3 min readAhmedabadFeb 17, 2023 12:28 AM IST
First published on: Feb 17, 2023 at 12:28 AM IST
Books neatly stacked in the shelves on a wall and a study table against another wall of a corner space where barely one chair can fit — this was where Darshan Solanki spent unslept hours preparing for his dream — to get into the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B).
“He was always into studies. Not many people have seen him outside his home after he completed his Class 10 boards. Even during festivals such as Navratri or other functions, he would stay in his corner, away from visitors,” 24-year-old Ankit Solanki, Darshan’s cousin, told The Indian Express.
The family had converted a corner of the one-room-kitchen house at the Municipal Quarters in Maninagar of Ahmedabad into a study room as Darshan wanted to study “without any disturbance’.
The 18-year-old first year student of chemical engineering of IIT-Bombay allegedly died by suicide at the institute’s hostel on February 12.
All relatives who spoke about Darshan remember him as “a brilliant student who was very focused and strong”.
“Without any private tuition or coaching, he made it to the top institute in the country. He would study from YouTube. He was very intelligent and hardworking and focused. He knew what he wanted… In his first attempt he got computer science but he wanted to study chemical engineering so he attempted again and got it,” said Manubhai Solanki (53), Darshan’s uncle, a labour contractor staying on the floor below his and has been with the family for 50 years.
Darshan and his sister Jahnvi, 21, who is a final year MCA student, are the first generation of professionals in the Solanki family. Their father Rameshbhai (47) was a Class 11 dropout.
“It is very tough for parents like us and from our community to give quality education. Many times we do not know what are the options available for our children and how they can achieve that. It is upto them to find that out and work hard for that. And when a boy like Darshan is able to break that barrier, incidents like these shatter all hopes and dreams of parents and their young generation,” said Arvind Solanki, a relative.
Spending most of his time in studies, Darshan did not have many friends. “If he could not study during the day due to distractions, he would stay up late. His family tried to persuade him to take admission in any other institute nearby but he did not give up his IIT dream,” said Ajitbhai Solanki, another uncle of Darshan.
The 18-year-old first year student of chemical engineering of IIT-Bombay allegedly died by suicide at the institute’s hostel on February 12.
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