Bantala: No coaching, no tuition. Self-determination and hard work was all she swore by. Overcoming all obstacles, she topped her college in the recently concluded Plus II Arts examination.
This is the story of 17-year-old Sagarika Sahu, topper of Bantala-based Srichandrasekhar Junior College here in Angul district. Unlike any other girl, she also dreamt of standing out in society and making her parents proud. However, fate would have it otherwise.
Sagarika’s father Dhuleswar Sahu hails from Rajmohanpur village under Hindol sub-division in Dhenkanal district.
A farmer, Sahu used to eke out a living by tilling his land. However, things fell apart after he was afflicted by a kidney ailment.
Family members approached a doctor who claimed Sahu’s food pipe was also infected. At least Rs 5 lakh was required for the surgery. The family was forced to sell all the farmland for his treatment.
Despite financial constraints in every phase of life, Sagarika refused to be bogged down and never lost her hope. She studied day and night and passed her board examinations with bright marks in 2015.
Things took an ugly turn after family members expressed their inability to fulfill her wish to carry on her studies. However, Sagarika firmly resolved that she would not let her family’s financial constraints come in the way of her education.
Seeing her eagerness for studies, her aunt Nalini Pradhan and uncle Trilochan Pradhan extended a helping hand.
They took her to their home in Angul and enrolled her at Bantala College.
Again, she proved that nothing can come in the way of determination by becoming the topper of the college in Plus II this year. However, this means little for Sagarika as she knows she cannot pursue higher studies due to her family’s financial condition.
Poverty has become a proverbial chain around her legs as Sagarika is slowly bringing herself to reconcile with her reality.
“I can’t help but think how my life would have been different if I were able to go for higher studies. Whenever I think of my future I begin to cry tears of frustration. However, I have nobody to blame for our fate,” says Sagarika as she tries to remains strong in the presence of her father.
Sagarika’s parents are however distraught and cannot hide their guilt. Her mother Reema said, “Others distribute sweets when their children top their class. However, we have cursed our daughter to a life of poverty and nothingness as she has no future.” PNN
