Image Courtesy: tulunadunews intoday

The recent suicide of a student from an Engineering college in Tamil Nadu has shocked many. The cause of the suicide has not yet been conclusive, However, being forced to go for an engineering course and atrocities committed on the students by college authorities have been cited as the primary reasons. The incident brings to the fore the questions – Are parents pressurising their children into streams of education they are not comfortable with? Are our colleges becoming regressive by the day?

Colleges are the building blocks of future of the country, what a student learns during college defines their destiny and that of the nations. The learning in college includes technical and social aspects. There is no doubt that some of the colleges are aspiring to enable an atmosphere that fosters freedom of thought. However, there are some institutions which are reputed and still seem to implement a strict atmosphere with students being micro managed. Some horrendous stories have come out of these institutions. Parents succumb to the pressure of placements while overlooking the aspirations of their children. How many times have we heard of students being forced into engineering while their interest would be in arts or any other stream?

Incident 1

In more than one college in Tamil Nadu, the interaction of boys and girls is banned. The ban extends even to the college buses where there is a clear demarcation of seats for boys and girls. Any violation has ended up with a suspension and subsequently missing out on their semester exams. Some of the horrific instances narrated by students include their personal diaries being inspected and suspension for wishing a girl “Happy Birthday”.

Incident 2

Recently, students had posted about rural students being ill treated and treated almost like slaves. Pictures of the student beaten were circulated widely on social media.

Questions to ponder – 

1.)Victim’s point of view –  What will be the mind set of the victims as they step into the world looking for a job? How much of an effect will it be on the confidence of the students?

2.) Observer’s point of view – The other students who had witnessed the atrocity, could it actually strengthen the stereotypes of “rural” student being the other India?

3.) The Victim and Observer’s point of view – Are both these set of  student’s denied an opportunity to become an all inclusive leader? How much of a good citizen will they go on to become?

Importance of a free atmosphere at college’s 

The way student’s interact, exchange ideas, pursue passion have a bearing on what the student goes on to become. The smaller details as mentioned will define the kind of person he/she will be and the kind of leader he/she will be. Colleges thrusting their strict rules and syllabuses down the throats of students barely makes them prepared for the life that is ahead.

The Way Forward

The Logical Indian appeals to the parents to be careful in the selection of college for their children and most importantly hear out what their children intend to pursue in their lives. Choice of the course and the college is important. Going by the rising number of suicides one can only conclude that the youngsters are more vulnerable and hence hearing them out is the best way forward. We also appeal to the corporates and other companies who offer jobs to ignore colleges which ill treat their students, more often than not, it is their track record of placements that is being used as a facade for luring students.