Shishu Bharati graduates reflect and empower “Shraddha, Samasya, and Jignasa”

First, principals from all three locations: Renu Tiwarie (Walpole), Jay Pandit (Nashua, NH), and Sulochana Devadas (Lexington) congratulated their proud students for their commitment, hard work, and success in meeting all the requirements despite the unprecedented times. Seshi Sompuram, the President of Shishu Bharati, then joined the principals in thanking all the teachers, volunteers, administration, and the parents for their dedication, relentless hard work, and compassion to make this special day possible. Congratulating the class of 2021, Seshi emphasized that they are the ambassadors of Indian heritage and reminded them that the knowledge and experience they gained at Shishu Bharati has made them confident in appreciating the values, norms and greatness of both cultures. Both the president and the principals have urged the graduating class to join the dedicated “Alumni Student Volunteers”, to give back and be part of Shishu Bharati’s “Volunteers at Best” tradition.

Nilesh Nilkanth Oak, the key note speaker, addressed the graduating class with a confession. The confession he explained that, when he was young, he really didn’t see neither any value nor a point in activities or learning beyond the school curriculum, that his parents always engaged him in. But, only to realize the value and the wisdom that he cherished in his later life. He assured them that the Shishu Bharati experience will certainly give them a comprehensive understanding of our very ancient (e.g., Rug Vedas, over 21,000-25,000 years old) and vast Indian culture and will have a lasting impact in navigating their lives. Nilesh advocated the “Triangle” of moral fabric; Sraddha (conviction), Samasya (doubt of an intellect), and Jignasa (curiosity). He explained, how inculcating and experiencing the combination of the deadly-trio, would be a powerful asset and great wisdom. Nilesh, a chemical engineer by profession but also an author, researcher, and speaker, wrote extensively on the in-depth understanding of antiquities of Indian culture, backed by scientific acumen.

Then, Nithya Raman, the Class of 1996, a proud Shishu Bharati Alumni Speaker inspired the crowd about how Shishu Bharati impacted and laid the foundation for who she is today. She is a Los Angeles District-4 City Councilor, winning the well fought very contentious election, which she is very proud of. Now, she proudly represents and fights for a quarter million people in LA. Nithya fondly recalls and thanks Shishu Bharati for the education, understanding and the experience of Indian culture, community, volunteerism, and the connections. This was a stepping stone and truly inspired her to go to India and work as an urban planner along with non- profits, working and fighting for slum dwellers in Mumbai. She affirms that this is the turning point in her life and decided to be a public servant. Nithya brought everyone’s attention to a painting she saw recently in LA, captioned as “Permanent Visitors”, encompassing the life of an immigrant or immigrant family. She emphasiz- es that though some of us are born in the US, because of our color and heritage we always have to negotiate our position. Finally, Nithya congratulated the students on being proud Shishu Bharati graduates. She urged the class of 2021 to draw the strength from Shishu Bharati and the community to negotiate their role and success.