INDIA
As journalists sifted through the results of India’s annual Public Service examinations, the success of a young indigenous woman from Kerala emerged as one of the top stories.
Sreedhanya Suresh (pictured) became the first women from the Adivasi minority in Kerala to crack the examination, securing 410th rank in her third attempt.
Ms Suresh lived in her family’s unfinished home in the remote village of Pozhuthana before moving to the city of Kozhikode to pursue studies in zoology.
She is the daughter of day labourers, and her family was so poor it could not buy even a shelf on which to store her books.
“In spite of the hardship, we never compromised on our children’s education,” her father, K.K Suresh said.
“Now Sreedhanya has given us a big gift; we are proud of her.”
Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan congratulated Ms Suresh on her success, and the State Governor, P. Sathasivam said he was preparing a state reception for her.
The last word came from Ms Suresh’s mother, Kamalam: “Today I forget all sorrows in my life.”
“It’s a day of celebration.”
Meanwhile, concerns have been raised over the continuing small number of Muslims who have passed the examination — just 27 out of the 759 who qualified.
A Government committee, appointed earlier to look into the problem, has submitted its report, but little has been done to address the situation.
Some observers say Muslims are reluctant to serve a Hindu Nationalist Government, but one of the few Muslims who did qualify, Mohammed Abdul Jaleel, said many of his contemporaries preferred to try their luck in the Gulf States, where they were welcomed and pay was high.
New Delhi, 7 April 2019
