Around 150 alumni from the Indian School Bahrain (ISB) reunited in the kingdom after 25 years, flying in from across the globe to relive cherished memories.
The two-day celebration began on Friday at the school’s Isa Town campus, where students from the 2000 batch enjoyed heartfelt video messages from former teachers, paid tribute to classmates who had passed away, and engaged in a variety of activities and games that rekindled their bond.
This was followed by a dinner at Downtown Rotana in Manama on the same evening, and a tour of iconic Bahrain sites such as Bab Al Bahrain and Suq Al Baraha the following day. The ISB is one of the largest expatriate schools in the Arabian Gulf, with more than 11,250 students and an enthusiastic workforce of 600 members. “It was great to meet old friends after such a long time,” Hemant Ashar, one of the organisers, told the GDN.
“We showcased the old movies from our farewell and prom party in 2000. We also did a small memorial for those who left us too soon. Then, we had messages from around 20 of our teachers, most of whom are now retired. Some of us even recreated old photographic memories,” Mr Ashar added.
The 43-year-old Bahraini businessman of Indian origin is a sixth-generation entrepreneur who runs a fast-moving consumer goods family business. He lives in the kingdom with his wife Manjita Gandhi and children – son Ranvir, 14, and Pranaya, 13, who attend St Christopher’s School.
The West Riffa resident fondly recalled the good times he had with his friends on the bus rides to and from school – back then, he lived in Segaya. He also reminisced the short breaks he and his mates enjoyed, standing at the canteen or playing football.
“I did my entire schooling at the Indian School Bahrain, where I laid a strong foundation for my career, starting from kindergarten – or ‘prep’ as they used to call it. The lessons I learned during that time have helped me immensely as an entrepreneur,” Mr Ashar noted.
The attendees included Bahrainis and expatriates, both living in the kingdom and other countries, including the US, the UK, Canada, India, and neighbouring Gulf states.
The ISB has always been known for its diverse student profile, comprising largely Indian expatriate students as well as Bahrainis. Hamad Shams from Muharraq highlighted how this exposure to people from all walks of life at an early age taught him ‘how to get along with everyone amicably’.
“It has helped me in my professional life as well,” said the 45-year-old entrepreneur who manages multiple businesses.
“In school, we celebrated Diwali with our Indian friends and to this day, we carry on that tradition – in all this time, my father has never missed a single Diwali celebration at my friend Hemant’s (Ashar) home.”
Many of the alumni at the reunion began their schooling journey together at the ISB, and have remained friends since, like Deepthy Kurian. She presently lives in Chicago, the US, with her family and was thrilled to meet her mates from kindergarten, with whom she has shared a close bond for the last 25 years.
“This reunion took us right back to our high school years. It was like time had not passed at all – we instantly started talking and laughing and unlocked some great memories from our school days,” the Indian national said.
“The highlight was when my classmates from prep class and I went to our actual classroom. We were in section D and four years old when we started – now we are 43! We were like ‘the chairs were facing this direction, remember?’ and ‘our teacher wore these bangles’…Everything started unlocking,” explained the former Adliya resident.
After completing her schooling, the homemaker and mother-of-three, moved to Pune to pursue her degree in psychology. She returned to Bahrain where she worked for a year before migrating to the US in 2004.
“I met my husband in college and knew that I would be moving soon, so I wanted to spend some time in Bahrain before that, especially with my parents,” noted Ms Kurian, who will be in Bahrain for two weeks, visiting cousins and extended family who continue to reside here.
“I was 17 when I left Bahrain and now my oldest is 18,” she remarked, highlighting her life-comes-full-circle moment.
Indian national Deeraj Shetty, who currently runs a retirement and wealth advisory firm with offices in Bangalore, Mumbai and Dubai, was excited to return to his ‘home’.
“Coming back to Bahrain brought back so many incredible childhood memories of this warm and welcoming country and its people, who go above and beyond to make us feel at home,” he added. “The tears just kept rolling and my heart was filled with gratitude for everything this school taught us, and the people they introduced us to.”
melissa@gdnmedia.bh
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