Going abroad – Surely not a goal to die for?
The other day, I came across the story of a 21-year-old boy, Sanjay, who had hanged himself from the ceiling fan in his room after his Australian student visa application was rejected. This story highlights the deep-rooted aspiration among a segment of middle class that wants to leave Indian shores. And sometimes the price to pay for it is simply too high.
Many Indian youth feel that going abroad is a way to escape the
intense competition for jobs and career opportunities in India. The sheer number
of youngsters graduating from high-schools aspiring for a limited number of
seats in the professional educational institutions filters out a large
percentage of students.
The reservation policies adopted and enhanced by successive
governments at central and state levels further exacerbate this sense of
anguish when youth from “general merit” category is planning for their future. It
starts with reservation for college and professional courses and continues
through filtering for career opportunities in the public sector. Reservation across
myriad categories including Scheduled Castes/Tribes (SC/ST), Other Backward
community (OBC), economically weaker sections (EWS) etc can feel like a funnel
through which one is simply filtered away.
Sanjay’s Saga
According to media reports and interview with police
officials, Sanjay and his three friends who studied for bachelor’s in commerce at
a college together had planned to ‘study abroad’ after graduation. They had
borrowed money from their families to apply to different universities in
Germany, Canada and the US. These students - with below-average grades - had
planned to use their parent’s savings to fund their dream to study abroad. Sanjay
had failed in two of his courses during the final year and had cleared them after
a supplementary exam, just scraping by. Their middle-class parents tacitly
encouraged this quest, but were unaware that the odds were stacked against
these youth.
During the initial round of screening all the top-tier
universities that Sanjay and friends applied to rejected their application. Not
to be let-down, they took this rejection in their stride, and borrowed more money
from their family to apply to Tier-3 and a few private un-aided colleges that
were advertising ‘easy admission’ on social media forums. Universities charge a
fee of about $80-100 for each application. In addition, there is a cost of
gathering the transcripts, couriering etc that can add up to over $200 per
application.
After a number of rounds of rejections, Sanjay and his
friends eventually secured admission in obscure private institutions in Canada
and Australia – each in a different institution. By this time, each of them had
spent a few lakhs of rupees in applications. Now came the hard part – applying
for a student visa at the local embassies and consulates. They engaged a seedy
visa consultant for advice and also began scouting social media forums for ‘visa
application tips.’
Two of Sanjay’s friends attended the interview for visa at
the Canadian consulate and were elated when their visas were approved. They
hosted a grand party at a local pub to celebrate, inviting dozens of family and
friends.
The third friend’s student visa application was initially
rejected by the German consulate that asked him to reapply with additional
documentation. He managed to run around and re-submitted the application with
additional paperwork. His visa was eventually approved, leading to further
jubilation in the group.
All eyes were now on Sanjay. The fly-by-night visa consultant
had assured Sanjay that the below-average academic credentials weren’t a “big
deal” as long as the Australian university had admitted him. However, the
immigration officer at the consulate seemed to have his reservations. During
the visa interview, he expressed serious doubts about Sanjay’s educational
credentials and whether his intent was to really pursue an academic course or
simply use the visa to migrate and stay over in Australia.
Sanjay was heartbroken. His friends were ready to migrate
across the globe while he would be “stuck” in Bangalore. With a “visa refusal”
stamp on his passport, he would find it hard to apply for visa to many other
countries.
Sanjay couldn’t think of a future beyond the setback and became
depressed. He was ashamed of this “failure” and couldn’t get himself to confide
in his close buddies, cousins or parents. His parents couldn’t figure out the
reason for his sulking and attributed it to a “passing phase” that some
youngsters go through after graduation.
One evening when Sanjay’s parents were out shopping, he locked himself in his room with a long rope and hanged himself from the ceiling fan.
Any lessons here?
Sanjay’s family is relatively well off. His father runs a
small business with a steady revenue and the family also owns a couple of
properties with a good rental income. Sanjay could easily have followed his
fathers’ footsteps, and his father was trying to groom him to take over the
business.
This poignant story highlights the breakdown in family
support that many in urban India are facing. Youth who face intense competition
for jobs are unable or unwilling to look beyond a few setbacks. They are reluctant
to have a candid conversation with their parents or peers.
As the old adage goes, charity – or help with a setback – begins at home.
About the Author
Mohan K is a technology executive with a multinational company. He is also author of the recently published book - Diary of a Successful Loser: Looking beyondthat Humble Brag. In this stealth-help book, the author narrates notable failures and setbacks that have been part of his life journey in ways that he didn’t anticipate. These stories hold a mirror to typical experiences that we are likely to encounter in a life journey. This book is targeted at those who find typical self-help books - with preachy quotes and advice off-putting.
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