I read in the newspaper about Aishwarya Reddy & again thought of how can we help! She was a student of Lady Shriram College, New Delhi. Resident of the hostel with no background to support her. She had also written to Filmstar Sonu Sood of her plight. The teachers & students claim that she had not talked about her difficulties.
I know first hand from a lady in distress that we do talk with our friends but leave all the painful things on the backburner. As if they are going to disappear because you don’t confront them. I know Aishwarya is one of those who really would have appreciated our help. What struck me is her zeal to study. In the note she left behind she says,’I can’t live without studying!’
For all those who are made to study by their parents to the student who wished to study I wonder how we can help them. How to identify & approach them. Many of them are too proud to take help or reveal their financial problems. Without injuring their self esteem what measures can we take.
I am personally at cross roads where I can go out & help. But I need such genuine students who need help. They can achieve heights unknown till date. Such students that have been pioneers to stride along the path of college or university, first generation to be educated in the family.
She was pressed for money for her hostel dues. Her family is in Tamil Nadu, father a mechanic & mother who stitches, but the lock down brought a fall in their income. Garnering around Rs10,000 or less, if they are to pay Rs30,000 for the hostel, how would it be possible? A younger sister who must have looked up to her. The college was set to open but she had no money to go to Delhi or to buy a laptop to continue her online classes.
I remember the teachers reminding students to pay their fees when I was in school & also those teachers who paid for a few. But we have no system in place to take care of such students on a regular basis!
They have the motivation, persistence but no finance, how can we help that no other Aishwarya takes such a drastic step & leaves back a shattered dream, a grieving family ?
Asian Entertainment 