Interview with Chitwan Mittal, Author of "Service with Guru Nanak"

on Oct 20, 2022

Chitwan Mittal holds a BSc degree in English Education from Boston University and an MA in Values in Education from the University of London. She is a published author with titles such as Education for the Complete Person, Taittiriya Upanishad, and The Arguments for the Existence of God. Actively involved in children’s education since 2005, she was part of the committee that established the Indian Institute of Teacher Education and the Children’s University by the Government of Gujarat, India. Both institutes are focused on experiential learning and the holistic development of children through innovative educational tools. She is now foraying into the field of writing children’s picture books. Her books encourage engagement and diversity and focus on value-oriented education, bi-lingual learning, and South Asian culture. She lives between India and Singapore with her husband and two sons, who are her constant source of inspiration.

Frontlist: What prompted you to pen a spiritual non-fiction book for children?

Chitwan: With this book, the goal was to take Guru Nanak's idea of 'Seva' and make it something children can relate to. We didn't want it to be seen only as a religious idea or something that is only done in a religious setting. Guru Nanak's idea of service was much more expensive, and we wanted to show children how they can implement it in their own lives.

Frontlist: According to the book's title, Service with Guru Nanak, what services should children learn?

Chitwan: We wanted to show children that 'Seva' can be towards their friends, family, animals, and even the environment anytime and anywhere. For instance, the book shows that helping your parents after a long day of work is a kind of service. Or at school, if a friend needs help with homework or understanding a concept, we show that helping out is another kind of service. The idea is to show that 'service' is about empathy and caring about other people, and therefore service can be performed in various ways.

Frontlist: This book suggests that we should serve with both our bodies and minds. What does "serve anytime, anywhere" mean?

Chitwan: The idea of service is often limited to community service or volunteering once a week or only during festivals through distributing money or food to the poor. We wanted to change this by presenting 'service' as something that can be done anytime, anywhere, and in even the smallest ways. Being there for people, being supportive and kind—these are the things we wanted to showcase and encourage children to do.

Frontlist: There are many Gods; why did you choose Guru Nanak, an Indian saint, to educate children?

Chitwan: India is a diverse country with several rich religious and cultural traditions. Differences surround children: they grow up around people from many different religious and cultural backgrounds. It's something that we have around us all the time. And when we decided to create a series of books on spirituality and values, we wanted to include saints and religious figures from many different traditions. There will be more books in the series that feature influential spiritual leaders who have shaped Indian culture in their own ways.

Frontlist: How much influence do Illustrated Books like these have on teaching children empathy and mindfulness?

Chitwan: For young children, illustrated books are a great way to break down complex concepts into something that is easily understandable and engages them. Illustrations are crucial in helping children to empathize and relate to what they are reading. But for this to happen, you need an illustrator who can take the text, understand it and create illustrations that deepen understanding and add a layer of meaning to the text itself. We were lucky to find Debasmita Dasgupta, who made abstract concepts relatable to a child through her lovely illustrations.

Frontlist: How important are these stories in a child's curriculum? Are they as important as the subject being taught?

Chitwan: The general understanding of pedagogy has dramatically changed in the last few decades. Whereas earlier, the goal was literacy and the retention of information, today, it is the holistic development of the child. We are no longer focused on children being trained in particular subject-specific skills but on their emotional development, personalities, and values. The title of the series 'Learning To Be' comes from a UNESCO report on education, which emphasizes that learning includes learning to know, learning to learn, learning to live together, and learning 'to be.' This is an important shift, as we've realized it is important to equip children with the skills to understand themselves and those around them and to be better citizens of the world.