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Campus Talk: VES turns to music and courses to keep Sindhi alive among youth

Bhajan jamming concert part of wider push by Vivek Sindhi Kendra, which enrols over 1,000 students annually in certified language programmes

3 min readMumbaiUpdated: Feb 17, 2026 04:41 PM IST

Apart from language classes, the centre organises musical events, film screenings and a programme titled Sindhi’s Got Talent, where participants present performances inspired by Sindhi literature and culture.

Mumbai’s Vivekanand Education Society will host a Sindhi Bhajan Jamming Concert on Saturday as part of its ongoing efforts to preserve and promote the Sindhi language among young people. The event comes amid growing concern over the decline of minority languages and is one of several initiatives undertaken by the Society’s Vivek Sindhi Kendra to keep the language alive through structured courses and cultural programmes.

The linguistic minority trust, which runs several educational institutions in the city, has been promoting Sindhi through its Vivek Sindhi Kendra, a centre set up nearly three decades ago to keep the language and culture alive among youth. The Kendra began functioning in 1999 to 2000 and offers certificate, diploma and advanced courses in Sindhi that are certified by the National Council for Promotion of Sindhi Language. More than 1,000 students enrol in its courses every year.

Vivek Sindhi Kendra organises a variety of educational and creative events for children. (Express Photo)

Apart from language classes, the centre organises musical events, film screenings and a programme titled Sindhi’s Got Talent, where participants present performances inspired by Sindhi literature and culture. Its latest initiative is a Sindhi Bhajan Jamming Concert scheduled for Saturday, aimed at engaging young people through devotional music.

Speaking about the concert, VES Secretary Rajesh Gehani said, “Change is inevitable with time but it is equally important that future generations are rooted with the cultural heritage of the community, although with their preferred format of cultural expression.”

Gehani said the Kendra was set up after many Sindhi medium schools in Mumbai began shutting down in the mid 1980s. “Over the years Sindhi language has reshaped to remain relevant from it’s original Arabic script to a very Indianised Devnagari script. And today we are turning to Romanised Sindhi to make the language more accessible to young generation and children, enabling them to read and engage with it more easily and in due process discover the cultural heritage and collective wisdom preserved in Sindhi literature.”

Kendra was set up after many Sindhi medium schools in Mumbai began shutting down in the mid 1980s. (Express Photo)

Sangeeta Shahani, a member of the VES management team, said the Kendra’s location in Chembur, which has a large Sindhi population, has helped families connect their children with the language. “As a result it has become a vital link for Sindhi families from the area to help their children stay connected with Sindhi language and culture,” he said, adding that the courses are open to all students, whether or not they belong to the Sindhi community or study in VES institutions.

Pallavi Smart

Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra. Expertise Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting. Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. Her coverage scope is comprehensive: Policy and Regulatory Changes: Reports on major shifts in educational policy, including the restructuring of entrance exams (e.g., MHT-CET adopting the JEE Main model), the draft regulatory framework for coaching classes, and revised teacher recruitment processes. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Provides in-depth reporting on prestigious institutes like IIT Bombay and TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), covering institutional initiatives, administrative debates (e.g., renaming IIT Bombay), and student welfare programs (e.g., mandatory mental health courses). Teachers and Eligibility: Covers crucial issues affecting the teaching fraternity, such as the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers and related controversies and application numbers. Student Welfare & Rights: Focuses on issues concerning students, including the rollout of government scholarships, the financial strain on schools due to midday meal reimbursement delays, and instances of child rights violations (e.g., the Powai studio hostage crisis). Admissions and Vacancy: Tracks the outcome of centralized admission processes (e.g., MBBS, BPharm) and analyzes vacancy concerns, providing essential data-driven insights for parents and students. Credentials & Trustworthiness Dedicated Beat: Her consistent focus on the "KG to PG" education beat allows her to develop unparalleled subject matter knowledge, ensuring her reports are accurate, detailed, and contextualized. Proactive Reporting: Her articles frequently break news on policy and institutional planning, providing the public with timely, essential information about a sector that directly impacts millions of families. She tweets @Pallavi_Smart ... Read More

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