Students of IIT Kharagpur "celebrate" the festival of lights in a unique way. This day and a whole month leading up to it, they actually "prefer" to work behind the scenes, putting their engineering skills to use. In this process, apart from "enjoying" the preparation for the national festival, Diwali and bonding well with their hall mates, the students present the IIT community with some of the finest works of art, encompassing skill, perseverance, dedication, hard work along with insomnia and a total denunciation of self safety. The whole thing is officially known as illumination and is "lovingly" referred to as illu.
But then, there are this group of people who do not actually seem to support the concept of illumination. They are of an opinion that Diwali is a festival of light for every one. Why then do the poor students have to slave for an entire month just so that the frustrated professors of Kharagpur have something to enjoy on the Diwali evening? And then again, why should these poor people be forced to hide in the dark corners after the diyas are lit? And why on earth should these poor students have to arrange the entire finance for the whole event?
The pro-illu junta, however advocate their cause pretty strongly. Their reasons, whatever they may be, are generally filled with words like spirit, tempo, tradition and unity. However, they seem to blatantly overlook the fact that all the objectives that the costly dinosaur named Illumination achieves can actually be achieved at a much lower cost with much less labour. And needless to say, a very high share of the pro junta are the professors, the ones for whom its actually a win-win situation. Rumors have it that the erstwhile Dean of Student Affairs of the institute had threatened the student community of dire consequences if illu was scrapped. The threats included a total shut down of Spring Fest and Kshitij, the two annual fests organized by students.
Whatever the logic, whatever be the case, one fundamental truth cannot be denied. The students who work hard the entire semester deserve much more than what the present has to offer. Being drenched in oil completely, having suffered burns, having had cuts from the sharp metal wires, injuries from the careless rush, and finally hiding in the dark during the presentation - this is Diwali for IITians. The single most important day of the year, when every one in India wakes up with a smile, the IITians don't, because they never went to sleep for the past few days, some of them have even been working round the clock. The day when every single Indian pamper themselves, relax at home with their loved ones, the IITians work in the fields the entire day, perfecting the past month's work - and the strange faces turned friends in the past few months providing little consolation for being away from home. And lastly, in the evening, when every Indian wears new clothes and enjoy fancy dinner, these poor souls starve.
At the end, to make it even worse, the authorities assign the title of winners and losers to these people. For the lucky few who win, it is a belated Diwali, and for those who lose, it is yet another sleepless night, this one more painful than the last few.
Happy Diwali KGP!!
But then, there are this group of people who do not actually seem to support the concept of illumination. They are of an opinion that Diwali is a festival of light for every one. Why then do the poor students have to slave for an entire month just so that the frustrated professors of Kharagpur have something to enjoy on the Diwali evening? And then again, why should these poor people be forced to hide in the dark corners after the diyas are lit? And why on earth should these poor students have to arrange the entire finance for the whole event?
The pro-illu junta, however advocate their cause pretty strongly. Their reasons, whatever they may be, are generally filled with words like spirit, tempo, tradition and unity. However, they seem to blatantly overlook the fact that all the objectives that the costly dinosaur named Illumination achieves can actually be achieved at a much lower cost with much less labour. And needless to say, a very high share of the pro junta are the professors, the ones for whom its actually a win-win situation. Rumors have it that the erstwhile Dean of Student Affairs of the institute had threatened the student community of dire consequences if illu was scrapped. The threats included a total shut down of Spring Fest and Kshitij, the two annual fests organized by students.
Whatever the logic, whatever be the case, one fundamental truth cannot be denied. The students who work hard the entire semester deserve much more than what the present has to offer. Being drenched in oil completely, having suffered burns, having had cuts from the sharp metal wires, injuries from the careless rush, and finally hiding in the dark during the presentation - this is Diwali for IITians. The single most important day of the year, when every one in India wakes up with a smile, the IITians don't, because they never went to sleep for the past few days, some of them have even been working round the clock. The day when every single Indian pamper themselves, relax at home with their loved ones, the IITians work in the fields the entire day, perfecting the past month's work - and the strange faces turned friends in the past few months providing little consolation for being away from home. And lastly, in the evening, when every Indian wears new clothes and enjoy fancy dinner, these poor souls starve.
At the end, to make it even worse, the authorities assign the title of winners and losers to these people. For the lucky few who win, it is a belated Diwali, and for those who lose, it is yet another sleepless night, this one more painful than the last few.
Happy Diwali KGP!!
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