CHENNAI: In a profoundly touching episode near Madurantakam, a Class 12 student appeared for her Higher Secondary public examination just hours after her mother passed away in the hospital, choosing to honour her mother's dream despite overwhelming grief.
The student, Manusree, from Vasanthavadi village near Madurantakam, is studying in Class 12 at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School. Her father, Murugadas, is a farmer. Her mother, Karpagam, had been unwell for the past few days and was undergoing treatment at JIPMER Hospital in Pondicherry.
Around 5 am on Monday (March 2), Karpagam passed away without responding to the treatment in the hospital. The news left Manusree and her family devastated. Coincidentally, Manusree was scheduled to write her first major paper on Monday.
Even as arrangements were being made to bring her mother's body home and prepare for the last rites, Manusree decided to fulfil her mother's dream that she should study well; she chose to appear for the examination.
Teachers and fellow students at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School were moved to tears on seeing her arrive with a heavy heart, knowing that her mother's body was still in the hospital. Teachers said her sense of duty and commitment to education, even in such painful circumstances, left everyone deeply touched.
"There is no greater pain than losing one's mother. Yet she came to write her exam to fulfil her mother's dream. Her courage is truly commendable," a teacher said, overwhelmed.