Kamal Ghorui
Image credits: BBC News Hindi
The narrow slum lanes couldn’t choke Chandni Vishwakarma’s big dreams. Hailing from Bhopal’s Bhim Nagar colony, Chandni is one of Madhya Pradesh’s 12th board toppers. The bright girl, who lives in a one-room home with her family, comes from a humble background. Chandni’s father works as a carpenter, earning around ₹500 a day. Her mother is employed in a mid-day meal programme at a local school. In a new BBC documentary, Chandni credits her parents saying, “dono ne hi kaafi zyada struggle kiya hai” (both of them have struggled a lot). Recalling the moment Chandni’s result came out, her mother says, “main itna emotional hogayi thi, samajh nahi aa raha tha kya bolu“ (I got so emotional that I didn’t know what to say.” She then recalls how she used to watch on television how toppers are celebrated and people come to congratulate them, and now the same is happening at her home. Chandni’s father quietly takes pride, as if he still finds it hard to believe that her daughter has achieved something so big. Chandni scored 494 out of 500 marks in commerce stream. “Mummy-papa ka swabhav shaant hai, vo bechare bas emotional hue…” says Chandni , describing her parents’ heartfelt emotions. However, behind that calm support was a daily environment far from easy to study in. As for Chandni, success didn’t come from ideal conditions, it came despite them.Chandni’s journey was shaped as much by financial limitations as by her will to overcome them. “Financial issues rahe hai…” shares Chandni whose father earns a daily wage of rupees 500 supporting a family of four. It wasn’t just the studies she had to manage, every expense had to be carefully calculated. Despite the financial worries, Chandni’s struggles didn’t end there. There were constant disturbances from the surroundings. Loudspeaker noise and unreliable electricity were constant hurdles. Yet, instead of feeling burdened, Chandni became more aware.While Chandni credits her achievements to her parents, her parents credit her. “Bhagwan se dua karti hoon… beti ho toh Chandni jaisi…” Chandni’s mother says with a heart full of gratitude. She recalls how Chandni never demanded more than the family could afford. “Pareshani dekhti thi, toh kisi cheez ki khwahish nahi karti thi,” she adds. Today, Chandni Vishwakarma’s achievement is not just about scoring 98.8%, it is a reminder that beyond facilities and resources, it is often the home’s environment that shapes how far a child will go or how big of dreams they’ll achieve.
