard it will go down as the most important achievement in the last 100 years. What property the school has sold off has been a result of the actions of a few petty individuals in the local community who placed personal interest over the well-being of the school.

To be continued