A pilgrimage to the past

A visit to my native place to attend the alumni meet of my alma mater is almost like an annual pilgrimage for me. It is not only something that I try not to miss despite the pains and aches in my ageing joints, but something that I look forward to for the memories it evokes.

Again, it was time for the meet, this time a special one as our college had invited alumni of the Economics Department spanning decades. That it was close to International Women’s Day was a coincidence, yet this
event, organised by our all-women’s college, was indeed a tribute to womanhood, albeit a smaller section of it— the educated.

“Wow, great! What all she must have witnessed! Born in the pre-independence era, she must have been through the travails of the freedom struggle and seen free India emerging and developing,” were my nephew’s remarks when I mentioned a 92-year-old alumnus who gracefully entered the venue with the help of her walker and family.

“Not only that. How women were nine or odd decades ago and how tumultuous or smooth their evolution and transformation were would be another subject she would have first-hand information on,” I added. Her
cool determination and enthusiasm to make it to the venue were the envy of all her juniors!

Of course, we had gathered there not to discuss or refresh our knowledge on the Law of Diminishing Returns or the Malthusian Theory of Population studied decades ago but to share the joys and travails of the decades gone by, and we had lots of them.

Naturally, every batch had its stars—the geniuses as well as the mediocre and even the below-average, academically speaking. While some not only excelled in their chosen fields but left a proud legacy of their wards to grace society with the knowledge and skills they imparted, a few had to choose between careers and families, and others had to give up academics in favour of marriage, a compulsive priority of those times, even as a few single mothers in our group juggled work and family in their solo journeys.

Looking back, none of these tasks was easy; every one had a different battle to fight, but every story had its share of success, nurtured by the inherent resilience, dedication, and strength of the so-called weaker sex. And that is what mattered!

The younger batches certainly would have more interesting stories to narrate, fuelled by the harder challenges and harsher demands of contemporary society and supported by the freedom and opportunities of their times. Yet, her progress, freedom, responsibilities, and commitments should not side line her role as the nurturer of the world, custodian of cultural ethos, and torchbearer of social and family values for generations to come! This is a prayer and a request in the interest of a healthy society!