DIL  PE  MAT  LE  YAAR…..

Once again I am in a fix. Yesterday I read a full column on “suicidal tendencies” in HT. It has become an annual ritual, the moment board exam begins and there are reports of suicide. Some hang themselves; some try rat kill or phenyl. Kids have become so overstressed that they try killing themselves even before the exam starts. Grades are so important that it is worth to sacrifice a life for them. And who tells kids that they must be the best all the time? Kids are being treated like racing -horse. They must win every time, or they would be shot point blank! So much expectations are loaded off on an innocent brain, that child feels ashamed of himself/herself if he/she is not able to perform according to parents. People think that grades, gold medals and certificates can earn them respect, love, isn’t it amazing? Life can be equally happy and satisfactory even without top grades, in the end we don’t remember people who were in merit list, we remember people who have helped us in tough time, who have been kind and nice. It boosts confidence for the moment but whenever I am sad or lonely I don’t stare at my grades, rather I call my friends.

Another disturbing trend, many of you will laugh at it same as I did: to hang oneself because trauma of rejection/betrayal was too hard to handle. Suicide for fear of exams is explainable (if not acceptable), but giving life for someone who doesn’t cares for you or for the one who was never yours…..isn’t that foolish? Among teenagers love has become a “fast food” sort of item; quick order, quick ingestion and long indigestion. It has been glamorized in such a way by television that it has become a lifestyle disease. And damn it yaar, why everyone thinks of dying be it exams or affairs? Is it some new fashion? May be, I was not aware of it and this idea of hanging myself for a stupid “A” or some worthless person simply doesn’t fascinates. Wouldn’t it be a better option to toss such mark sheet and slap that bustard?

 Nothing wrong with being ambitious or romantic, but this obsession is fatal. This is a time when we all believe that merit makes intelligent and labels make gentleman. Brands don’t make a man gentleman, and academic excellence is no guarantee of being a sensible and good human being. The question is who will tell this to innocent kids?

Here’s a live example of my neighbour, this fellow failed three times in 12^th: maths, science and commerce (in chronogical order), finally managed to sail through in the fourth year with commerce. His proposals got rejected thrice over; flatly! Now the fellow is getting ready for marriage with fourth gal. When I asked him how long will he take to pass higher secondary, his reply was “exams hi to hein, agle saal phir de doonga, kaun sa kumbh ka mela hai ki 12 saal baad aayega?”

Remember that famous quote of Oscar Wilde “a little bit of sincerity is a dangerous thing, a great deal of it is absolutely fatal”. A little bit of insincerity helps a lot. Really.