God save these kids.

Here it goes, something that has been very close to my heart for a very long time. No, the IIT classes haven’t been close to my heart. But the kids who study there have been close to my heart. Well they’re sent there at 15; to live away from their parents. I’m not blaming anybody here; society did that to the kids and everyone who wanted the kids to go and “make their lives worth living”. And the problem starts there.

It gives everyone a high. A make believe situation where the kid suddenly starts to think he/she is meant to be an engineer of the highest order when he/she is selected for one of the so called “prestigious” study centers.

Innocence is lost. Competition begins. Real life – so to say- begins. And that’s when everyone starts believing there isn’t enough for everyone. Even the children who are in their respective homes(I was) and attend coaching classes for their responsible future are made to believe there isn’t enough room for everyone. Because in the end, the kids are ranked.

At 15, we chose what we will supposedly do our entire lives. Once you start on the path of one lifestyle, it’s hard to come out they say. Not for the strong ones. But the weak ones, those who have been brainwashed to an extent they refuse to believe anything besides the fact that they will one day become great engineers and then MBA graduates and earn a lot of money; IT’S BAD. How do we expect 15 year olds to take responsibility? You don’t let them vote, you don’t let them drive, and you don’t let them drink.

What makes you think they are old enough to decide a path for their life?

This will get them a job. They will be working for 40 years in their life. They’ll go to their offices every day, continuously for 40 years. And if they don’t like it and don’t even know they don’t like it, the money in their bank accounts will not make them happy.

OK; all of the above said and done, this isn’t my BIG concern. Well it is, but these kids get to be kids till they’re 15.

What concerns me even more is a newspaper article I read quite some time back. The coaching centers want kids to join them in the 6^th standard itself. So now they want to take 10 year olds and ruin their lives. Congratulations! Add to that a country full of parents who want their kids to be IIT and IIM graduates. And besides that, till you’re 10, you’re never expected to be able to decide what you want from life. In any country at all, in any civilization for that matter. At 10, I didn’t know what the difference between an IIT or an NIT or NIIT is!

You’re a kid. You’ve just reached double digits In terms of existence on the planet. You still cry when u bruise your knee. You don’t even understand why you have a headache, you don’t know what pressure and competition and stress are. You don’t know how studying in school and trying to top in class is ever going to help you in your life. You just live life. You hardly ever think about it. I just hope and pray all the 10 year olds in the country have intelligent parents who understand that.

So now the kids don’t get to decide what they want from life AND they don’t get to live life. Well, fine.As much as I love being an atheist, I’d like to say “God save these kids”.