Archbishop of Nagpur, Elias Gonsalves presenting former Solicitor General of India, Adv Harish Salve a portrait as a gift of honour.
Staff Reporter :
“I still dream of the school, I still dream of the moments (I) spent here,” says former Solicitor General of India and alumnus of SFS High School Adv Harish Salve as he graces the school’s 155-year Jubilee as chief guest on Friday.
“Treat your dreams as visions of your future, not as your fantasies; chase them relentlessly but never let your feet lift the ground.” These were the words of advice addressed to the students by eminent jurist Adv Harish Salve, former Solicitor General of India, who illuminated the dais as Saint Francis de Sales (SFS) High School celebrated its 155-year Jubilee in the school’s premises, on Friday.
Adv Salve, who is an alumnus of SFS High School of the class of 1972, was invited as the chief guest along with his wife Trina Akbar. Most Revered Elias Gonsalves, Archbishop of Nagpur; Fr Anthony D’Souza, Vicar General; and Fr Prashant, Principal, SFS also were present at the event alongside many ex-students of the school.
In his speech during the event, Nagpur native Adv Harish Salve expressed how emotional he was coming back to the school where he once played cricket and faced former Principal Fr Morris’ cane. “So many memories! You spend eleven years of your life here, morning to evening. A place where your parents got rid of you and you became the problem of the teachers. And if you posed too much of a problem then you were treated by Fr Morris’ cane,” Adv Salve reminisced.
Adv Salve further said, “Little did I know when I last entered this room in March 1972 for my higher secondary exams that I would move away not only from Nagpur but also from India.” He went on to become a Senior Counsel at the Delhi High Court and was a part of many landmark.
He was recently appointed as King’s Counsel for the courts of England and Wales.
Adv Salve spoke at length about the values that he acquired during his time at SFS High School.
Addressing the crowd of students, he said, “Afflict yourselves with patient restlessness. Life takes its time but rewarded you would be.
Never give up, be restless but at the same time, learn patience.” He advised students to be their own ‘trenchant critique’, an advise that he himself received from his guru and law stalwart Adv Nani Palkhiwala.
Adv Salve said, “Confidence and ego sometimes look the same, taste the same, and smell the same. However, one is nourishing and other is debilitating. Be confident.” He emphasised that ‘honesty’ and ‘self-respect’ are two invaluable virtues that makes one as rich as anybody.
Adv Salve cautioned students to not waste time in inventing what had already been invented. “Master the art of emulating whom you consider great. Believe me, originality is overrated. Do not waste time re-inventing the wheel.
Read about great people ...who have shaped humanity. Work hard, remember, people have died of all sorts of disease but I have never heard anybody dying of hard work,” he said.
“We can move away to far away lands; our life takes us to places which we never thought we would be visiting, let alone
living in. But, your dreams
always bring you back home. I still dream of the school, I still dream of the moments (I) spent here,” said the former Solicitor General of India.
Archbishop Elias Gonsalves also delivered a speech in which he lauded the entire staff for the efforts in educating children. He remarked that Catholic education should be dynamic and should inculcate a strong sense of values in students as it did in the case of Adv Salve.
The event was compered by the students of SFS High School.