[2] Bahrain's much-acclaimed Indian School owes its origins to the far-sightedness of the Bhatia community.

When families started coming to the Gulf in the 'fifties', formal education was non-existent and housewives used to run an informal "gurukula" system of in-house study.

To make the vision a reality, two prominent and industrious Indian businessmen were elected – Balubhai B. Desai who was with BAPCO and Karunakaran of Kanoo, brother of Narayanan, Sir Charles Belgrave's secretary.

Assistance was provided by the Divine Life Society, a religious body, and several individuals such as Shivlal Hemraj, B. Ratilal, Chaturbhujdas Mulchand, Purushottam Naraini (Narain Maharaj, who had already helped establish the first Arabic school in Muharraq) and the prominent Paris social worker Jamshed Marolia.

The school was inaugurated on Dussehra day in 1950 (just 3 years after India got its Independence from the British) and started with three lady teachers and 30-35 students.