Rachel noticed a new girl in their fourth-grade classroom. Her name was Chitra. Chitra’s olive skin and pitch-black eyes set her apart from all the other students. Even the way she spoke varied, emphasizing the Ts and Ds. Her differences made it very difficult for Chitra to talk to her classmates. As a result, she remained to herself most of the time and even ate alone during the breaks. One day, Rachel decided to introduce herself to Chitra. As they started talking, both the girls realized that they had a lot in common. It was the start of a wonderful new relationship between them!
One day, their teacher Ms. Williams assigned a new project to the class. Immediately, Chitra turned to Rachel and told her that she wouldn’t be able to do the project. Confused, Rachel realized that Chitra felt that all the students would make fun of her. She consoled her best friend and pleaded with her to at least give it a try.
That day after dinner, Chitra sat down with her parents and asked them all about her native country ‘India.’ She excitedly noted down everything they said. The next day when Ms. Williams called out her name, she stood up and went to the front of the classroom. Taking a deep breath, she told her classmates about India.
"The name 'India' is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the 'Sindhu. Also, did you know that the game of chess was invented in India. Moving on, the largest employer in India is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people. Something very interesting about my country is that four religions born in India, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population. Islam is India's and the world's second-largest religion. Lastly, yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5000 years." As soon as she finished the entire class erupted in applause. Her teacher pats her back, extremely impressed with Chitra’s thorough work.
With a huge grin, Chitra returned to her seat. Not only had this project given her the confidence to speak in front of such a large group of people, but it also helped her understand what a unique and diverse country India is.
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