The 1976 batch of the oldest Kendriya Vidyalaya in Kerala recreates the school assembly at their get-together

Nirmala P tied red ribbons on her plaits and checked herself in the mirror once more. Her blue-and-white salwar-kameez was ironed, the white duppatta pinned to her kameez. Then she pinned her badge, pulled up her white socks and was ready to meet her classmates. She boarded the bus with her classmates, and the 66-year-old travelled back in time. She was back in school at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Pattom, in Thiruvananthapuram, the oldest Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) in Kerala.

It was 1976 once more. Thirty students of the batch celebrated the golden jubilee of their passing out from Secondary School. Fifteen men and 15 women travelled to Fragrant Nature Retreat and Resort in Paravur, around 53 kilometres from Thiruvananthapuram, for the occasion. There were people from Australia, Europe and West Asia who flew down to Thiruvananthapuram for the occasion.

Thirty students of 1976 batch of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Pattom, in Thiruvananthapuram, celebrated the golden jubilee of their passing out with the school assembly where they turned up in their school uniforms
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“It was fantastic,” says Ushadevi Muraleedharan, who had travelled from Goa to Thiruvananthapuram for the gathering. With her was her classmate Daisy John. She says once they all got together, the years just fell back.

Then there were people from Prayagraj, Secunderabad and Kochi. Rekha Santhosh says, “It was our classmate Group Captain (retd) Vinod Shankar, a former fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force, who had planned the entire event. He suggested that we recreate the morning assembly we used to have at school.”

So the 30 participants went shopping to buy the uniforms they used to wear in the Seventies. Some of them got it tailored while some were able to buy it from stores that sell uniforms in the city. Vinod bought 30 of the school badges that are in use now as the ones they had used were no longer available.

S Krishnaswamy, who used to be the school leader, laughs when he says that the role of leading the Assembly came back naturally once he faced his classmates.

(From left) Ushadevi Muraleedharan, Daisy John, Beena Kurup, Rema PS and Nirmala P in their school uniforms at the get-together
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Ushadevi and Rema KP recited the prayers and the school pledge. “There was no time for a rehearsal. I was worried since I had not recited the KV prayer after I left school. I had always been a part of the group that used to recite the prayer every day and perhaps it was there in my subconscious. We began the slogan ‘Thamasoma Jyothirgamaya…’ and then everything just fell into place!” Ushadevi exclaims.

Vinod explains that they were the last batch to complete the 10 plus one scheme of the Central Board of Secondary Education.

Adds Vinod, “I was one of the first from the school to fly the fighters. When we were in Class XI, there was some issue at Arya Central School, also at Pattom, and the students who had joined Class XI there were transferred to Kendriya Vidyalaya. So, we were a fairly large batch. In those days, classes in KV were from Class 5 and some of our classmates had studied in Arya from Classes 1 to 4 and joined KV in Class 5. So most of us knew each other.”

Thirty students of 1976 batch of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Pattom, celebrated the golden jubilee of their passing out with a get-together
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Some of the women in the group already had met a few times after they formed a group on WhatsApp. So it was not difficult to recognise each other.

Nirmala says Beena Kurup, a classmate, had been diligently collecting the contacts of her classmates when she was living in Mumbai. “By the time most of our classmates living outside Kerala had come back to Thiruvananthapuram after retirement, we were already in touch with each other. I managed to recognise Sabu John, a classmate I had last seen 50 years ago!”

“But we did need help to identify some of the boys,” admits Rekha. She laughs and adds, “Yes, we still refer to each other as the boys and the girls!”

While Panicker M Philip brought the steel box he used in school, Daisy John had her biology record book
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A few of them had even brought some keepsakes. While Panicker M Philip came with the steel box that he used in school, Daisy had her biology record book with her.

But they all say in one voice that once the introductions were over, the years just got swept away in the flood of reminiscences and stories that followed.

Fourteen spouses also joined the classmates. In the evening, they had a cultural event in which some of the former students showcased their talents.

Thirty students of 1976 batch of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Pattom, celebrated the golden jubilee of their passing out with a get together
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

“It was amazing how all of us could start talking as if we had just met yesterday. The girls in the group used to meet up regularly but this one was special. We had such a gathering in 2012,” says Usha.

With the success of this gathering still fresh in their minds, the former classmates are now planning to catch up more regularly to go back to their school days again.

Published – March 13, 2026 12:19 pm IST