The March of the Army without Arms – Firdausul Hasan

Even as I write this piece, millions of students are attending their classes is innumerable campuses around the world. Students, who will go on to acquire their degrees, only to move on with their lives. Their graduation, acting as the proverbial snapping of the umbilical cord that tied them to their colleges, as it were. Over time, the bonds that tie them today to their campuses will weaken, fond memories consigned to some cob webbed corner of the mind.

Cut to Room # 5 of the St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata and a completely different, pleasant picture emerges. For, the room is the command center of what is known as the SXCCAA – the alumni association of the college. For, it is from this room that ex-students of the college are spearheading a movement that is at once unique and an example for others to follow.

What makes Xaverians who pass out from the portals of this institution come back time and again? How are Xaverians different from the million other students around the world? Why are Xaverian ties so strong that they proudly boast that “you can take me out of Xavier’s but you cannot take Xavier’s out of me”? Why do men and women from different walks of life and from different strata of society congregate to strengthen an alumni movement that is simply put, peerless?

The answers are not far to seek. As Reverend Father Dr. J.Felix Raj.SJ, the Principal of the College and the President of the Alumni Association explained, “there is a very fundamental difference that sets St. Xavier’s College apart. We are not in the business of imparting academic education. On the contrary, we are here to create better human beings. Every Xaverian, wherever he or she may be, is therefore a part of a bigger being, tied together by a value system that transforms them into “men and women for others”. It is this humble desire to give back to the alma mater and the society of which we are a part that urges Xaverians to come back, charged with a zeal to serve.”

It will not be out of context to mention here the fact that the Alumni movement in SXC is not merely an old-boy’s get to gather. The alumnus has been in the forefront – pooling its resources for the college and has taken bold steps to reach out to the distressed and the ailing. The work it has done in the tsunami ravaged villages, its initiatives to help women attain self sufficiency, and various other initiatives stand testimony to its intentions.

Another notable feature of the SXCCAA is the way it has spread, bearing the light of knowledge, that successive generations of Jesuit fathers have ignited impressionable minds with. Apart from Chapters in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore that cover the corners of India, the movement has spread to Bangkok, Singapore, Dubai and London with Dhaka and Las Vegas waiting to be added in 2012.

“For those of us settled out of Kolkata, SXCCAA is an unique platform, not only to keep our nostalgic ties with our roots, but also to network with fellow Xaverians all the while having the inner pleasure of knowing that we are part of something, constructive, something positive” said Hunaid Topiwala, convener of the Bangalore Chapter of the Association.

Another notable achievement has been the Beyond Boundaries – annual convention of global Xaverians. The first Chapter was organized in Bangkok in 2010 which was a huge success with a contingent of Xaverians alighting in Thailand to chart the way forward with active participation of Xaverians in the neighboring countries.

Beyond Boundaries II was organized close in the heels in Dubai with participating Xaverians from the middle-east renewing their bonds of fraternity with about 150 Xavierians from India. The high point of the festivities was the Global Xaverian Award which was given out to Goutam Mohan Chakravorty, IPS for his distinguished service to the nation and to Pawan Ruia for almost single handedly putting India in the global auto ancillary map. The event also witnessed the Xaverian Resolve to build the twin-tower hostel project, literally brick by brick, with assembled Xaverians each buying one or more bricks to help fund the project.

“We function at various levels” said G.P Gupta, the Senior Vice President of the Association, “and such fund raisers are one of the ways we try and help meet the growing needs of our alma mater. Besides, the overseas exposures not only help build bridges but also serve as a vehicle to reach out and touch the lives of friends who miss the warmth of home and hearth.”

“We are Xaverians. We do not seek self gratification but are here to serve” said Snehasis Sur, Past Secretary. “What sets us apart is our humility, even when we chant the mantra of Nihil Ultra – Nothing Beyond. For, we believe that nothing is beyond us, no obstacle big enough to look insurmountable before us.”

Three Chief Ministers, a Noble Lauriat, a beer baron, the world’s biggest steel maker, ministers, industrialists, academicians, professionals, cricket’s captain courageous – the SXC has been a steady source of men and women who have held the reigns in their respective fields. But before the loving fathers and in the presence of their own they remain simple, yet pure, Xaverians. That is why Pawan Ruia, the takeover tycoon the world has come to revere becomes visibly emotional when recognized by the Alumni – “there can be no greater honour than this one as it is a recognition by my family. The little that I have achieved is because of you and you overwhelm me honouring me for all that you have helped me accomplish.”

That then is what makes the Alumni what it is – men and women, super achievers all, tied by a desire to serve, to conquer impossibility with a smile of humility.

(Firdausul Hasan is the General Secretary of the SXCCAA)