Quitting a high-salary job with the world's second-biggest investment bank is not an easy decision. But, Gaurav Pandit and his wife Sheetal, had no qualms when they resigned together from Goldman Sachs in New York. But the reason for this bold decision could leave many surprised.
TOI
This couple from Gujarat put in their papers only because they wanted their eighteen-month daughter to stay in their native Bhavnagar and learn their mother tongue Gujarati.
On February 21 which is observed as 'International Mother Language Day,' Gaurav and Sheetal are filled with pride that their daughter Taashi, now three-and-a-half-years, speaks fluent Gujarati that too with the sweet-sounding Kathiyawadi accent!
After working in the US for nearly 15 years, the couple had returned to Bhavnagar in 2015 and lived here for nearly 18 months till Taashi began speaking Gujarati effortlessly.
"The idea was to connect with our roots and stay with families with Taashi. She received immense love from family and friends and we could see she enjoyed a lot and she started learning Gujarati along with eating traditional rotlis. We took her to important places and forests of country including Gir. She experienced the first rain of the monsoon and drew Rangoli in Diwali. She enjoyed Holi with Keshuda's natural colour and eat Rotlas. Our journey to India will sow seeds in her which will connect to our roots in her lifetime'' Gaurav said.
AP/Representational Image
"They wanted Taashi to grow up in an environment where the mother tongue is spoken. What could have been a better place than our own native? Moreover, they decided to return when she was just learning to talk. She picked up Gujarati very well and speaks fluently now," Gaurav's father Nalin Pandit said.
"All of us stayed at our eco-friendly farm near Bhavnagar. We used to tell her stories and she played with other kids in the neighbourhood. She also used to talk with the farm labourers and got a perfect atmosphere that a child needs to learn a language," Pandit said.
Interestingly, the couple did nothing during their 18 months stay in Bhavnagar. They left for the US few months ago and Gaurav now works with Google in Silicon Valley while Sheetal is an international consultancy firm. Taashi recently got admission in junior KG and is learning Chinese too.
Carto/Representational Image
"Gaurav and Sheetal both received their initial education in Gujarati and later switched to English. They are aware of the importance of learning the mother tongue and wanted to ensure that their daughter too, learns it," said Pandit.
Gaurav did his chemical engineering from Nadiad-based Dharamsinh Desai Institute of Technology (DDIT) while Sheetal completed her Bachelors in Computer Applications (BCA) from the same institute. Sheetal then went to Boston for further studies. They were family friends and ultimately got married after a brief courtship.