Team breaks record for longest class

BANGALORE: They were worn out and sleepy but no one could have missed the glint of victory in their eyes.
This group of 37 students with their teacher Kathiravan M Pethi had set out to learn the longest lesson on Mahatma Gandhi on October 30. On Monday morning, they broke the Guinness world record of 73 hours and 37 minutes ��� and by 3 pm, they set a new record of 78 hours.
Three days without sleep and continuous interaction on Gandhi have not just won them the record but also transformed their personalities.The students are euphoric about persevering through tough times, while Kadri, their teacher, says he has managed to give his students one of the best gifts. Film maker Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar, counsellor Ali Khwaja and physicians felicitated Kadri and his team.
The team had a tough time because the members have not slept for three days. They were also not allowed to stop talking for more than 30 seconds, which otherwise would have violated the record parameters.
They saved their five-minute breaks per hour and took a break of about 20 minutes twice a day. Some of them started hallucinating due to sleeplessness on Sunday morning but team spirit sustained them.
���The most difficult time was 4 am to 6 am, and many feared that we would give up on Sunday morning. Some of us had blackouts, while some were hallucinating. We did a mock Dandi march in the hall to get over it. Sir was so spirited that we managed to regain some energy,������ said Rajashekhar, a participant.
Jaydeep Ahlawat, a volunteer who has a knee condition, attended the team continuously for 20 hours and said his injury doesn���t matter because the team has won.
Kadri said he realized the importance of Gandhi���s teachings through the experience and he is going to use the lesson as a tool in his training.
���This generation doesn���t know much about Gandhi. He was an ordinary human being with fears and temptations. But he managed to achieve salvation. This process has also transformed us and we know that our limits are very high,������ he said.
Chandrashekhar said he was attending the closing ceremony because Gandhi has great relevance today. ���Gandhi was neither a prophet nor a religious leader but his teachings are unique and practical. Today, when there is so much of violence and terrorism, it is important to revive his teachings,��� he said.