Kamla Ramlakhan is truly an inspiring, passionate and humble individual. On entering her Pointe-a-Pierre home, she makes one feel like family. The petite Ramlakhan has been in the teaching service for the past 32 years, 25 of which she has spent teaching Biology at St Benedict's College and five years at Lakshmi Girls' College where she taught Hindi. She may have retired from the teaching service officially but Ramlakhan's passion for imparting knowledge to others continues today at the Saraswati Vidyalaya Couva centre of the Bharatiya VidyaSansthaan (BVS) where she is currently the Principal.
She also teaches advanced Hindi at Gurudev Shiksha Niketan, Boodoo Trace, Penal, another centre of the BVS. She admits that her classes are not always filled, because of the busy Saturday schedule of most, but she is encouraged that at least those who sign up for the free Hindi lessons are consistent.
"In my Penal class I get to teach a lot of young people and I really enjoy that," Ramlakhan said. "They enjoy it too. The only thing is that they don't do their homework all the time." Ramlakhan was at the Excelsior High School in Jamaica teaching Biology when she first learned of the interest in Hindi expressed by Jamaicans.
A graduate of UWI Jamaica, where she completed a Bsc in Zoology and Applied Zoology and a Diploma in Education, she assisted in directing a cultural camp on Indian culture in Kingston where she taught Hindi, Music and Choupaiis (verses) of the Ramayan and shlokas of the Bhagavad Gita. Eventually she became the camp's assistant director and was passionate about imparting knowledge at every opportunity she got. "What drives me to do this is the realisation that this is bringing out the best in people and helping them to be strong and unwavering in the face of challenges.
"My life has been so uplifted and strengthened because of all the things I have learnt in the BVS classes that I want others also to benefit from these classes," she said. "The motto of our institution Bharatiya Vidya Sansthaan is 'Learn and Teach', so I learn and I teach! I really have a passion for doing just that." During the past 20 years, Ramlakhan has received many awards for her invaluable contribution to society from groups like the Hindi Nidhi (The Hindi Foundation) and the Network of Non-Governmental Organisations in conjunction with the UN Systems and the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Women's Affairs in recognition of her community service.
Ramlakhan has also been featured in the book East Indian Women of Trinidad and Tobago and was recognised in 1996 by the National Council of Indian Culture for long and dedicated service in the cause of Hinduism. She has been awarded for meritorious work in the field of Hindi by the Bharatiya Vidya Sansthaan, and in both the years 1999 and 2003, she was awarded for her service in the field of Hindi by the High Commission of India. In 1992 Ramlakhan realised her father's dream of writing a book titled Smarana which is a collection of traditional bhajans in Hindi with translations in English.
She is also the author of Hindi Prabhaat Part One-Hindi Made Exciting and parts Two and Three in the series. Even when she is not standing in front of her students, Ramlakhan remains busy. In her spare time aerobics, studying Sanskrit, singing and playing the harmonium are among her activities. In her heyday she was very active in table tennis even copping three Full Colour awards for table tennis, Sports' Personality of a term and Runner-up Sports Woman of the Year for Sports in the 1960s at UWI. Looking back at her life, Ramlakhan's only regret was that she allowed too much of people's negativity to seep into her being.
"If I had to do it differently, I would not have allowed people and what they said to affect me so much. "I would not have allowed my lack of self confidence to prevent me from doing what I wanted to do." Whenever she gets the opportunity to talk to young women she always encourages them to never let anyone decide for them how they should feel about themselves." "Once you make the effort, windows will open for you. Opportunities will come your way and you will enjoy a life of purpose and success!" "Things have happened in my life that changed the whole course of my life.
Although those years were most hurtful, trying and challenging for me, in the long run, it was the best thing to have happened to me. I have been able to do so much for the people of my country by channelling my energies in a purposeful direction."