By Ayush Bhuyan:
On a lazy afternoon last month I woke up from an 8 hour slumber after pulling an all-nighter to finish my assignments. I was probably woken up by the chaos outside my room in the hostel lawn. I rushed outside to see a large crowd and an ambulance. I could see horrified people. I immediately deduced, -another suicide. But I was emotionless, neutral. I did not feel sad or shocked, maybe because it’s getting so common in my college. What actually aroused some emotion in me was the news article the next morning.
The first thing that pops up when thinking of a suicide in IIT is “Academic pressure”. Well that’s exactly what the news article ranted and glorified and I thought to myself “Ah fools, ignorant as always”.
IITs undoubtedly have one of the most rigorous curriculums in the world and why wouldn’t it be? After all it conducts the toughest entrance exam for it. I really don’t think someone with a calibre to clear IIT-JEE would not have the potential of getting at least a 6 pointer with even the least effort. So, academics can be really messed up only if an attempt is deliberately made.
What sometimes actually happens is an “ego clash” rather than actual bad grades. Everybody in IIT is a prior school topper and used to it before getting in. So, those who are weak or mentally immature, develop an inferiority complex when they see equals to themselves. I have seen a friend getting into acute depression because of this. What I don’t understand is why do people come in with such attitude? Why don’t they understand that the mindless race for grades ends with the immature and futile phase of education that is schooling? IIT , in fact a college in general is a place to actually learn, experiment and apply, not to compare your grades with guy next door. It’s more of a place where you develop your personality and inner self; grades are just to disguise the process.
Besides these I don’t see any other reason for such a major step. Reasons could of course be a failed love affair, depression due to death in family or financial crisis etc., but those are not related to IIT, these problems will continue to exist and there’s nothing much that can be done.
Oh and by the way speaking of love affairs and adding a bit of humour to the article, lack of women in the campus could be one major reason for suicides. The female to male ratio is just 10%! Okay, jokes apart.
So, the fault is not in the system. It is not IIT’s fault if it considers its students to have unreal potential. It was you who decided to prepare for IIT-JEE and how can you expect all milk and roses when the entrance itself is tough as hell? So, if you mess up your grades you don’t have to rush to the market and get a rope to hang yourself. It’s your fault and you can’t get away with it doing nothing, which is cowardly. Why punish the people who care for you with something that you have done? What will haunt your parents for most of their lives is not your loss but the thought that their child was so weak and pathetic. Many would say what if the person’s situation is rotten and there was no other option left, seriously? If grades are not improving and you’re frustrated and just when you think there’s no hope left, just throw the damn books away, tear them apart, and burn them! Get outside, get some sun! Go party hard; go out with your girlfriend. Dance on the streets because no matter how bad things get now it’s still better than death.
Remember, today is the first day of the rest of your life. Stay happy.
Image: A scene from the movie 3 Idiots.