By Serene Sarah Zachariah

Attapadi, March 29, 2020: N Rangaswamy has achieved the impossible. The school dropout tribal from Kerala’s Attapadi became the first person to hold doctorate from his community and find a job as a lecturer.

“I grew up in a small hut with my sisters and parents who were daily wage workers. By the time I was in the 4th standard, I had to discontinue my education,” Rangaswamy recalls.

He says he grew up in a small hut with his siblings and parents who were daily wage workers. The family income was minimal, which could support the children’s education. “So, when I reached Class 4, I had to discontinue studies,” he says.

The situation further worsened and the family had to move in with some relatives, and help out with farming and other agricultural work. Rangaswamy pitched in as well, but his family knew that he was distressed about not attending school.

“They knew I was keen to continue my education. So, finally, my brothers, Ramachandran and Ramankutty sent me back to school,” he adds.

The relieved young boy studied hard and topped the class by the seventh grade.

Then tragedy struck again when his father died.

“The grief was unbearable. I was torn and couldn’t see the way forward. But my family was incredibly supportive and helped me bounce back and focus on my studies.” he says.

After completing the school, he joined M R School Mananthavady, Wayanad, for BA course in Hindi at Palakkad’s Victoria College.

“I actually wanted to study English, but the seat i got was for Hindi. At that time a lot of people asked me why I went on to pursue an arts subject, as I had chosen the science stream after Class 10, but this was my plan from the very beginning. I just wanted to explore my options. My ultimate goal was to become a professor.” he explains.

His family continued to meet his college expenses. Many times, even his professors helped him meet his monetary needs.

“I’ve had professors even buy me clothes after noticing that I only had a single pair of shirt and pants to wear every day,” he says.

Tired of the constant struggle for money, Rangaswamy took up a part-time job after college. “I worked from 5 pm to 9 pm, every day at a stationery shop in the bus stand for a salary of 700 rupees. This barely met any of my expenses, but it was still the start of something,” he adds.

After completing BA, he cleared MA in Hindi from Calicut University. This was followed by an MPhil. He also cleared the National Eligibility Test conducted by the University Grants Commission.

In 2015, Rangaswamy married Naveena, who he describes as an incredible source of strength and support. He is currently working as a guest lecturer in the Rajiv Gandhi College of Arts and Science, Attapadi.

“My goal was always clear. Even when everyone urged me to try out PSC exams, I was focused on completing my studies and becoming a lecturer. Today as ‘Dr Rangaswami N,’ I hope I can be an example for the children from the community to follow their dreams and continue education,” he concludes.

Source: thebetterindia.com