Now,why does this happen??
How do youngsters who've coped with a stress-buster like IITJEE barely into their teens,get so worked up in a place like IIT which give wings to the thinkers,freedom to explore to the rebels,a chance to discover themselves to the confused ones,and a sound environment for the ones who know their true calling.It is the confused category,to which people generally belong,and hence begin to feel lost when they see so much happening around them.They sure try hard to fit in,and to establish themselves but IIT is just that kind of a place.More than the academic pressure or the societal mores,it is this feeling of being alone amongst a thousand,that is actually the root cause.We can ponder on why it happened,but there can be no valid reason,I'm sorry for committing such a grave and sinister act,which is absolutely beyond logic.It's like saying that the end of life is the end of all problems.Mate,you got it wrong and we are all sorry about that.
Also,since the IITs are like this hallowed home in a country that really doesn't have much to be happy about,Do we blow this out of proportion??
The incessant media coverage forces me to believe that yes,it is indeed a little hyped but hey,that is no excuse for trying to cover things up.And Dear Dean of IITM,Please,IT IS NOT FUCKING STATISTICALLY UNIMPORTANT.Yes Sir,you did no wrong in all of this and are in no way responsible,but being a little sensitive and less of a motormouth would have been nice.Even the system is only slightly at fault,due to its silly obsession with numbers.It is rigorous,but then it is a harbinger of the nation's best minds.It deserves to be rigorous,give them more and more challenges and prepare them for the demons of workaholicism,that lurk outside,smacking their lips and ready to pouch on them,knowing that these are indeed their best bet.The college deserves that much,and trust me it is not like we are being killed with 8 hrs of lectures like the doctors,or classes after classes like the CA's.It is indeed a balanced system,with,as I said,a little more adherence to numbers than their should be.But then,Is there such a thing as a perfect system?
To reduce this malaise,I feel that people should stop treating IIT as an antibiotic-a cure for all problems,or as an easy way to succeed in life.It is primarily an institute for engineers and thinkers,and not wannabes who just want to live off the IIT Brand,which by the way,is kinda my plan too.Disinterest and lack of spirit in whatever you do,can really cause a catastrophe and it is really time for parents and students alike,to understand that.It is akin to surviving and flourishing in a place where an entirely different language is being spoken,as my friends on foreign interns might be realizing .India is changing and we need to think beyond the Doctor-Engineer route.Amongst other possibilities , a revamp of the curriculum-as in the syllabus,including more real life elements with an emphasis on basic skills,would be a good heads up.
On the personal level,a lot has been done and said about student counsellors ,but then they are redundant if the student does not go and tell him his problems,which most of us actually fail to realize.For a start,people need to talk about this more seriously,and not treat it like it's sex or something-a supposed taboo topic. The onus is on the students and parents to change an entire train of thought.
IIT needs to be the tough guy,people.Softening it up ain't a solution.To end I'd like to quote one of my favourite writers
“You have a choice. Live or die. Every breath is a choice. Every minute is a choice. To be or not to be.”
Ernest Hemmingway
