I may become part of the ‘lost generation’ that cannot fulfil its aspirations
Iam a student of one of Srinagar’s premier educational institutions: Amar Singh College. It is a college that is more than a century old but sadly our educational life has been severely blighted due to various phases of uprising and violence during the last few years. Whatever happens outside the college — in terms of injuries, killings, arrests — has a direct impact on how we get shaped as students inside the hallowed portals of our colleges and universities.
Our classes get regularly cancelled, our semesters almost washed out, our exams cancelled or postponed at the last minute, our results mostly delayed. My entire generation, especially those of us from non-privileged backgrounds (who often get caught between lofty ideals and harsh realities of securing livelihood) continues to suffer.
Consequently one finds himself between a rock and a hard place. Even when I will finish my degree and get results, I may have missed the tight deadlines for entrance and admissions in universities in India or overseas. I cannot even give a clear answer to a simple question — when do you expect your results to be out?
Many young Kashmiris like me have to compete with millions of students for further studies or professions and yet we are at a severe disadvantage because we have to endure patchy studies, exams for which we are not fully prepared, and a reputation for being under-educated. We try to compensate for the loss of classes by learning through internet.
These days even the internet gets unplugged in the valley from time to time. Imagine a student preparing his project with no access to web. This has happened to me a few times, leaving me dejected and flustered. It happens to my peers all the time. I fear I may become part of the ‘lost generation’ that cannot fulfil its aspirations because the vicious cycle of violence simply refuses to abate.