Prove your self!!

Entering the room and being the second person to reach for the test and the interview, it made sense to say that I had made a good start. There was an unsettling silence in the gathering room that made things worse. As the rest of the candidates came in uncertain about whether their selection would happen, there was no conversation or bonding encouraged neither did anyone make the effort towards the introductions. As we sat there awaiting our fate there came a student with the attendance sheet. It seemed some were late so we had to wait some more for them. But it proved futile, mostly I believe due to recent happenings. After the wait we were introduced to the supervisors (who were students assigned to take up the job of facilitating the test). A small presentation later the question papers were distributed. And then began the race to finish the test. I was done is a short while. As I sat there after 30 min(the test was of the duration of 60 min) . I wondered what kept all the others busy. I was reminded of the nerds in school who would bend over the answers sheets in an attempt to devour it, and their backs would only straighten when the final bell had been rung. After the test we were treated to some snacks before facing the panel of interviewers ( a well fed animal to the slaughter or so I guessed). I made desperate attempts to calm my nerves by pacing, but to no avail.

As I entered the lions den, there were 4 interviewers waiting to rip me apart. I had heard that the previous day people coming out of the interview room with dread written all over their faces. I pictured my self going into the den but returning from there was an uncertainty. As I adjusted my tie and took my file I felt confident outmaneuver them. The questions were few, and the panel seemed stern faced to every response making it hard to assess my chances. The whole ordeal was over in 15 min.

May it be scientific publications that have to be reviewed by a peer review committee and prove their credibility, or for that matter a simple contest to win over a love interest, there is inescapable competition to every dimension of living. Renaissance took into consideration the leisurely aspect of individuals and allowed art to flourish, Leonardo da vinci or Michaelangelo would not have been possible outcomes otherwise. Now more than ever with the increasing demand for subsistence and the nature of the market there is an increasing need to prove to peers and colleagues what skills can be put to use in the scenario. But does proving to individuals have to be an event that degrades the dignity of the person, does it have to be something that is a barter. Selection in a particular area is no longer an event that tests the ability of the individual. I feel lucky to be in a place where there still is a semblance of intellect. With the mushrooming of private institutes all over there is genuine concern whether the students are lucky enough to get what they are promised, in spite of fulfilling the criteria. The live and print media don’t make things much easier. I have learnt that the best things are not available freely , do not have a ungodly price attached to it and do not have to struggle to be in the limelight. But as a teacher once told me in school “success it 1 % talent and 99% hard work“. It may seem to be a misnomer in times now, but the old adage has not failed individuals.

The irony though is that i am here sitting in front of the PC writing this out, to make known the fact that life requires people to prove themselves time and again. Systems need this constant proof of faith in their ability to want to sustain individuals. It is the norm that people be selected out of many individuals, that each one competes at the same level, and that some come out of the grueling exercise unscathed while others become part of the statistic. Some are more privileged than the rest where policymakers have made way for a selected few. There are times when even after the selection there are no guarantee that the position is not rendered indispensable if so viewed by the peers. There are those who take the liberty of crushing the spirit of an individual even after being selected to colleges (as reported in incidents of abuse and ragging). Individuals who haven’t had the opportunity of seeing the outside world before their selection know little of handling situations like these.

All said and done even if this article may seem despondent, it is written to enumerate all the events students at large have to surpass to reach their ultimate goals. It is for all those who have to overcome harrowing experiences, learnt the rope tricks and succeeded to run a society as large as ours. And it is also for all those who have made sure to make the necessary changes in their approach when they themselves become peers.