It was almost 40 years earlier that the idea of Blue Bell found roots. The wheels of the time that eventually yielded the foundation of Blue Bell were set in motion in the mid-1970s by a matrimony that brought a young, energetic woman from cosmopolitan Calcutta to a small town in rural Uttar Pradesh. Driven by agency and aspiration to achieve something more from life, and perhaps in a bid to shake the despair of adjusting to life in a listless ‘in the middle of nowhere’ town, she had an idea of starting a school that would feed her sense of self and lend her a purpose in life. 

 

The story of the foundation of Blue Bell is, in essence, the story of its founders – Mrs. Malvika Dube, who dreamed to build a school and her father in-law, Dr. Ram Tirth Dube, who bravely stood by his daughter in-law. The idea of starting a school was novel at the time. It faced a serious challenge from rigid patriarchal social values that, if not completely censured, discouraged women to work by stepping out of their homes. In the face of such social constraints, the seed of a school may not have yielded the blooming tree that is Blue Bell today if Dr. Ram Tirth Dube had not extended his support to the foundation of the school. It is in recognition of his inspirational values and leadership that Dr. Ram Tirth Dube’s name is memorialized by its inclusion in the title of the institution itself. 

 

An accomplished medical doctor by profession, Dr. Ram Tirth Dube was a pioneer in the field of education at a time when this city lacked resources to educate its children. In his efforts, he really went against the grain of time by choosing to empower a woman to dream of a career, by believing in her vision, and enabling her to pursue her goals. By lending his weight to this audacious venture, he rose above the confines of the narrow social values of that period. He was a man of considerable literary pursuits – a fact borne by the large library of Hindi and English literature left behind by him which is now a part of the literary corpora in the Blue Bell school library. A native Hindi language speaker, Dr. Ram Tirth Dube emphasized the value of the mother-tongue coupled with English language learning in the education of children. His dedicated service in the fields of education and health, and belief in progressive values to bring about social change continue to guide Blue Bell as it enters another year of educating a new generation of pupils.