TODAY -

Degree Certificate for Survival
- Part 1 -

R.K. Shivachandra *



Some thirty winters have gone by, I bid him adieu with a heavy heart at a school by the river of Hooghly, and this is where the little one had to pursue his studies in three grades. It was all for the best and hopefully a venture into the bright new world. He was too small and the school was too big.

The hostel superintendent chopped off the earring dangled at my son's ear with a scissor and handed it back to me. She declared "Earrings are meant for girls not for the boys". I nodded in submission. Not long ago there was a big Nahutpa ceremony (ear-piercing day) for my son at home. Friends and relatives came by and the function was celebrated with great fanfare and my son was the most blessed-boy of the day.

A self-reprimanding effect and trepidation impacted me and a question crept up within. Why? He is too small and tender, how on earth should one languish in a hostel like this which is thousands of miles away from home. His age deserves full parental attention round the clock. Am I doing good or bad? I could not give the answer…I prayed for the best and left the answer on the lap of destiny.

Time was running out. In a short while, the hostel superintendent would take him inside the hostel. While offering him the best sweets and bakes, I console my son not to shed a tear when dad leaves the hostel.

"Are you sure you wouldn't weep" I demanded. He nodded 'yes' but his pink cheeks on milky face told a different story. He was pensive and frown and his most favourite biscuits were seen lying uneaten in dry tiny palm. Time for goodbye has come, I hugged him tightly, wishing him to give me more strength and courage in the new school.

The little one spoke no languages other than his own mother tongue. I was in bewilderment, not very sure whether he would be able to follow the instructions of the hostel. It was a feeling that I had never experienced before and I realized that was the pain of being a father.

Hostel superintendent suddenly appeared and ordered me to take a quick leave of the place so that she could take my son inside the hostel. Without wasting a time, she led the boy by hand and spiralled up through a narrow staircase of the school building. The young one looks back at me, seemingly so reluctant to his new home. I sneaked a glance of crystal-clear tear drops in the corner of his lovely eyes. I pretended as if I had not seen it. Suddenly he disappeared in the staircase.

The cab driver who waited for me outside the school gate was almost in his afternoon napping in the driver's seat. There had been a lot of goodbyes in my life but it was never the same this time. I shrank into the back seat and exhaled a heavy breath and the cab started moving. The road leading to the city was dusty and bumpy. Alongside the streaming Holy Ganges that arose from Gangotri, an unbridled stream of tiny Gangotri began to flow in the corner of my eyes too.

Not long ago a brave father threatened his son not to shed a single tear and now he could not resist his own. He cried aloud to his heart's content like a small boy in the silent cab with no one to listen to except for the driver who shared the pain silently.

Hoogly-Bhaghirathi swamped up in the rainy seasons and her flow and roar was audible from afar in the silent valley road. As the Holy River flows down to the Bay of Bengal my tears of excitement also flow down to the memory lane where the small one had landed first in my arms in the form of the most precious gift of the world.

Sometimes, I could see the swamped parents that crowded the lanes and by- lanes of Imphal, who ferry their children to respective tuition centres, all busy on a soporific routine right from dawn to dusk just for the sake of their loved ones. The rat-race in the illusive amphitheatre of success and dreaded cut -throat competition became more visible and they are the 'relentless' parents of the modern days.

Whether one manages their children to pursue studies outside the state or one studies in Manipur doesn't make much difference when it comes to the expenditure aspects. The overall tuition fees for respective subjects soar up too high and every parent irrespective of middle-class or rich are inevitably to cough up with the fast-changing trend of the society. The concern of parents is indeed selfless, unfathomable and it is all about sacrifice and dedication.

Of late, I had been to a small hamlet in a hill station of Manipur where I came across a young Meetei boy, in a small rented hut. He was all alone in the tiny room, fully concentrating to appear for the ensuing 12th grade examination. He does not have a father to take him to tuition class. He doesn't cry for a smart phone for poverty had already muffled his mouth.

His father was poor and mostly working in the brickfield. The father and son duo had reached this small hamlet to make a living through manual jobs. While fighting the dreaded enemy 'poverty' they have not been able to acquire even a piece of homestead of their own, they purely survive on daily wages, working whatever comes before them. What struck me most was the young man's curiosity and enthusiasm for learning. He was such a lovely soul in the remote village, far away from the madding crowd yet he was never exhausted in endeavouring to become a successful man in life and to grow alone the wild orchid way.

Parents also need to digest why they blow up thousands of rupees. The more critical aspect is the question whether our children can tackle any awkward situation at any time. Also how they can earn and live. Education should go along with its essence, without which, education with some bookish principle, cannot make a man perfect. What do we want them to become? Money should not make an approach road to success.

An elderly local uncle, who held a top post of a government office in the early days once told me in his tears welled-up eyes. "Never expose your emotional compassion to your children, treasure it in the core of your heart silently". I listened to him in stony silence. My local uncle was indeed an influential and capable gentleman, who throughout his career, was known for his generosity and kindness.

He had been blessed with three healthy sons who were all destined to lead and succeed. They all studied in prestigious schools outside of Manipur. My local uncle had a humble beginning with a poor family background. He had faced numerous challenges and life was full of shortfalls during his childhood days. The long ordeal and agonizing journey of life inflicted him a sense that his children should not face any awkward situation in life and he always wanted them to live as happily as a happy prince.

That is why when his son asked for a sum of Rs 3000 he would not hesitate to double it up by adding another Rs 3000 more and he was happy in doing so. In due course of time, all his three sons became drug users and addicted to it. Easy money and easy living attitude had done badly. None of them survived. My local uncle said, "My sons were innocent and wanted to live more".

He sobbed and continued. "I strangulated and murdered them with my own hands". My local uncle failed to reach the most important education of life, how he had passed through the 'struggle of existence' to his sons. How he had survived the pitches of bullets fired through the barrel of poverty, was a missing lesson for his sons. Today, the small mistake sparked off and it took a heavy toll in his life.

To be continued...



R.K. Shivachandra
* R.K. Shivachandra contributes regularly to e-pao.net
The writer was President, Indo Myanmar Fraternal Alliance and is Convener of Act East Policy, Manipur
He can be contacted at nongpokharam(at)gmail(dot)com


This article was posted on June 05, 2022 .



* Comments posted by users in this discussion thread and other parts of this site are opinions of the individuals posting them (whose user ID is displayed alongside) and not the views of e-pao.net. We strongly recommend that users exercise responsibility, sensitivity and caution over language while writing your opinions which will be seen and read by other users. Please read a complete Guideline on using comments on this website.




LATEST IN E-PAO.NET
  • 31st Governor Cup Polo Tournament : Gallery
  • Violence in Manipur 2023-2025 : Timeline
  • PM welcome to Manipur: Feel the reality
  • Kainkhol wins best Social Message Film Award
  • Distortion of facts: Manipur sports movement
  • Govt services reach Manipur's tribal villages
  • 134th Durand Cup Trophies Flag Off
  • COVID-19: Update 05 July 2025 : Manipur
  • How to take care of oily skin in monsoon
  • First-Ever Tripura Esports Championship
  • Konung Kang Chingba #1 : Gallery
  • Manipur Iskcon's 25th Ratha Yatra 2025
  • Native Threshing machine made for farmers
  • COVID-19: Update 04 July 2025 : Manipur
  • Riso Ejang: Youth-led Transformation
  • Include males too in addressing HPV
  • Whispers from the past :: Poem
  • LPU opens permanent outreach centre
  • Raj Bhavan moving on the right track
  • Speculations over PM Modi's visit to state
  • Colonial Knowledge Production in NE #7
  • Make Yourself Visible to Opportunity
  • Orange bowl: tradition with ecological wisdom
  • 10 ways to keep a kitchen garden disease free
  • Between PR, military mandates & AFSPA
  • Allocation fund for MLALAD Fund during PR
  • Denounces Killing of KNA Deputy C-in-C
  • COVID-19: Update 03 July 2025 : Manipur
  • Cases of fake Aadhaar cards
  • Sincere dealing must for stricter Aadhaar
  • Archaeology: Culture of Manipur : Booklet
  • Wanna be a singer? Get Botox
  • A Central institute in Manipur
  • Nagging in the name of love
  • COVID-19: Update 02 July 2025 : Manipur
  • 'Benefits' of Indira's Emergency
  • Social Stigma :: Poem
  • Inking a peace pact: Why, how: SoO quagmire
  • Van Mahotsav under shadow of declining forest
  • 11th Th Kishan Memorial Lecture : Gallery
  • Shinthoibi, Jangvei, Tamphaton : eMing
  • Manipur crisis & the Left media's blind spot
  • COVID-19: Update 01 July 2025 : Manipur
  • Bombom RK : Musclemania Universe NYC
  • The Grief :: Poem
  • Music Concert & Quiz (MCQ) 2.0
  • SoO agreement unlikely to be scrapped
  • Regulating use of plastic carry bags
  • Mera Houchongba @Kangla #4 : Gallery
  • International Day of Yoga @JNMDA : Gallery
  • BD Behring: The inimitable Gentleman I knew
  • Violence in the name of patriotism : Misguided
  • Daily oral vs long-acting injectable for HIV
  • COVID-19: Update 30 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Smile :: Poem
  • Why was President's Rule imposed ?
  • BJP under pressure to forge unity
  • Kang @Leikai in Imphal : Gallery
  • July Calendar for Year 2025 : Tools
  • COVID-19 : A recurring crisis in Manipur
  • DC Kaith and Forestry in Manipur : Book
  • COVID-19: Update 29 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Longing for Peace :: Poem
  • Black badge, slogan protest by peeved scribes
  • Present the true picture before Delhi
  • Pung-Cholom @ Polo Tournament : Gallery
  • Life: A Journey Through Thought & Being
  • Khongjai Hills & Kuki claim to indigeneity
  • Master Time by Managing Information
  • COVID-19: Update 28 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Pride & patriotism in CCpur's army families
  • The Power of Poppy - 87 :: Poem
  • World Decarbonisation Day: green environment
  • Welcome Home - Nganthoi #2 : Gallery
  • Loss of two precious lives from Manipur
  • Balancing civil liberties with public safety
  • COVID-19: Update 27 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Gender equality & human rights are indivisible
  • Stay hydrated this summer season
  • Silent Half of the Sun :: Poem
  • Connecting the dots in the wishlist
  • Assembly record tampering claims by ex-CM
  • The immortal legacy of Pukhramba Kajao
  • International Day against Drug Abuse 2025
  • COVID-19: Update 26 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Black pottery from Ukhrul - tribal heritage
  • Program on "Mission-Drug Free Campus"
  • Play makes a better world
  • Urgent Appeal to the Honourable MLAs
  • Tribal Empowerment Campaign at CCpur
  • Talk doing the round: PM to come
  • 'Emergency' relief for under-fire BJP
  • Golden Jubilee Art Fair @Imphal : Gallery
  • Declaration: Meetei People Convention, Delhi
  • A Flower Among the Rocks :: Review
  • Book Donation Campaign
  • Improved road connectivity boosts livelihoods
  • To Have Great Dreams :: Poem
  • COVID-19: Update 25 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Regret vs Sorry: Technical & moral insight
  • Cocktail of inept Govt, selfish people
  • State trailing others in cleanliness
  • Colonial Knowledge in NE India #6
  • UHI effect & rising temperatures in Manipur
  • Frequent road blockades cripple economy
  • COVID-19: Update 24 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Unite Health with Community health services
  • NSU, Imphal, tops IIRF Ranking 2025
  • Endless conflict :: Poem
  • Pak nobel pish prize for Trump
  • May 3, 2023 - June 24, 2025: Failure of Delhi
  • Hotter days, sudden rainfall no more a rarity
  • "The Great June Uprising" #2 : Gallery
  • How to Build a Career, Lead with Purpose
  • 2nd Foundation Day- Karnataka Meitei Assn
  • COVID-19: Update 23 June 2025 : Manipur
  • NSCN-IM Amnesty threatens to isolate it
  • Sunset :: Poem
  • Intl Yoga Day for a healthier environment
  • Of clogged drains and plastics
  • Poor roads testify Govt indifference
  • Welcome Home - Nganthoi #1 : Gallery
  • The Silent Erosion of Manipuri Language
  • Design health services around people
  • Serene Hills Host Inspiring Int'l Yoga Day
  • COVID-19: Update 22 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Chopper services between Senapati & Imphal
  • High Court Judges interacted with convicts
  • Redyeing the Fabric :: Poem
  • Differences yet to be resolved stand
  • Border fencing rage as solution eludes
  • Radio E-pao: 14 new songs updated
  • Climate Adaptive Agroforestry
  • Manipur overlooked demographic shifts
  • Young designers shine on Fashion Stage
  • COVID-19: Update 21 June 2025 : Manipur
  • International Day of Yoga at Lamphelpat
  • International Day of Yoga at JNMDA
  • The Power of Poppy - 86 :: Poem
  • Keishampat Lairembi Haraoba #1 : Gallery
  • Crisis in Manipur's Contemporary Education
  • Best 8 Performances in Manipuri Cinema
  • Identity: Caught between China & India ?
  • COVID-19: Update 20 June 2025 : Manipur
  • To The Father Who Listens :: Poem
  • How does net suspension affect youths ?
  • Targeting farmers to cripple state's economy
  • The virus is back and spreading
  • Who is afraid of Manipur ?
  • A threatened lily growing at Shirui Hills
  • World Environment Day in Manipur : Gallery
  • Ambubachi Mela at Maa Kamakhya
  • COVID-19: Update 19 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Dolls made from repurposed vegetable refuse
  • Condemns Attack on Farmer & Killing
  • Abhorrent politics of SoO
  • Police arrogance on harmless drivers
  • "The Great June Uprising" #1 : Gallery
  • Solution from Buddhist & Jain perspectives
  • AI sparks employment concerns in Manipur
  • Greatest Foe :: Poem
  • Chief Justice at Relief Camp, Kangpokpi
  • Call for Recognition of a 3rd Category of IDPs
  • Jun 18, 2001- May 3, 2023: Seed of violence
  • Contract scam in hill districts
  • Colonial Knowledge in NE India #5
  • Spaced Out - Panthung Di Kadaaida! : Rvw
  • Condemns the Killing of Abdul Qadir
  • COVID-19: Update 17 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Thoubal aspirant makes Manipur proud
  • Tamenglong hospital brings quality healthcare
  • Chief Justice at Relief Camp, Mayang Imphal
  • Kuki CM & Sixth Schedule
  • Selective protests, selective silence
  • Nailing the culprits need of the hour
  • UK Meetei diaspora run for Myanmar : Gallery
  • Erwin Khundrakpam : NEET-UG 2025 topper
  • Will we rise to #endAIDS challenge or stumble
  • COVID-19: Update 16 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Appeal to Prime Minister: Manipur Crisis
  • Urges Action on Misinformation
  • Condolences : 2 young cabin crew
  • Grateful To Be Alive :: Poem
  • Making bonfire on the roads
  • Aggression yet again, inspite of playing victim
  • Aftermath of flooding @ Khurai #2 : Gallery
  • Zomia, geopolitics, & the struggle for unity
  • COVID-19: Update 15 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Condolences : Demise of 2 Manipuri Girls
  • Manipur unites in grief after Air India tragedy
  • Hail arms recovery as step toward peace
  • Cleanliness Drive at JNIMS Campus
  • Global Wind Day for a clean environment
  • First came the rain, then the heat
  • Rise in Covid-19 cases
  • Thang-Ta Day @Khuman Lampak #3 : Gallery
  • Meetei diaspora in UK runs for Myanmar victim
  • Manipur empower children with disabilities
  • COVID-19: Update 14 June 2025 : Manipur
  • World Blood Donor Day 2025
  • The Power of Poppy - 85 :: Poem
  • A Northeast Gin Makes Its Mark
  • Mera Houchongba @Kangla #3 : Gallery
  • Saluting Nganthoi, Lamnunthem : Joining hand
  • Condolence : Nganthoi & Lamnunthem
  • 50 years of Pebet #2 : Gallery
  • Indo-Naga Talks (From 2012) :: Timeline
  • Colonial Knowledge in NE India #4
  • Namphake Monastery @ Dibrugarh : Gallery
  • Protest @Checkon -AT arrest [Jun 9] : Gallery
  • Protests - AT arrest [Jun 8 night] : Gallery
  • Aftermath of flooding @ Khurai #1 : Gallery
  • /li>
  • Flooding at JNIMS Hospital #2 : Gallery
  • North East NSS Festival @ MU : Gallery
  • 27th Meira Paibi Numit : Gallery
  • Trump's tariff legacy & its global echo
  • Flooding at JNIMS Hospital #1 : Gallery
  • Flooding Imphal East [31 May] #3 : Gallery
  • Flooding Imphal East [31 May] #2 : Gallery
  • Flooding Imphal East [31 May] #1 : Gallery
  • S Nirupama @Miss Universe : Gallery
  • Protesters to Raj Bhavan [May 25]: Gallery
  • Human Chain @Airport road [May 26]: Gallery
  • Miss Shirui Pageant Contestant: Gallery
  • 48 hrs Bandh: protest security forces: Gallery
  • Protest Rally: Journalist harassment: Gallery
  • HSLC 2025: Full Result (Check Roll No)
  • HSLC 2025: Important Info & Grading System
  • HSLC 2025 : Compartmental candidates
  • HSLC 2025 : Comparative Statement
  • HSLC 2025 : Statistical Abstract
  • HSLC 2025 : District Pass Percentage
  • HSLC 2025 : Govt School Pass %
  • HSLC 2025 : Aided School Pass %
  • HSLC 2025 : Private School Pass %
  • People's Convention on 3rd May #2 : Gallery
  • Featured Front Page Photo 2025 #2: Gallery
  • Riya Khwairakpam : HSE Science Topper
  • Keisham Hannah : HSE Arts Topper
  • Warepam Lidia : HSE Commerce Topper
  • HSE 2025 Result : Science Full Result
  • HSE 2025 Result : Arts Full Result
  • HSE 2025 Result : Commerce Full Result
  • HSE 2025 Information / Abbreviation
  • HSE 2025 Topper : Science
  • HSE 2025 Topper : Arts
  • HSE 2025 Topper : Commerce
  • HSE 2025 : Pass Percentage
  • HSE 2025 : Result Abstract
  • HSE 2025 : Candidates with Highest Marks
  • Ougri Lirol :: Part 1 : Ooba Video
  • President's Rule in Manipur : 1967 - 2025
  • Downloadable Manipuri Calendar :: 2025