MARLBORO — For members of Marlboro’s Indian community, the goal of keeping their customs alive starts with the carriers of the torch: their children.
The Educators’ Society for the Heritage of India (ESHI) held a ceremony on Aug. 2 for about 100 children who learned about their culture and the Hindi language during a three-week summer camp.
The children, who were dressed in traditional outfits, sang, danced and delivered presentations to a crowd of proud parents and community leaders at the Marlboro Memorial Middle School, Nolan Road.
“It is vital for our children to develop a healthy sense of identity as new Americans with pride in their heritage so they can grow to their fullest potential and become better citizens, combining aspects of both cultures in forming their own identity, picking and choosing what is best in the American culture and what is best in the Indian culture,” said Ved Chaudhary, the president of ESHI.
During the summer session, a team of 28 staff members, including current high school students, helped the children digest the basics of their ancestors’ language.
The work paid off when the youngsters sang Indian songs that sometimes prompted audience members to join in, and cracked jokes in Hindi, which solicited laughter from their elders.
State Assemblyman Upendra J. Chivukula, the guest of honor, said fluency in Hindi will lead young people of Indian descent to forge a connection with their history.
“If you don’t learn the language, it’s very difficult to continue the heritage, because no matter how much you translate, you won’t get the direct words,” Chivukula said.
A major theme of the curriculum involved India’s struggling tiger population. To raise awareness, the youngsters built model tigers in their habitats. Some students raised money to combat the decline of the species.
“My new favorite animal is the tiger,” said one girl, adding that she was pleased to hear about India’s wealth of lush nature reserves.
Camp-goers also learned that yoga, meditation and the 10-digit numerical system grew out of India, Chaudhary said. He said future generations must realize the importance of these achievements.
The seeds of pride planted in the children’s minds will hopefully continue to grow, Chaudhary said.
“Although the camp was only for three weeks, which is not enough time to teach a lot about these topics, we know from experience that when children are exposed to even a little bit of this cultural perspective at an early age, they continue to acquire more of it on their own during their high school and college years,” Chaudhary said.
Marlboro K-8 School District Superintendent of Schools Eric Hibbs attended the celebration. He said the performances highlighted one valued aspect of Marlboro’s diverse population.
“I think it’s fantastic that we have such a wide representation of cultures, and that we all work together to do great things for children,” Hibbs said. “I came here today and toured to see what they did in all of these classes, and it’s incredible.”
During the school year, the Marlboro Hindi School, which is run by the ESHI, holds language and culture classes on weekends at the Frank Defino Central Elementary School in Marlboro.
Contact Jack Murtha at [email protected].