The haze has lifted...

Papa bird is back from Gujju land and brought back loadsa goodies for Mama bird and Baby bird and expectedly Baby bird can`t stop hopping and chirping day-in n day-out (much to the consternation of the inmates of the nest !)

As is my wont, I subject him to a ruthless I-need-my-answers Q/A session.Afterall he had been to 'The B-school-IIMA',and committed the heinous crime of not letting me accompany him,so he`s got to pay the price. I had expected to be really morose after this session,thinking about all the stuff I would miss,about not taking another shot at CAT , not giving Sweta-the risk taker,the perseverer another chance.I was ready to retreat back to my shell and brood over my decision of taking up admission at XIMB this year itself and putting a full-stop to my Mission-IIM plans.
Surprisingly, I felt so much lighter at heart and so much more sure of my decision.

The clincher being this..
Apparently , on the other side of the road infront of IIMA,there are these shanty-like temporary dwelling places inhabited by some people who belong to the lesser privileged section of our society.They cook out in the open, take bath in makeshift cabins which do not allow them the privacy this activity warrants, and in fact defecate in full public view too.All of this bang opposite the entrance to the hallowed portals of this premier institute.Infact the picture dad took of these two extremes on opposite sides of the road is quite like those pics which shake up the national consciousness in its entirety..remember the tsunami pic on the India Today cover ?)

On one side of the road,enclosed in those much-talked about brick architecture buildings, the best brains of the country slog away,adding on to their already bountiful knowledge warehouse;On on the other side there are these children who perhaps have never pored into a book, will never know what going to school and exercising their right to education is all about.They will continue to live their lives as wastrels , squabbling with each other for their food,which their mother cooks in unhygienic conditions,which has dust as a major ingredient.

What has IIMA done for these people ? Its not as if they are not aware of their existence.Or perhaps this harsh reality is much to harsh to deal with for those upcoming I-Bankers who pocket 1 crore plus salaries and jet-set away to their glamorous careers. I have the utmost respect for the faculty as well as the students of this arguably most respected educatioal institute of our country but the lack of social responsibility in this particular case is really saddening and disillusioning.

I would rather much head towards XIMB which is known in the B-school arena for its social work initiatives , and the work it is doing for rural upliftment; not just on paper (myself being a witness of many of such projects).Giving back to the society being a part of the Big Picture for this B-school aspirant , I can safely say that the haze of uncertainty that had clouded my thought process has lifted away ...and for good.