With the recent heartbreaking news of a girl ending up her life in the educational hub of India- Kota, brings about a more important question to light – Are we really free?
Even after 69 years of independence and living in the 21st century, the idea of freedom is not yet true for all throughout the country. The constitution clearly declares the rights to freedom, the right to choose then why are we not free to decide the educational path we want to walk on to. Forced upon by moral obligations towards family, students fulfill their parents’ dreams instead of their own.
She wanted to be a Scientist but her family wanted her to be an engineer. She tried her best but finally suffocated while trying to live up to their dreams.
It’s easy to find more people who understand this because they have lived it. Look around you. How many people you study with really wanted to become an engineer? Less than expected probably.
They do it because their families expect it of them; because they thought it was the right thing to do. If you, by chance, decide to do something off-track, then get ready for a lifetime of hearing of broken expectations. Attached by strings and ties to so many people, a decision about your career isn’t really yours to take but others do it for you because you are too young, too stupid or just not worth it.
At the age 17 or 18, a student must be allowed to take a decision for their own career. Peer pressure and society’s expectations shouldn’t be put up in front of them. Because it’s no use learning the things you do not wish to and pinning to learn the things you always wanted. It leads to psychological trauma and may result in stress and the student might take a step that can never be reversed. This issue must be taken seriously because we all have seen the result of it being taken for granted.
Sure, we all had dreams in the childhood. Someone wanted to become a pilot or an astronaut or a model or maybe a police officer. But we ended up studying to enter into an engineering college or medical college. That sounds good. That’s expected of us Indian children. Don’t do anything that brings shame to the family and choosing a “road not taken” seems to do the trick.
So I ask again. Are we really free?
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