Last week, while I was giving a lecture in my class on Wordsworth's poem 'To the Skylark', a certain thought crept in my mind. I was explaining the lines:
'A privacy of glorious light in thine/
Whence thou dost pour upon the world a flood/
Of harmony, with instinct more divine.

In these lines the poet expresses that the skylark has got a privilege, exclusively of its own, a privilege to sing both in the heaven and the earth. The bird can fly to the heaven and come down to earth at will. The bird has seen the beauty and the goodness of the heaven. He asks the bird to bring a flood of divine love, a flood of harmony from the heaven and pour upon this world where there is trouble, anxieties all around. If so, the world will become a better place to live in.

On reading these lines, my mind does not fail to respond to the present state of affairs in our Manipur where privilege classes fly away from this state in search of their livelihood especially the students who seek other parts of the country for their further studies and never think to return again for their good. If this present trend continues for another one or two decades then what will be our Manipur in the next twenty or thirty years.

'Studying outside the state' a simple phrase, but one can see a world of meanings under this phrase. It means many things to many students and parents. If the matter is brought up for discussion as a topic like, 'Is it fashion or compulsion to send our children to outside state for further studies?'. The later word 'compulsion' outweighs the former 'fashion' though there is a certain degree of pride in ourselves if we can send our children to study in other parts of the country.

For the word 'compulsion', first the law and order situation in the state is passing from bad to worse each year which affects the academic calendar and academic environment in our society. During the past many years, Manipur has suffered severe academic loss on account of strikes and agitations. Most of the strikes and agitations are triggered by over a variety of issues concerning the law and order situation of the state and loss of many lives.

With agitations and strikes becoming a feature of Manipuri society, the academic community of the state remains worried about its impact on the system of education. Already the number of students enrolling in colleges have come down. Such phenomenon further dissuade parents from sending their wards in the schools and colleges in Manipur.

Though little it may be in their earnings the parents think it safe to send their children to study outside the state. Whether their children get the desired knowledge and employment by reading in other states, becomes secondary in the midst of such prevailing situations where innocents die for no fault of theirs.

While today's world is just like a family, a global village, it again becomes a wider place today, as aspirants are looking to all the directions. The information available through the internet, e-mails have made enquiries easier about the course of study, mode of admission and fee-structures with a few clicks of the mouse. This has encouraged the eagerness to the students and parents to leave their home state. How have things changed now and what a difference between 'now' and 'then'?

From where this 'mad rush' or 'wild rush' starts for our young students. First the rich and well-to-do parents have a greater part to play. In the high school and higher secondary stage of education, instead of exploring the potentials within their children's brain, they rush for private tuitions. The parents seldom believe in the teaching of the class room whether it is Government or private schools.

Engagement of Private tutors, which the parents see is the surest way to success. This may benefits to some degree to a small number of students but generally as a whole engagement of private tutors only make the tutors richer in their financial assets and bank balances while the students become poorer in terms of their parents' exaggerated hopes.

In times of entrance examinations for various degree of stream, when their children fail to strike at the bull's eye which only a few meritorious intellect win, then they began to look for other options. Here the buying powers that prevails and here begins the frantic rush for 'donation seats' in the colleges and universities outside the state.

Very often, we come across parents who have no idea about the course of study in which they insist their children to study. Very often we come across students who have no idea why they are studying the course. Their choice mainly depends on if you fail to one stream why not you try for others. They did not get into the medical college so they are trying their hands in Engineering. They didn't get into the engineering colleges they are studying computer science.

Very often this leads to a situation where students are at a loss at the cross road of their lives while the parents have their hopes in the moon in the hope that their children are studying in big cities and that will bring them fate and fortune at the end.

So, the important point to be noted here is that more importantly we should educate ourselves on the carrier and option available first and guide our children accordingly. It is good to dream and more important work is to turn the dream into reality.

Students, you have to go to outside to seek the green pastures there, to study further with the definite idea of returning back to our home so that you have to help your near and dear ones who are deprived of the facilities of studying outside. You have to use your merit and skill for the benefit of your society.

If all of you intellects go away and only the residue remains here, our state will get dirtier in the years to come.