Worry never ends, especially for parents whose children are on the brink of starting a career. The anxiety before an exam is apprehensible more among the parents than the students themselves. Then it is to be followed by another bout of anxiety; a speculative anxiety about the child`s performance during the exam. Parents tend to think more about the performance then their children. It does not end here. There is also anxiety after the exam when results are awaited. Another bigger anxiety is when the results are out. For those students who have done really well worries for their parents is a bit of a far off thing. Because they can take a temporary relief, knowing that their child will take a decisive road with the performance their child have exhibited. For those parents whose children have fared really bad, there is also minimal anxiety. Because they also can take a temporary relief, knowing that their child will take a decisive road of sitting another exam the following year. The most worried are those parents whose children have performed a little above the mediocre and a little below the best. They stand on a tassel, pregnant with the possibility of taking different roads – An above-average anxiety, standing on the crossroads.
GOING OUTSIDE: for higher education is as common as common salt. Leipung will not spoil the day by deliberating on the issue like a fashionable academic, which we have too many, popularly known as a˜resource person. We are not interested in celebrating our woeful ignorance, that too, in broad day light. Parents want their children to study outside the state. They just want it. Very simple, let`s add no complications. One of the most sought after destination is the capital city of India. As we need not mention that the capital city is one of the most vibrant city not only in terms of the decibel of its political drumbeats, but also of many factors as well. Higher education is one such asset the city can be really proud of. We need not share that the best rainfall is here to reap a proud harvest of the golden crop called the IAS. Besides, some of the public face of the state, with name and face on the news (not for wrong reason) often are those who have had a feel of Delhi`s heat and cold. Hey! Those who have studied at other places are also among the public faces. We do not undermine you. It so happened that this summer leipung lands up in the national capital to be part of the educational carnival. Imagine a carnival with temperature above forty degree Celsius. That does not dampen the spirit of anyone who had come to take part in the carnival. Though there was physical dampness because of the heat. You got to replace it with some cool fluid to move along. We saw a few good numbers of public faces with their children who had arrived to be part of the carnival. Most of them have taken leave from their work, we love such concern anyway. The scene at the university campus befits itself to be called a carnival. The centralized form which has the list of all the colleges under the varsity and the subjects offered makes it easier for students to choose their subjects and institutions. Students and parents from all parts of the country congregate here in the campus. As goes the convention, to get the forms and to summit it before the last date arrives, our faces were the prominent ones on the last date. Finally the choice of college heavily depended on the cut off percentage offered by institution concern. Again, a pinch of anxiety waiting for the cut off list to be published on the news papers. Then it is followed by second list, third list and so on. Those who got the top colleges at the first list make it a point to admit their ward as early as possible. For those who could not make it through the first list; they had to wait for the second list, tossing with the heat.
TO STAY: Somewhere near the campus after the admission is over, garners another battle for the students. As hostel seats are very much limited, students have to hunt for private hostels and paying guest facility. This is one of the biggest hurdles. It is true that students particularly from Bihar and the Northeast feed thousands of families around the campus. That may probably be one of the reasons for not building enough hostels for the students. The prices of the rent have gone up to a large extend. We can understand how parents struggle to send regular money to their children every month. But we cannot understand how some parents manage to put their children at air conditioned rooms. These rooms ask for rupees seven thousand minimum per month as rent. Add another rupees, three to four thousand as monthly expenses. Finally it will total up to around ten thousand a month for the kid. Next time you find government employees asking for extra favor under the table, please make sure to find out whether the employee`s son/daughter studies in Delhi by staying in an air-conditioned room. This place is famous for insecurity, particularly for women. And yet many turn up to study at this place. We are not surprise to find girl students more in number seeking a place in many of the colleges and also for a place to stay. May we add a bottom line that quality education comes with a lots and lots of money into it? And the only sad part is that the parents have to struggle real hard to give access of higher education to their children by any means available under the sun. Nonetheless, we wish all the best to those who have made it through to study at DELHI. We hope they will add more meaning to our existence and even add more meaning to the blissful existence of our a resource person in general, and lead us to the path of glory and prosperity by working under the table.
FOOTNOTE: Mobile phones have done magic with our lives, which is quite undeniable. Yet, some our too young; youngsters have gone overboard by taking extra liberty of sending messages, which even more goes beyond the bedroom line of matured adults. Leipung Ningthou calls it a wireless ki chei waatpaâ.