Third child of Kerala daily wager couple too joins MBBS

However, they always carried the spark in them to excel in studies and set an example. None of them went to any top-notch private school.
Raman and Kamala along with their children Indrajith, Indraja and Induja
Raman and Kamala along with their children Indrajith, Indraja and Induja

PALAKKAD: Ramachandran, alias Raman, and Kamala, daily wage workers living in the remote village of Mettuvazhi at Sarangmala in Attappadi hills, are proud parents these days. Their all three children are pursuing MBBS course at Malabar Medical College and Research Centre in Kozhikode.

Till five years ago, the children —Indrajit, Indraja and Induja — had to fetch potable water from the Siruvani river two kilometres away from their small tiled house for their daily use, And they studied under the dim flickering light from kerosene lamps.

However, they always carried the spark in them to excel in studies and set an example. None of them went to any top-notch private school. All of them studied in government schools till Plus-Two. While Indrajit is in the third year of the MBBS course and Indraja in the second year, Induja joined the college last Friday.

“My wife Kamala, who is from a tribal community, and I had studied only up to Class 5. My father was also a labourer and he did not have the wherewithal to educate us three siblings. The school was eight kilometres away and there were no proper roads. We had to walk through the forests infested with wild animals. Even if we went to school, there would be no teacher.

We got the power and water connections only five years ago. Though Kamala and I were daily wagers, we decided to provide the maximum education to our children. My youngest daughter, Induja, secured admission in the medical college last Friday. Now all my three children are studying in the same college,” said a proud Raman, 45, as he sat on the mud floor of the house.

“My three children studied in Government Lower Primary School at Kottamala. The teachers encouraged them a lot,” added Raman.

Induja wishes to crack civil services exams

“Indrajith and Indraja, after completing their LP school in Attappadi, went to Navodaya School in Malampuzha till Class 10. They did their Plus- Two at Government Higher Secondary School, Agali . They went for entrance coaching in Pala with some financial assistance from the block panchayat.

Induja studied in Attappadi till her Plus-Two and it was her sister and brother who guided her for the medical entrance exam which she wrote at a centre in Cherpulassery,” added Raman who stays in ward 12 of Agali panchayat. “I joined the MBBS course last Friday.

The college authorities have told me that they would ring me up when the classes begin. It was my sister and brother who guided me to crack the entrance exam. Currently, my aim is to complete MBBS and then pursue postgraduation and serve in Attappadi. There is a dearth of doctors here and infant deaths are common here,” says a confident Induja. Induja said, “I would like to crack the civil services exams.”

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