For Chinmay Bhatt!

Yesterday, my nephew Chinmay (Ravi) Bhatt went to
US for higher studies.  This is beginning
of a new phase in the family as he is the first among us to fly abroad for
higher education. What makes his endeavor special is the fact that he has got
admission in a very reputed university despite having studied in vernacular
i.e. Gujarati Medium. To me, this is important fact to highlight as there is a
trend in new-age Gujarati parents to choose English medium over Gujarati, with a
sole argument of better prospects of English medium students in higher
education.

Medium of instruction is, as the name aptly
indicates, just a medium and in itself cannot guarantee better
learning.  Learning is amalgamation of
many other factors, apart from medium of instruction. This is more relevant in the scenario wherein the teachers, especially in primary schools, themselves are not proficient
in English communicative abilities.

Increasingly, I come across young minds struggling
with clarity of thinking and expression thereof. I put most of the blame on
their struggle in dealing with multiple languages in early years of their life.
Many Gujarati houses that I visit these days have almost like fashion of using
random English words while talking to young children. The kids, who are yet to
develop the very concept of language, grow with this jumbled vocabulary of at
least three languages viz. Hindi, English and Gujarati.  So, when it comes to communicating in any
particular language, most of them feel crippled.  This is especially true in expression of
thoughts, emotions, and ideas beyond curriculum.

I am proud of one aspect of my childhood i.e.
extensive reading. I studied in Gujarati medium and used to spend lot of time
reading variety of things, all throughout my growing years. That has helped me
develop sizeable vocabulary. When later in my life, I focused on improvement in
English, I found it easier to learn. As I mostly knew my thought, emotions, and
ideas in Gujarati and I needed to look for exact words in English. A good
dictionary and thesaurus was so very helpful in striving to locate newer words
to translate Gujarati expression into English. Most of my thinking now happens
in English too and I, without any hesitation, give the credit to extensive
reading and purity of language that I had in my childhood years.

Ravi’s father – Hemant (Rajubhai) Bhatt - was
eldest in our generation. Rajubhai chartered a new path in early nineties and
moved out of Bhavnagar in search of better career prospects. Till then, our families were Bhavngar-centric and Bhavnagar-bound. We, the younger
lot of the cousins, followed him when time was right for us to fly high. Some of us, like me, went out of Gujarat for
higher studies as well as better jobs. Now, the next generation i.e. Ravi
is flying abroad and setting examples for his generation of siblings and cousins to follow. That is
indeed upward and forward movement of development over time. I am proud of
Ravi, not only because he has secured admission in well-reputed US university, but
because he has done it a) without having English medium schooling, b) by securing
good scores in competitive exams of technical and language proficiencies, and
c) through sheer zeal of growing without any family background of engineering
or entrepreneurship.

Thanks for setting higher bars for your
generation of cousins to follow. I am proud of you, Ravi!

All the best