Little Indians aim to bee the best, again

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a bee in his bonnet about touching base with the Indian diaspora whenever he goes abroad. Though the itinerary for his latest US trip must have been finalised, it would be a surprise if he does not make time to doff his metaphorical hat to a section of Indian-Americans who have put their imprimatur on a specialised field of Americana: bees — in spelling and geography, that is. More so as this year, both these ‘brain sports’ contests have been won by Indian tweens, a phenomenon that is becoming as predictable as hurricanes when La Niña comes out to play.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee saw two Indians crowned joint champions this week for the third year in a row, with one of this year’s champs being the brother of the 2014 joint winner. And this year, all three top spots in the National Geographic Bee — which still sees a few non-desi finalists these days though the winner has been of Indian origin for the last four years — went to desi diasporic scions too.

Yet another peewee Indian-American has also made history this month by getting into medical school at age just 12. What is it that makes Indian-origin children examples of nerdy excellence in the US? With swelling chests, Indians aver it is their Indianness. But since such achievements are rare back in the home country, it could well be argued that it is the American bit in their hyphenated nationality that brings out the best in them. In any case, Cheers!