When I passed my SSLC from Nedumudi High School, there were no such celebrations – neither in the news, nor at the school.
But, this year, Kuttanad has every right to celebrate. Just realising that my native place has become the land that sowed and harvested a full crop of success at the SSLC examination leaves me awe-struck. I still feel surprised at the victory harvested by the students of Kuttanad.
Only those who had visited Kuttanad just eight or nine months ago could realise the real value of the success story of the Kuttanad Educational District that won 99.9 percentage at the SSLC results this year.
The people of Kuttanad had faced such a huge calamity. For months on end, the whole of Kuttanad had remained submerged under water. My home land had remained cut off from the entire world for days and days. All the books of the students got washed away in the flood waters. The schools too had remained under water for weeks.
The students had lost academic days upto two months. They had swum towards this victory, even while the whole region was still struggling to re-create the lost environment and livelihoods.
I can hear, sitting at this distance, the roar of Kuttanad as if during the finishing point of a boat race.
I don't know whom all to congratulate for this stellar success story. Students, teachers, parents... this victory is the result of the team work by all of them. This success stands towering over any first rank.
Generally, the people of Kuttanad are very much hard working. But, no one in the present generation had to face such a severe flood as this one. Now, the people of Kuttanad, who survived that flood, have become a role model for the whole world. Those who stood face to face with death now rise to the heights overcoming death.
All educationists must visit Kuttanad to study about this success story. These students do not come from rich backgrounds. They had to battle many odds even to reach the schools. When the books were taken away by the flood, they studied by taking down the notes that the teachers gave them from memory, and by remaining in the schools extra time after the classes.
Government has not given any additional marks to the students who suffered the floods, it's sure. All papers were evaluated equally. The success story of all students from all of the flood-hit areas is similar. Especially those from the rural areas.