R. Pandiselvi’s father, a habitual alcoholic, fell seriously ill and was in death bed when the poor dalit girl was preparing for her class X examinations. When she passed out scoring 476 out of 500 marks, her father was not alive to witness the feat.
Native of Kalari, near Uthirakosamangai, the girl, studying at the local government higher secondary school was a bright student right from young age but never had the support of her parents – father an alcoholic and mother a farm worker.
Apart from excelling in her studies, the rural girl won accolades in extra curricular activities and bagged prizes in oratorical, drawing and essay competitions.
She was aiming for 490 plus marks in class X examinations when her father fell sick and she had to prepare amid distractions.
Soon after she completed her examinations, her father Rajagopal (50) died on April 6, leaving the family at the crossroads. Her mother Ilangammal (45) wanted to educate her daughter but had no means. “We have half-an-acre of land and managing to make both ends meet with free rice distributed in ration shop,” she says.
The family has no source of income and Ilangammal has no idea as to how to educate her daughter and son, who was joining class IX in the local school this year.
Pandiselvi wants to study medicine after scoring good marks in the plus two examinations and is looking up to the district administration for help.
‘Elite class’
Selvakumar, the girl’s science teacher said that the girl would study well and bring laurels to the district if she was admitted in the ‘elite class’ in the government school, where bright students, hailing from poor families were offered special coaching with free boarding and lodging facilities.
