Responsibility of being an IITian

Last week I was coming back from my home to Delhi by Shatabdi Express. After the train left Chandigarh station and all the passengers settled, to make the environment more coherent and to pass the four hours of journey in a shorter span of time, people started conversations with each other. Beside me was sitting an elderly man of around 60. He was also going to Delhi from Chandigarh for spending a week with his son. He asked me if I studied in Delhi (guessing by my age) and where. I told him that Yes, I am a student and I study in IIT Delhi. I had not even given a full stop to my sentence that the man retorted with a gleam in his eyes and a voluptuous swell, “Ahhh, An IITian. You must be really very very intelligent. So what do you wish to become, a scientist or what? You people are always up to some research work, I hear. Good, Good, India needs such innovative people to fetch some good place in world.” I smiled, trying not to feel embarrassed with so much of indirect appreciation, and was preparing for an answer when another Monsieur sitting in front of us broke in,” Kahan ji, IIT is a big brand. These IITians (I felt a bit ridiculed,--THESE IITians) know they are the top brass of one sixth of world’s population. So why would they stay here in India. Getting admission in IIT is a lottery today. Just clear a test and then whole future secured with lakhs of bucks waiting every month. (This person I feel had no idea of how easy was to Just clear a test. Neither had he had an iota of information about placements of IITs in last couple of years.) When MNC’s are waiting like hungry dogs to catch hold of them, ready to stuff their pockets, why shall they stay in India. I was feeling much more embarrassed. But forgetting that I was also sitting there the two orators started their own discussions on what IITians are and what they are not. I felt like a ghost who came into their heads, gave a nice debate topic for time pass, and flew away. But that was not enough. In between this situation Another couple waiting for their chance started firing their questions on where did I take my coaching from, Which books I studied, How many hours did I studied while preparing for JEE. (They told me later that their son was preparing to get into IIT—I don’t know why!—and they were really desperate to see him there--- Again I don’t know why!). After a couple of hours the caterers served us with dinner and the discussions died away in munching sounds and later weak sounds of snores.
Now let me clear some of your doubts. You might be wondering why I am relating here one of my boring journeys. Not to tell that I love speaking to people in trains. Not to make out that people really think variedly about IITs and IITians. Neither to give a moral lesson that there are people expecting a lot from us and hence we should not go abroad to settle. I am just trying to consolidate the fact that one should never form opinions until you really get into the same shoes. I am just trying to instantiate how wrong apprehensions people have about luxuries in and after IIT. Parents these days think that IIT is the best place their son can ever get into. And once he’s there, he’s done. Why? What makes people forget that there is no free lunch? People think IIT is a lottery ticket with a guaranteed prize. It may be true. A few days back one of my friends, an engineering student (not an IITian) was saying the same old gaga, IIT is a brand. But what different do you people study from us. I was not in a mood to argue so I changed the topic. But today here I declare to all of those living under illusions, that to wear the garland of roses one has to first pick the flowers from thorny bushes. It’s only we the IITians who know the hardships of being in IIT. We know how we survive the immense pressure of being a successful pass out of IIT. People just see the brands and salaries associated with them. But have they ever thought how these school dropouts must be managing them self all alone far from their homes, in rooms smaller than store rooms, trying to face every challenge from the fast growing competitions all around, to excel, to come up to the so called expectations of India in field of research, to carry on with their responsibility of being IITian and that too all on their own. I sometimes cannot overcome my emotions of pathos that what is the life we live. With hardest curriculums ever, to manage the degree in time with a decent grade sheet and to actually qualify to sit for placements, we have to sometimes go for more night outs than no. of hours we sleep (now that may be an exaggeration for some). Let me clear that I am not boasting of being an IITian. Neither I am ascertaining my liking or disliking about life we live here. I am not even sure if in above few lines I have been successful in completely spilling my thoughts over or not. But what I am wishing is that if we get a fruit finally for all our toils, in form of good jobs, then people should not at least criticize it, or disrespect or disregard our decision to join these companies by saying that getting into IIT is a lottery.