A case for the losers
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: May 28, 2013 -

It has become a norm today for different schools and social organizations to join in congratulating and felicitating meritorious students soon after the examination results were out.

With the results of almost all the examinations for class X and XII out by now, the same trend is being witnessed again with endless rounds of functions and events being hosted to honour the toppers and other highest mark scorers in different subjects.

There are occasions in which the same toppers have to rush from one place to another to attend such multiple functions hosted in their honour on a single day.

Yes, indeed, such honours and accolades are good sign and are essential.

Apart from bestowing the due recognition they truly deserved, such attention would also encourage the meritorious students to strive for more success and better performance in their future academic career.

However, in the process, this trend seems to have sent out a wrong message to the students and their parents alike that life is all about academic success and one who could not make the cut is useless for anything in the society.

Even if academic success may precedes success in life, as it opens gateways of opportunities, it would be a fallacy to assume that academic performance alone is the sole and the best indicator of potential for success in life for anyone.

It is but human nature to appreciate the success of someone in their respective fields or feel abhorrence towards even the thought of a loser crossing our path.

It is also true that in any competition or examination, not everyone can be winners, and there have to be many losers, whose number is far greater than the winners.

But it is only the winners or the toppers in the examination that everyone talks about while the poor losers or failures are relegated to the background with no one by their side to console or boost up their spirit for doing better next time.

Here, we should understand the fact that the chaotic world in which we live in today is not only for just a handful of toppers alone but also for the outnumbering failures or losers, who may possibly go on to become the real cause of concern in the well-being of the society if they were not shown the right path or given proper guidance while there is still chance.

So, the same organizations or the institutions which are so eager to sing the paean and shower honour on the toppers should also be concerned about finding ways and means of helping all those who could not make the cut to overcoming their weaknesses.

That would surely ensure more lasting peace and all round development in the society.

After all, the cost of failure is said to be always higher than the price of success.