Sudeeksha Bhati, a Class 12 topper from Bulandshahr, was killed in a road mishap earlier this month. Her family alleged the death was caused by two men on a bike who were trying to harass her. In her graduation day speech in school, she’d spoken about the menace of eve teasing that forces so many north Indian girls to drop out every year.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Most girls drop out of school just after completing their primary education
00:04because cases of abuse are prevalent.
00:07And I will be going to Babson College in the US to pursue my undergraduate studies.
00:13One day, I'll return to my country
00:15and I hope to at least change the face of my village and my community.
00:23Good evening, everyone.
00:25Respected Nada sir, Kiran ma'am, dear Roshni didi,
00:29esteemed guests, my teachers and peers.
00:33I feel extremely blessed and honoured to be standing here today
00:37as the valedictorian student of Vidyaganj Bulandshahr's 2018 batch.
00:43I scored 98% in my board examinations
00:46and I will be going to Babson College in the US
00:49to pursue my undergraduate studies in entrepreneurship.
00:54And I've been awarded full financial aid for my studies there.
00:59I'm a first-generation learner in my family, the eldest of six siblings.
01:04And while my parents never received formal education themselves,
01:08they always encouraged us to pursue our dreams.
01:12However, our economic conditions
01:15would not have allowed all six of us to get quality education.
01:20Consequently, I would have been the first one to discontinue my studies
01:25because my community does not believe
01:28that it is as important to educate girls as boys.
01:33The turning point in my life came on the day
01:36when I was selected to join Vidyaganj in 2011.
01:40I belonged to a section of Uttar Pradesh
01:43where most girls drop out of school
01:45just after completing their primary education
01:48because cases of apetizing are prevalent
01:51and most parents don't think it is safe to send their girls out
01:55to study at schools.
01:57Given this, I had to convince my parents
02:00to not just let me continue my studies
02:03but also to let me move away from home
02:07and stay at a residential co-educational campus.
02:10And I thank my father for trusting me and letting me pursue my dreams.
02:15APPLAUSE
02:19Vidyaganj was a completely new experience.
02:22I was excited to meet new people with such varied dreams and aspirations.
02:27And it wasn't long before that I started calling Vidyaganj my second home,
02:32a home away from home, as principals have always said that.
02:36While I feel immensely fortunate to be a part of this academy,
02:41I do realize that there are thousands of other children,
02:44especially girls, who aren't allowed to or can't afford to study.
02:49In this era where quality education is a luxury,
02:53Vidyaganj is fighting all odds to nurture rural meritorious students
02:57in the best way possible.
03:01As I prepare to finally step out of the campus,
03:04I'm once again excited to learn what the future holds for me.
03:09The only thing I'm certain of is that one day I'll return to my country
03:13and I hope to at least change the face of my village and my community.
03:18APPLAUSE
03:19I strongly believe...
03:22I strongly believe that education is the only tool
03:26that can empower women to have a voice.
03:29And hence, I will try hard to work towards narrowing this gender divide.
03:35Vidyaganj has opened new horizons for all of us.
03:39I believe being successful alone is selfish.
03:43However, at Vidyaganj, we are taught to grow together
03:47and make the world rise while we rise.
03:51Today is the first day of the rest of our lives,
03:54and as a proud VG-ite, I urge all my peers
03:58to make the most of the education that we have received
04:01and use it to leave the world better than how we found it.
04:06From strength to strength, march on, always, onward and onward.
04:12Vidyaganj, Jai Hind!