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"I never thought the 2020 lockdown would affect me this way. I remember, I used to go to college and coaching classes, and try to earn my pocket money from here and there. But because of the lockdown, everything came to an end and my dreams were shattered," said Shibojit Dey from Kolkata, who was forced to drop out of college due to financial problems and family responsibilities.
I met one such person from my hometown Kolkata. Shibojit Dey, 22, was enrolled in Sir Gurudas Mahavidyalaya in Kolkata where he was pursuing B.Com. But as the pandemic happened, his life took a different turn.
He further added, "As I realised that the situation in my home was getting worse, I had to make a tough decision of leaving my studies midway."
The double burden of family responsibility and inadequate finances forced Dey to drop out of college when he was in his second year.
Initially, Dey started working as a labourer at a stone factory. He told me he didn’t get enough money there but continued doing it for his family. After that, he started working as a mineral water distributor.
"The income that came from the water distribution work wasn't enough. I was under a lot of pressure at home. I thought that I would try and continue my studies. We were having online exams then, but when it was time to pay the examination fee, I did not have enough money to do so. I started to focus on my work. I regret not fighting for my education," said Dey.
What added more to Dey's responsibilities is that his elder sister's marriage got arranged during the same time. Lack of adequate finances forced him to take a loan.
But somehow, he did it all. Dey has successfully paid most of the EMIs and also the loan he took for his sister's wedding. But deep down he regrets not being able to complete his graduation. He added, "I still think of my studies sometimes. All I think of is how nice it would have been if I could complete my education."
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Published: 24 Mar 2022,07:02 PM IST