From Sambalpur To Germany: Research Scholar Talks About His Arduous Journey

Bhubaneswar: Born in the small village of Balasingha in Sambalpur district, where literacy is a far cry, Sesha Dev has set an example through sheer grit, hard work and determination. He joined the University of Gottingen, Germany as a research associate this September.

From yearning for a single penny for food, to earning lakhs of money per month, he has come a long way. The 23-year-old Sesha lost his mother when he was nine. “Initially, I could not go to school. I had resigned myself to doing farming only. Many people advised my father to remarry but he decided not to. He was both mother and father to me, so I accompanied him to the farms, worked there and went him to the pasture,” he said.

When he turned six, he dreamt of studying in a school. “The main reason I wanted to go to school was the mid-day meal. The school used to provide dry rice and dal and it was my favourite. But the hurdle was that I did not know Odia language and the course structure was only in Odia,” he added.

I was beaten many times in primary school for not being proficient in the language, which he says, reflects the poor education system of India. “Many like me long to study and do something in life but the atrocities are terrible,” he said. A boy of strong determination, he started learning Odia language and literature along with helping his father in the fields.

“I would study in the pasture field and basically whenever I got time. I ended up becoming the topper of Balasingha Sevasrama School five times and was given the Best Student Award in 2005 by the Kisinda Women’s Regional Union,” Sesha continued. The same year, he got selected in Navodaya entrance exam and he was the only student to get admission in the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Sambalpur from Naktideul block. From 2006-12, he studied there on scholarship.

In 2006, his father fell ill and was almost bed-ridden. With no money in hand, his struggle doubled. He would work as a labourer to earn money during vacations. He continued his studies and secured 92% in the CBSE Class10 Board exam in 2010 and chose the science stream.

“I have been blessed with beautiful souls in my life. By the end of my schooling, a teacher at Navodaya gave me the fee for the National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) exam as I did not have a single penny. My father was extremely unwell around that time and I lost him,” he said.

The darkest phase of his life also turned into a starting point of brightness. “I do not know how I got through the phase. I just knew I cannot give up because that is not an option. I bounced back and enrolled at the Regional Institute of Education, Bhubaneswar for a year and the next year, I cracked the NEST exam for the second time. I got admission in National Institute of Science, Education and Research (NISER),” he added.

During his initial period at NISER, people asked him to return the money that he had
borrowed for his father’s treatment, so for the first few years, he did not eat in the canteen. He would cook food to save money and started taking a tuitions.

“With the money earned, I could return back the borrowed money,” he said. In his fourth year, he came to know that his sister suffered from heart disease. “When I got her checked at AIIMS, the doctor prescribed medicines worth Rs 7000 per month. I decided to not take any food anymore to manage the cost of the medicine as I would get Rs 5000 month as stipend. I used to bring moong from home and ate sprouts prepared from it,” he said.

After joining the Organic Metallic Catalysis lab, within a short period of time, he could write for a few American publications and he thought of continuing his research in Europe. After several interviews he got selected in different countries of Europe. “The darkest hour of the night is just before the dawn. So here I am now, with a dawn that I hope shall last forever. I sincerely hope more young boys from villages like mine come out because there’s talent that needs attention,” he further said.