SILCHAR, June 9 - Dipankar Sutradhar and Rahul Biswas, both students of Public Higher Secondary School, might be economically downtrodden, but there is no dearth of perseverance and dogged determination towards their academic pursuits.
In this year�s HSLC examination, Dipankar, a flower vendor, scored 79 per cent, while Rahul, a newspaper hawker, came out with 74 per cent marks, giving enough reasons for celebrations by their teachers, parents and in fact, the whole of Barak Valley.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, Dipankar said, �My father is a daily wage earner and I have seen how my sister�s education got hampered due to poverty. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that Aatmanirbhar citizens will forge the nation to progress. I aspire to be a successful businessman and contribute to the country�s growth.�
Managing time for studies in between ferrying flowers across the town in the morning and stitching bags at night, Dipankar also plays cricket as an all-rounder for his school and harbours dream of becoming a player like Virat Kohli. �I love cricket, but now there is only one dream that pushes me, and that is how to become a successful businessman in order to somewhat lessen my family�s struggle with poverty,� he said.
He gratefully acknowledged the efforts of his teachers, who egged him on in his studies.
Delivering newspapers at people�s houses every morning, Rahul contributed to his family�s expenses and helped his mother who works as a maid. When asked by Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli regarding his choice of career, Rahul admitted his passion for teaching and his love for English literature.
�Just like my teachers who have provided me the wherewithals to come this far, I too aim to become a teacher and help others learn the true values of life,� he told the DC during a felicitation meeting held on Monday.
Terming them as examples for others to emulate, the Deputy Commissioner asked the students to read Rudyard Kipling�s poem If, and wished them luck in the days ahead.
