Pride of parents! No kidding

The brilliance and achievement of US born and bred Indian kids has long been a stellar factoid about the Indian community, writes Meeta Chaitanya.

The brilliance and achievement of US born and bred Indian kids has long been a stellar factoid about the Indian community; one that is subtly acknowledged by their peers and elders.

An endorsement of the scholarly accomplishments of Indian American kids can be cited unambiguously by a cursory visit to local schools- where young Indian scholars find their name mentioned on the monthly honour rolls put up in the school corridors regularly.

In Atlanta and neighbouring areas as Marietta, Smyrna, Kennesaw etc some children belong to families staying in the US for a specified period of time, which ranges from under five years to a flexible stretch. Undoubtedly, such academic merit for children in transit, ad infinitum so to speak is worthy of note.

Parents have in fact observed on numerous occasions that the fundamental education received by children up to grade 5 in India is incomparable in substance and standard, equipping kids therefore to undertake any kind of transition with ease.

Similarly, for children of Indian origin born in the US, the necessary environment for education and holistic personality development is well provided by parents who essentially belong to a culture that assigns a lot of importance to education. Given a backdrop where even to get married one should be a 'graduate at least'; it isn't surprising to see kids meander into graduate and post-graduate courses unflinchingly.

What sets NRI kids apart however is, their participation beyond the simple rigors of routine homework and school take-away in order to absorb and exude the culture of their country, and thus their individuality in the variegated American landscape.

The so called extra-curricular activities here have become an integral part of the Indian kids' education. From learning classical music, to dance, to folk theatre, art and crafts to yoga, the spectrum is as wide as it is diverse. Interestingly, even parents encourage their children to enrol in classes and courses that focus primarily on some aspect of their own heritage.

Seeing the enthusiasm of youngsters, many activities are organized regularly as avenues for the display of their excellence. The Maharashtra Mandal of Atlanta, for instance has worked its Diwali theme around kids and their activities. Various dance academies in the like the Atlanta Association of Bharatanatyam have zealous batches of children as avid students who present their act at annual functions, organised by an equally receptive community.

Of special note and mounting popularity in this regard is the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh's endeavour, Balagokulam. This programme, catering to kids beginning with 5-year-olds has an array of immensely significant cultural initiatives including recitation of shlokas, bhajans, reviving stories of lore, revisiting traditional Indian games, participative field trips, engaging folk drama, and sewa activities. In the true spirit of 'vidya daan' (imparting knowledge) most of these activities are free of charge.

True to the its name, Balagokulam, the initiative provides an ambience humbly akin to the one that Lord Krishna had in his childhood at Gokul, and works to ignite the spark of divinity manifest in childhood alone. Although it remains a programme sponsored and supported by the HSS and thus, propagates principles enshrined in the Hindu philosophy, by incorporating ideals of unity and harmony it overreaches itself enveloping universal guidelines, imperative for a child's development.

In a poll conducted by webzine NRI online, a vast majority of Indians (almost 65 per cent of respondents) felt that their Indian identity was strengthened by their NRI experience. These very people are the kind who have consistently encouraged their kids to partake of the Indian experience, and whose kids are doing them proud.

For, in the person of these children who are taking on more than the language challenge this successful unity within duality is indeed laudable. From the derided 'ABCD' phenomenon they are now torchbearers of their civilisation abroad, symbiotically imbibing a value system that sets them apart in a world of homogeneity.