Madras HC judge helps transform British-era ‘stage’ into an open auditorium at Government Boys School in Ranipet

For years, a small brick floor in the 1867-built Government Boys Higher Secondary School at Vannivedu village near Walajah town served as an open auditorium for students to receive trophies and medals during annual sports day events.

That was until Justice M. Nirmal Kumar, Judge, Madras High Court, stepped in to give a new lease of life to the century-old structure by renovating it into a full-fledged open auditorium for school events.

The effort to renovate it was meant as a tribute to his late father, V. Murugesan, an alumnus, to mark his centenary birthday celebrations. “A new bicycle parking for students, an arch at the school’s entrance and renovation of the floor are among a few things suggested for his contribution. Justice Mr. Kumar chose the old structure for renovation,” M. Satish Kumar, headmaster In-charge, told The Hindu.

School authorities said that it was believed that Mahatma Gandhi delivered a speech standing on the floor during his visit to the town in the 1940s when the freedom movement was intense in the region.

Since then, the floor is fondly referred to as ‘Gandhiji’s stage’ by local Congressman and residents. It could have been a major reason for Justice Mr. Kumar to choose the old floor for a makeover.

On Sunday, Justice Mr. Kumar inaugurated the renovated open auditorium in the presence of Collector J.U. Chandrakala, M. Selvam, Principal District Judge, Asra Garg, Inspector General of Police (IGP), North Zone, M. Mohana, Chief Educational Officer (CEO), Ranipet SP P. Sibin, S. Thirupurasundari, Executive Engineer (EE), PWD.

“Education is the biggest wealth that cannot be taken away from us. My father always believed in it and ensured that we get quality education,” Justice Mr. Kumar said.

School authorities said that Mr. Murugesan did his initial years of schooling between 1936 and 1942 before he migrated to the then Madras where he retired as Additional Director (AD), Department of Cooperatives.

Among noted alumni are former Indian President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who studied in the late 19th century, and Tamil scholar Mu. Varatharasanar whose novel “Agal Vilakku” won him Sahitya Akademi award, and V.S. Sampath, who served as Chief Election Commissioner of India (CEC) between 2012-2015.

Spread over 357.23 sq.ft, the open auditorium, which was built by PWD, is 2.5 ft in height and 4.1 metres wide. The structure’s original length of five metres was extended to eight metres to provide more durability and space for public events. On an average, 15 persons can perform in the renovated facility.

LED lighting was provided to conduct functions in the evenings. Of a total of ₹9.70 lakh, Justice Mr. Kumar contributed ₹8 lakh from his family fund with the remaining was mobilised through CSR. Staircases and ramps for persons with disabilities were also provided for easy access.