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Discovery of India

REMA SUNDAR interacted with the 30 youngsters who were in the city as part of the Know India Programme

YES MINISTER The members of Know India Programme met Chief Minister V.S. ACHUTHANANDAN during their stay in the city

They hail from different nations and represent different cultures but their roots bind them together. Offspring of the Indian Diaspora, a group of 30 students and professionals between the ages of 20 and 28 were here in the city as part of the Know India Programme.

Organised by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, the sixth edition of the programme is being held in partnership with the Government of Kerala. This edition is being jointly organised by the Department of Non-Resident Keralites' Affairs (NoRKA) and the Nehru Yuva Kendra (NYK), Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

"The programme is for people of Indian origin settled in various countries and it aims at helping them understand Indian culture and also to showcase India's potential," explains S.M. Najeeb, general manager, NORKA.

The group that arrived in the city on December 21 will be in Kerala till January 3.

Delegates from the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Canada, Mauritius, New Zealand, Trinidad & Tobago, Israel and Kuwait form part of the group.

A wide variety of activities have been planned during their stay.

Says B. Ali Sabrin, district youth coordinator, NYK, which is organising home stays for the group, "This is to help the delegates to understand life in a village. Fifteen houses have been identified for home stay and each house will accommodate two delegates." Interactions with the local people, cultural performances, rural sports and a `vallamkali' (boat race), are some of the highlights on their itinerary.

Achievers in their chosen spheres, the participants were selected by the Indian embassies. While Avanti Thaker from South Africa is the first Indian to circumnavigate in the longest yacht race called `Clipper Around the World Yacht Race,' Soumik Datta, a sarod player from London, has performed in the presence of maestros like Amjad Ali Khan and Ajay Chakravarthy.

Says Kanika Thakar of Canada, "I was asked to write an essay on how I would benefit from the Know India Programme." Kanika's mother hails from Baroda and her father is from Pune.

Urvashi Santokhee of Mauritius says, "When you think of India, it is usually North India and Bollywood. The prospects of visiting Kerala attracted me to the programme and have given me an opportunity to be a bit closer to knowing India."

Impressions of Kerala

Kavishka Sewnarain from South Africa is impressed by the literacy rate in Kerala but it is the greenery that has bowled her over. It is again the State's green cover that has charmed Shelley Ashtamkal of Israel. "I love the trees, beaches and the beauty of Kerala. I want to come back to Kerala," she gushes while Einat Yonathan from Israel sees the trip as an opportunity to learn about the place his parents grew up in. "I am having fun learning my parents' heritage," says Einat.

According to Andrea Bullock from Trinidad & Tobaga, she enjoyed the chat with Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan. "He was very forthcoming in his answers," she says. Shweta Subramaniam, a Canadian, whose roots are in the city, entertained the Chief Minister with a popular bhajan, `Chilanga Ketti Odi Vayo... ' after the session.

Adds Ashutosh Jha of Canada, "We were taken aback by the simplicity of the Chief Minister. The people are hospitable, have kind words and a wide smile. This programme has completely changed my view of India."

The stay in the city has whetted the appetite of the group who are eagerly waiting to see the other places in Kerala and India.

If Priyanka Pant, a Bharatanatyam dancer, is looking forward to her trip to Kalamandalam, it is the prospect of staying in a village that has enthused Arti Prasad of New Zealand. Mohit Narotam of South Africa is excited about viewing the "sunset and visiting Vivekananda rock" in Kanyakumari, while it is the thought of visiting Kochi "where my grandparents were born" that has caught the imagination of Limor Avraham of Israel.

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