Trying Admission The Fools’ Way.
Ravi Speaks:
Update on 04.06.2023.
I Was Befooled By My Acquaintance In 1979
Let me recount the story from 1979 when my mother and I traveled to Srinagar from Jammu in December. We made the journey at the insistence of one of my acquaintances who promised to help me secure admission to Jammu Medical College. This person was a close relative of my mother from her father’s side and held a senior position as a School Teacher in National High School Karan Nagar, Srinagar. He had significant connections with the Chief Minister at that time, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. Despite my merits as a Kashmiri Hindu student, it was challenging to gain admission to the state’s professional medical college due to preferential treatment given to Muslims and other special categories during that period, particularly in engineering and medical colleges.
This gentleman assured my mother that once we reached Srinagar and he introduced me to the Chief Minister, the remaining formalities would become effortless. He claimed that I would be automatically considered for admission to Jammu Medical College in the upcoming session. Given his close relationship with the Chief Minister, who belonged to the National Conference Party, he had already informed Sheikh Abdullah’s Secretary about my case. I was informed that I needed to meet the Chief Minister at his residence only once before appearing for the admission interview at the Medical College. Despite my grandfather’s warning that this would likely be a futile exercise and that this person would be of no significant help, my mother was determined to proceed with the plan to visit Srinagar in December.
Finally, my mother and I arrived in Srinagar one evening from Jammu. It was a clear sky that day, but the cold weather was piercing. It was my first time experiencing such extreme cold since I had never been to Srinagar during winter before. We stayed with my maternal uncle in Jawahar Nagar, and the next day, I vividly remember, there was heavy snowfall, covering the entire streets with snow. It was a delightful experience for me to witness snowfall for the first time. Despite waiting the entire day, we couldn’t leave the house the following day due to continuous snowfall and heavy clouds obscuring the sky. Anyhow, on the second day, my mother and I went to National High School, Karan Nagar, as instructed by the acquaintance, to meet him in the staff room.
We arrived at the staff room the next day around 11:30 AM and waited for almost half an hour for him to finish his class. He warmly welcomed us and immediately offered us tea upon meeting. He discussed with my mother the purpose of our visit from Jammu. He informed her that during those seven days, the Chief Minister was in Srinagar at his residence, and he had already scheduled an appointment with him through his secretary, who held a close association with the Chief Minister. Being an active member of the National Conference Party, he assured me that he would introduce me to the Chief Minister and request a special favor to secure a seat for me in Jammu Medical College. He emphasized the urgency of the situation, as the admission interviews were approaching in a couple of months, and the students recommended through special channels had their lists prepared in advance to be forwarded to the interview panel members. Therefore, he instructed me to return the next day around 12:30 PM, when he would take me to the Chief Minister’s residence. Disappointed by the lack of progress that day, I returned to our residence in Jawahar Nagar with no significant developments.
The following day, I was filled with excitement as I anticipated accompanying him to meet the Chief Minister at his residence. It would be a momentous occasion for me. I left home a bit early and arrived at the school in Karan Nagar well in advance. I waited until 12:30 PM outside the school premises, and finally, at the designated time, I entered the school and met him in the staff room. He requested me to wait until he finished his last class of the day. Although it wasn’t ideal, I had no choice but to comply with his instructions. Thus, I waited for another hour, and by then, it was already 2:00 PM. He returned from his class and offered me a cup of tea. I was famished and had to suffice with just a cup of tea. He, too, refrained from having lunch and joined me for tea. He then informed me that I needed to wait a little longer, as he needed to attend to some matters. He left the staff room with the other teachers after the lunch break and didn’t return until 4:00 PM. I felt irritated and restless due to his behavior. However, I was helpless and couldn’t express my frustration openly because I relied on him to facilitate the process. Finally, when he returned at 4:00 PM, the school had already closed, and numerous students were exiting the premises. He instructed me to come back the next day around 11:30 AM.
That evening, I arrived back home around 5:00 PM, and my mother anxiously awaited my arrival, eager to hear about the developments. She was optimistic and hopeful that I would bring good news. However, when I relayed the events of the day, she, too, became disheartened and realized that her father had been right in warning us about the futility of our endeavor. I, too, began to understand that this approach was not leading to a positive outcome. It became apparent that he was merely toying with us, considering us to be gullible individuals whom he could manipulate. He boasted about his connections and impressed us with his inflated claims.
Nevertheless, we decided to give it one last try. He had asked me to return the following morning, and we agreed that if things remained the same, we would return to Jammu without wasting any more time. We had no desire to subject ourselves to further deception and humiliation.
The next day unfolded with a repetition of the previous day’s events. Once again, I had to wait until 2:00 PM, and after having tea, I had to wait until the school day concluded before informing him that I would be returning home. However, this time, he instructed me to come back the next day, but with a slight change in the schedule. Instead of 11:30 AM, he asked me to meet him at 2:00 PM, after the lunch break at school.
Eventually, we decided to return to Jammu the following day. About a week later, my mother received information from him, suggesting that we had misunderstood the situation. He claimed that if I had gone back the next day, I would have met the Chief Minister. However, by that point, we had resolved not to be fooled again by him. Such individuals are remembered for their deceitful acts, and even when we recollect the entire incident, we feel cheated and deceived once more. Unfortunately, humans, no matter how much they desire to forget such occurrences, cannot help but recall them from time to time.
#DeceptionExposed #FalsePromisesUnveiled #CollegeAdmissionStruggles #PersonalJourney #KashmirMemoirs