Anju Dheman

Chasing the Horizon

The quest for dreams and success may seem endless, but the journey towards them makes all the difference in the world

-ByAnn Tissa Pallickal

A true passion for teaching that still burns bright and the will to find time to teach despite the demands of administration… This fire was kindled years ago …Family lineage… That’s how it all began for Anju Dheman, the Principal of Fahaheel Al-Watanieh Indian Private School (FAIPS-DPS). Between her grandfather, who rose from being a biology professor to becoming the Principal, and her mother, who was a teacher, it was hardly surprising that Mrs Dheman decided to enter the teaching profession too, like most of her family.

As one who lives by the Urdu couplet ‘ Who says sky is the limit / There is a world beyond the sky, ’ she firmly believes in daring to dream and having the will to chase after those dreams. She recalls her uncle’s mother – a woman widowed at the age of 16 during the pre-Partition days; a woman who lost her husband to police firing and all of a sudden had to fend for herself and her unborn child, without much education to shield her as she had only completed 5th Std.

And yet, this lady rose to her feet. She gave birth to a little boy who she raised all alone as she had never remarried, completed her education, got a job and did her Post Graduation. She did all this in a world where oppression of women was rampant, a world where widows were shunned and ostracised.

She sought the strength to stand on her feet and so, she turned down her father’s offer of help saying, “ If you have to help me, help me stand on my feet. Help me acquire so much capability that I don’t have to extend a borrowing hand. If I have to extend a hand, let it be a helping hand. ”

She had never been one to let obstacles conquer her. She retired as the principal of a Government school. ‘ A person who had the guts to rewrite the rules of the society has been my inspiration ’, says Anju Dheman, in awe of this woman’s tremendous grit and courage. It is these qualities that Mrs Dheman wants her students to imbibe. And in her teachers, the qualities she looks for are open-mindedness and the willingness to learn. She says, “ Times always change… If we don’t change, we would stay behind.”

FAIPS-DPS has come a long way since Anju Dheman took its reins… With 4600 students who are guided towards the fulfilment of a collective vision by their Principal and teachers, FAIPS stands out. Mrs Dheman attributes this success to the teachers and students who have “ taken the institution forward. ” 

A school is successful when it enables students to face life head on and for that, Anju Dheman says “ There is no home-made theory, no add salt to taste theory when it comes to preparation for life. ” Sound education will take you a long way, but that alone will not do. It is by building the strength of character that one becomes equipped with the ability to take the world on and climb its ladders. And so, the school makes a special effort to instil confidence, values, humility, focus…

She feels that the world is often so dazzled by the toppers that they are blind to the average ones who mount obstacles to reach the top. “ In real life, there is so much multi-tasking, so we look at individuals’ ability to handle different jobs with equal efficiency. ” Sometimes, academics solely cannot make the cut.  The qualities that hurl you to the top are sustained hard work, the ability to think out of the box and clarity of purpose in life.

She stated, “ A topper will make the medicine. An average person will sell the medicine to millions of people and make money for the company. A topper will spend the money on research. ”  Aside, from academic and holistic development, Mrs Dheman knows full well that co-curricular excellence means far more than people are aware of. The school makes every effort to help its students grow however they can, in the belief that having a degree is what will land you a job, but it is one’s skills that determine one’s performance on the job, and in turn, one’s future progression.

When it comes to her stand on the use of technology in academics, she says resolutely, “ Let us not be slaves to technology! ” She believes that it should only serve as an aid to the benefit of mankind. She seeks a world that is connected through verbal words, instead of Wi-Fi.

Her vision for FAIPS-DPS is a dream that she wants to see stand through the test of time. “ When a child leaves this school, I want the child to leave with happy memories. And as and when he turns around, he must say with a smile, ‘Hey, that was my school! That is where I learned. That is where I grew. Whatever I am, a part of it I owe to this institution, my teachers... ’

She wants her students to have such a lovely learning experience at FAIPS-DPS that her dream is far-reaching. “When an alumni walks in with his or her child’s admission, someone you had taught 10 years ago… somewhere down the line,” she says with a joyous grin “it symbolizes that we’ve done a job quite well.”

As a principal, Anju Dheman is grateful that she has never faced an actual dilemma, but she assures, most emphatically, that if and when she comes face-to-face with a dilemma, it is the interest of the institution and that of the children which will forever prevail – indomitable, never allowed to subordinate to anyone’s individual ambition.

It is this very same conviction that she displays in her life. She started Dr Ruhi Foundation School, a true beacon of hope for many a differently abled child, as a beautiful tribute to her daughter, Ruhi, who departed this life far too early. She says that this has only been a small beginning, but she hopes to take the school a long way to give these children the opportunity that they too deserve in life. “ Who says that a dhobi’s child has to be a dhobi? ” she questions.

With unwavering resolve, she seeks to extend to them a right that the Indian Constitution asserts: Equalization of Opportunity. These children are no less than anyone and given the chance, they bloom with splendour. She is so very happy with the way these children are shaping up. Now schooling 130 children, she says there is great joy in knowing that, howsoever miniscule the school is, they are still trying to make a difference. She says, “ This is how I keep my child alive. ” She is the chosen hand who carries out her daughter’s wish, and in doing so, she finds solace and strength.

How one perceives the world, or even the simplest of things, can mean so much. Anju Dheman sees her favourite colour, blue, as a symbol of two things which are limitless – the sky and the sea. The sky serves as a reminder that the ‘sky is the limit’ and urges one to ‘look beyond the sky’, while the sea speaks of its vast expanse. 

In her sight, they take on a third dimension. Where both these blues seem to meet, the third dimension is born – the horizon.  And even if one tries to chase the horizon, it remains unattainable. The beauty of it lies in the fact that “as we strive for perfection, we may not achieve it, but with every step taken, we inch closer to it.” In this way, the quest for dreams and success may seem endless, but the journey towards them makes all the difference in the world.

This is why she says, “ Dare to dream, howsoever foolish it may seem, for it is these dreams which are converted into reality. When we dream something that seems impossible, people call it foolish, but when something tangible or concrete comes out of it, they say ‘Wow…’” And so, she urges, “Don’t stop dreaming. Don’t stop working hard for your dreams, for only fools dream without the hard work.” There are times though, when chasing after your dream leads you to innumerable confrontations with rough patches that thwart you.

Times so tough that it just seems so much easier to quit and put that dream back to sleep, safe within the confines of your mind… It’s in moments like these that you need a reminder as to why you shouldn’t relent. And so, Anju Dheman ends her message with one such reason – a beautiful quote by Robert Frost; a thought to reiterate to oneself:  “ The woods are lovely, dark and deep, / But I have promises to keep, / And miles to go before I sleep, / And miles to go before I sleep. ”

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