Goat grazer from Punjab’s Mansa ‘writes his own future,’ qualifies UGC-NET in English

His success comes after shattering several barriers, as he took on the additional responsibility to prepare for the exam along with his routine to graze goats, a primary source of livelihood for this landless, Dalit family who live in their two-room house at Boha. While his father Harjinder Singh is a daily wager at a local brick-kiln earning Rs 300-500 a day, his mother Lakhvir Kaur stitches clothes to make both ends meet.

For Komaldeep, this journey from grazing goats to scribbling notes, has helped him “write his own future”. (Express Photo)

“For me and my family, our 30 goats mean a lot. In no way, I could have left them and prepared for the exam so I did both. I leave home early morning to graze them in nearby fields and return in the evening. I started carrying my handwritten notes along and would study whenever I got time. At home, I studyed till late in the night. From milking the goats to feeding, I did everything,” says Komaldeep, who has cleared UGC-NET in English subject scoring 140 of 300 marks and 85.06 percentile score.

With the family’s limited earnings, the costly books were out his bounds. “My phone helped me a lot. I made own notes from internet,” he says.

It was Komaldeep’s first attempt at UGC-NET after pursuing Bachelors in Arts and B.Ed four-year undergraduation from Guru Teg Bahadur College of Education, Dalelwala, Mansa.

“My late grandfather Buta Singh wanted that I should be a teacher, not a doctor or an engineer. He said “Loki kehan ki Buta Singh da putt master hai (People should say that Buta Singh’s son is a teacher). I am just trying to fulfil his dream,” says Komaldeep, now pursuing postgraduation in English from a private college where he got a scholarship.

Last year, Komaldeep had also successfully cleared Punjab State Teachers Eligibility Test (PSTET). Rohit Jhamb, who runs a local coaching institute Success Point, says, “Komaldeep has worked really hard, first for the PSTET and then the UGC-NET. He would consult us sometimes for guidance in syllabus etc.”

Komaldeep scribbled the note around seven months ago. (Express Photo)

Missing out on qualifying for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) by a few points (usually the cut-off is 160-166 out of 300), Komaldeep says: “I feel it was probably due to lack of proper books and study material.”

“Children in rural Punjab usually run away from English but the reason I got interest in the language since school days was due to my teacher Gurwinder sir,” he says.

For Komaldeep, the feat also assumes significance given the district he belongs to. “The day my result came and I told my parents that I have cleared UGC-NET, they were elated but had no idea that what this exam really meant. People were so happy for me but they asked “kaahda paper pass kitta” (which exam have you cleared?). Then I explain to them what the paper is and what it means to clear it,” he says.

The day Komaldeep got his results, he fed some extra chickpeas and soybean to his goats, and cuddled his youngest and dearest pair- Honey and Mani. “Saada taan sab kuch ehna naal hi hai (They are our everything),” he says.