There are some people who manage to pack a lot in a twenty-four hour day. They are trailblazers who inspire us with their achievements. One such person is sixteen-year-old, now world-famous mountaineer Kaamya Karthikeyan.

Kaamya is the daughter of Western Navy Cdr. S. Karthikeyan and his wife Lavanya, an educator. Her father has a passion for mountaineering which he inculcated in Kaamya from an early age. This standard 12 girl has a lot of firsts to her credit. On 20 May 2024, she conquered Mount Everest (height: 8,849 metres) with her father, making her the youngest Indian and the world’s second youngest person to climb the formidable mountain. The Indian Navy congratulated her on her “immense courage and fortitude”.

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Ayaan Deshpande is nine years old, and believe it or not, he has performed at a series of concerts in prestigious venues in Vienna. At such a young age, the child prodigy has given concerts before he is even a teenager. A skilled concert pianist and composer, the curly-haired fifth-grade student, who likes watching animal and wildlife documentaries and who celebrates his tenth birthday next month end, has drawn widespread acclaim all over the world since his first public performance in November 2021 alongside the Symphony Orchestra India (SOI).

Ayaan’s talent is baffling, and his playing on the piano is nothing short of genius, not only for his teachers and mentors, but anyone who sees him swiftly shifting a melody on the ivory keys.

On 23 September 2023, Ayaan performed at Mumbai Piano Day, where he stunned audiences by playing four piano pieces — Wheatland by Oscar Peterson, Rage Over A Lost Penny by Beethoven, Nocturne In B flat Minor by Chopin and I Got Rhythm by Gershwin, all with practised ease and confidence.

VERUS FERREIRA spoke with the little maestro soon after his performance. The only child to parents Tanmay and Ashwini, Ayaan, like any child his age, was shy and needed a bit of prodding from his parents to answer our questions.

In November 2021 you performed for the very first time at the NCPA. Tell us about your debut performance.
So when I met Mr Marat (Marat Bisengaliev, music director and co-founder of the SOI) for the first time, I played for him. After that, he suggested that I play the second movement of Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21 with the orchestra at a concert on 14 November, which was in just 12 days. Actually, we had already purchased tickets for this concert, so I could not believe it! I listened to that piece for the first time while going home. I liked it very much, so I was excited to learn it. When I was rehearsing with the orchestra, it felt very special. On the concert day, I felt a little nervous, but my teacher Miss Aida Bisengalieva and Mr Marat told me to relax. It was good. When I heard the applause and looked up at the audience, I felt shy and wanted to go backstage quickly. It was a great experience.

You recently performed in Vienna in the very halls where iconic composers of Western classical music like Brahms and Mahler used to perform. How was it to play in such an iconic venue?
It was very nice, I can’t express it. Vienna is very special for Western classical music; Mozart and Beethoven used to live there. I performed at Ehrbar Hall and Mozarthaus.

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‘Third Eye’, an exhibition of 31 photographs taken by the young and budding photographer Saamya Patel, was held at the Piramal Art Gallery, Mumbai, over the weekend of 23 and 24 September 2023.

From the 31 photos, 26 were shot on a Canon 90D and 5 on an iPhone, says the 17-year-old Mumbaiite. So what is the ‘Third Eye’? we quiz her. “I had selected 31 photographs out of over 500 photos I’ve shot over the years. When selecting the photographs, I kept the theme of my exhibition in mind — The Third Eye, where all the photos had been shot with a unique perspective and had a focal point that perhaps the common eye would overlook.”

The captions on each of the photographs in the exhibition were based on Patel’s various travels within India, the U.S. and Iceland. “I have been fortunate to have travelled to and explored unique places with an abundance of natural beauty. My last two excursions were to the national parks in the U.S. and Iceland. The ruggedness and untouched beauty of these areas gave it a magical feel, which is what I have attempted to capture in my photographs”.

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Adhara is a little girl from Mexico who is attending college in the U.S. at the early age of 10. Her IQ stands at 162, higher than Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking whose IQ were both 160. Adhara learned reading and Algebra at the age of three; presently she’s pursuing two degrees in Mexico — Systems Engineering at CNCI and Industrial Engineering with a focus on Maths at UNITEC. Adhara aims to become an astronaut and build a habitable colony on Mars.

Although life hasn’t always been a smooth sailing, with determination and family support, Adhara was able to overcome the various obstacles in her path. At age three, she was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome which makes social interaction difficult. Growing up in a regular school was not easy as she was constantly made fun of and harassed by her classmates. At times during classes, she even fell asleep accompanied by signs of disinterest in the current school curriculum. Regardless of these behavioural aspects, Adhara loved studies, and to pass her time, she memorized the entire periodic table!

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When a small girl fights with boys of her age and sends some of them to the hospital, just don’t restrict her activities, for like Linthoi Chanambam of Manipur, she may be another of India’s golden girls in the making, as she may be just in one of her practice sessions for the future.

The story of Linthoi Chanambam is yet another repeat story of a girl coming out from a poor background and fighting all odds to rise to the top of the world. Born to Ibohal and Guneshwori at Manipur on the last day of the year 2006, the fifteen-year-old has achieved something which no other Indian has achieved ever before — a world title in judo.

Friday, 26 August 2022, was a red letter day in India’s judo history when in the final of the 57 kg category at the World Judo Cadet Championships in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Linthoi Chanambam got the better of Brazil’s Bianca Reis to rewrite India’s judo history.

The World Judo Cadet Championships are the highest level of international competition for those below the age of 18 years and is conducted every second year.

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This young girl, despite all odds, took charge of her destiny and proved through her hard work and dedication that even a street vendor can aspire to pursue a Ph.D. in the USA.

After a long, hot sunny day, Sarita would return home exhausted after urging commuters to purchase tiny bouquets and flower garlands. This 12-year-old girl had no choice and alongside school had to pitch in and help in the family business to enhance the family income, especially during festivals. This was her daily routine for most of her educational life. Nevertheless, her circumstances did not dampen her spirit to learn and progress academically. She developed a love for Hindi literature and did not give in to external factors but continued with a will of iron to fulfil her dream of obtaining a good education. Little did she know that the vigour and fortitude she possessed would not only lead her to the completion of her education but also influence her to excel, and finally place her in a prestigious institution in the United States to work towards her doctorate.

Since it was impossible for her to afford an education, she pursued her M.A. and M.Phil. through Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), a public-funded university, and will submit her Ph.D. in Hindi literature this July to the Indian Language Centre at JNU itself. There was a stroke of luck that played a part here, as Sarita managed to secure the last OBC seat at her entrance test at JNU. She attributes her acceptance at the University of California (UCLA), Santa Barbara, to JNU, and firmly believes that her future brightened up as soon as she was accepted at JNU.

Not only has Sarita been an inspiration to children and youth but also her family, as her siblings have understood the value of good education. Her elder sister has earned an M.A. degree and both her brothers are attempting competitive exams. In order to fund themselves, they are engaged in providing tuitions to meet their financial requirements just like Sarita. Despite the odds, Sarita’s father has always strongly supported her and encouraged her to study further.

Sarita’s vision is to raise awareness about the difficulties faced by street children in their attempt to obtain a decent education, especially the financial aspect. She rightly believes that education for street children should be free. Thus, those who have the desire to build up their skills and knowledge will have a system in place to develop themselves at no cost, thereby providing a fair opportunity to all. Education is a need of all and should be provided to benefit every citizen. This in turn will pave the way for the process of broadening everyone’s perspective, skills, and opportunities, leading our nation towards a radiant future.

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An 11-year-old girl overheard her parents discussing about giving her in marriage along with her 13-year-old sister Babli.

“No, I do not want to get married now. I want to study,” protested sixth grader Payal Jangid. “If you forcefully marry me, I will run away from the village.”

Payal’s frightened parents were obliged to give up the marriage proposal.

Child marriage was prevalent in Payal’s Hinsla village, about 100 km away from Jaipur in Rajasthan. Deeming that girls belong to other families, many poor, illiterate parents did not want to spend money on their daughters’ education, but wanted to get rid of their minor daughters through marriage.

Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi and his wife Sumedha visited Hinsla in 2012 and spoke to the community about a child’s right to education, healthcare and protection from exploitation. Inspired by their Bachpan Bachao Andolan, Payal too joined them.

Gradually Payal was elected as the sarpanch (leader) of her village’s Bal Panchayat (Children’s Parliament). She campaigned against child marriage and canvassed boys and girls to protest against it.

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Harmonica virtuoso Rohan Singhal has earned the respect of serious composers and music lovers all over the world with his solo performances, playing at Mumbai’s Mahindra Blues Festival 2018, Ziro Festival of Music, Arunachal Pradesh (2019) and performances at various jazz festivals in Goa. Those who attended the Mahindra Blues Special 2022 in Mumbai, would’ve surely seen his knockout performance alongside Soulmate.

In February 2022, Rohan was a part of Padma Shri winner Usha Uthup’s new blues single Wokay on which he played a blues solo.

Rohan has participated in and won at various harmonica competitions like National Harmonica league Bristol, U.K., and the World Harmonica Festival (2017), Germany, and the Asia-Pacific Harmonica Festival (2018), Beijing. He has been awarded the prestigious Preservation and Advancement of Harmonica (SPAH), USA, youth scholarship for 2020 and 2021. He also won the fourth Blues Acoustic Blues contest in India in 2020.

The Indore-based, bespectacled 16-year-old, who is in the tenth grade, has been playing the harmonica (also known as the mouth organ) for the last 12 years in almost all genres from blues, jazz, funk, rock and fusion of western and Indian classical music.

Rohan is looking forward to a scholarship offered by SPAH to visit Tulsa, Oklahoma (USA) later this year to attend a harmonica gathering to which only five youngsters from around the world have been invited.

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18-year-old Alfiya Pathan, a Std. XII student of Pallotti School, Nagpur, has brought laurels to her school, her family and to Nagpur as she returned to the city after winning gold at the World Youth Boxing Championship organised by the International Boxing Association, held on 22 April this year, at Kielce, in Poland. Alfiya won gold, defeating the European Youth Champion Daria Kozorez of Moldova, 5-0 in the final.

A determined Alfiya told reporters the day before the finals in Poland: “I’m very focussed. I know this is a historic fight. I‘m going to let people know that women’s boxing is as exciting as that of men.” She showed the world the next day that she meant every word of what she said!

Daughter of Akram Pathan, an employee with the Nagpur Police, Alfiya had been on a medal-winning spree since 2016, when she took silver in the 80 kg event at the National School Games, and added gold at the Khelo India Games and at the Junior Nationals. In 2019, she won gold at the Asian Junior Girls Championship, beating Kazakhstan’s Diana Magauyayeva 4-1.

Alfiya has been training ever since she was 13 under Mr Ganesh Purohit. Purohit says, “Alfiya is a very talented boxer and a good athlete. She is strong and fast; sleek and smooth, she has got all the tools she needs… She has a keen eye for spotting her opponent’s soft spots, and uses it to her advantage. Though she is only a junior, she has all the pre-requisites for athletic stardom.”

Moin Qazi met Alfiya on her return from Poland, for The Teenager Today, and has sent us the cover story that we bring you in this issue. The Teenager Today feels highly privileged to feature Alfiya, “Nagpur’s Dream Girl,” on our cover this month. Well done, Alfiya! The Teenager Today is very proud of you!

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Arya Rajendran, a second year student of B.Sc. Mathematics at the All Saints’ College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, created history by becoming the youngest Mayor in the State of Kerala and possibly in the whole of India after Suman Koli (elected Mayor from Rajasthan’s Bharatpur in 2009). Ms Rajendran was sworn in as the Mayor of the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation on 24 December 2020, after she was elected a Corporator from the Mudavanmughal ward of the city.

Her father, Mr Rajendran, is an electrician, by profession, and her mother, Sreelatha, an insurance agent. Her brother, Aaravind, is an automobile engineer. Following her parents’ footsteps, Arya embarked on her political career very early in life. She joined Balasangam, the world’s largest children’s organization, affiliated to the Communist Party of India (CPM), as a child activist when she was in the fifth standard. She is now the state president of Balasangam.

After she joined All Saints’ College in 2019 as an undergraduate student, Arya became a member of the Students Federation of India (SFI), the students’ wing of the CPI-M.

Arya is a born leader and has always worked democratically with peers, encouraging other students and listening attentively to the opinions of others. Arya is also a conscientious, hard-working and self-motivated student. She has always displayed admirable self-discipline and is considered a valued member of the class by her teachers and companions.

The Mayor-student Arya Rajendran spoke to The Teenager Today in an exclusive interview given to the magazine, within a few days of her taking over as the Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. She spoke extensively to the magazine’s representative about her early days as a child activist as a member of Balasangam, her frank opinion about students entering active politics, and about her personal take on violent protests and destruction of public property by agitating students, and members of students unions often patronised by different political parties. Excerpts from the interview.

You hold the unique distinction of being the youngest Mayor of a Municipal Corporation in the whole of India. You are certainly an icon and a role model for all young people in the country. Please tell us about how you came to be involved in politics from a very young age? Were your parents supportive of you?
I was born into a leftist political family. My parents are members of the Communist Party of India Marxist, CPI (M), for nearly three decades. I followed my parents’ footsteps. That is why I joined the Balasangam, the world’s largest children’s organization, affiliated to the CPI-M, as a child activist when I was in the fifth standard.

Did your active involvement in Balasangam come, any time, in the way of your studies?
I think political awareness and involvement in politics can and should go hand-in-hand with studies. There is no need to let off either of the two, and there can always be ways to balance the two. I have found it possible to spend time for both and I encourage students to do the same.

Do you think that the organisation has played a major role in shaping your thinking, and in developing your personality and leadership qualities?
It is the organization and my involvement with Balasangam that has given me the confidence and the experience in handling the new role that I don today. With humility I would like to say that whatever good qualities I have picked up as a person and as a leader, Balasangam has had a major role to play in it.

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