ISPE - Individual Reflective Exercise

Submitted by: ARPIT JAISWAL

166024
Section A

How my life trajectory would have been different than the present one were I born in
the village Peelakh?

If I were born in village Peelakh 25 years ago, I would not have been able to grow as
an individual to such heights as I am now.
Starting Phase: (years 0-5)
Much difference would not have been evident in the lifestyle as it were the carefree
years of life. Regarding health issues, the stark difference would be evident. No
proper diet and drinking water would have led to chronic illness and maybe death.
There would have been a high probability that I would have remained malnutritioned.
Growth Phase: (years 6-15)
I would have gone to school, but whether I learned there or not would have depended
on the socio-economic conditions back home. Irregular schooling would have
hampered my learning no matter how hard I would have tried to study. There would
have been an improvement in my health due to nutritious food provided at school. But
on the other side, my moral duty towards the household would have pulled back my
personal development. On the slimmest of probabilities, I might have had escaped
those obligations and would have gone on further than primary classes to study at
Ogna. Then moving further away from home would have given me freedom to
exercise my will of either focusing on my studies or habits of intoxications.
My life beyond this phase could have gone either of the following two ways. It would
have depended on the mindset of my parents and their financial well-being.
Building/Consolidation Phase: (years 16-25)
The burden of responsibility: In this scenario, I would have helped my family in
farming and thus attempted to make both ends meet on the consistent basis. This
would have been the starkest contrast to my life at present. As of now, I did not feel a
requirement of a single penny from my household. Further, being in the age of
puberty I might have succumbed to the tradition of early marriage. In doing this
educational career would have sacrificed. In contrast in my present life, my parents
and friends were there who themselves are well educated to guide me away from
tempting hormonal effects during puberty stage. Further in my life, withstanding the
responsibility of this magnitude, it too would have stopped my mental growth. This
would have reflected in me handling of my children.
Backup from family: This scenario would have been somewhat like the present
situation of my life. Though the quality of career growth by means of education
would still have a shortfall. Even then being born in a socially well-off family would
not have allowed me to escape from my moral responsibilities back home. Naturally,
catering a large family size would have required me to work and earn money. In rarest
of circumstances, I would have gone further than senior secondary schooling. The
social stigma of poverty would have come back to haunt me.

The stark contrast explained in the above paragraphs does not even show the mental
weathering that as an individual I would have had. Distractions and looming
responsibilities in the learning phase of life would have been too much of an ask for
young mind and soul to handle. Couple it with the substandard health provisions,
either my will or immune system would have made me survive beyond the age of 25.
Apart from schooling and health issues that I have mentioned above were under the
assumption that proper road had been in place. But in last 25 years for most duration
peelakh was devoid of pakka road. This would have made connectivity to Ogna all
the more difficult. This connection to Ogna would have been very much essential in
order to receive advanced medical and temporal (educational) facilities. My situation
in peelakh would have been starkly differentiable to my present scenario where I have
been fortunate to remain healthy. The cause of this happy situation is financial well-
being and availability of essential resources Roti, kapda and makaan nearby. Though
the government had tried to provide for makaan via Indira Awaas Yojna but due to its
inappropriate allocation, its overall effect has been nullified in the upliftment of
financially worse off people.
In addition being devoid of electricity is a situation I cant imagine myself in. Being
devoid of technology is a situation one can manage with alternates. But not knowing
about it would have placed in the utmost disadvantaged situation. By default, I would
have had to start every race in my life from the last spot. On the other side, being
humble and openness of heart to every guest that comes your way would have been
added to stark contrast if I were fortunate to be born in village peelakh.

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