AMRITSAR: The lure of going abroad seems to have become the ultimate aim of an average Punjabi youth and the fulfillment of their dreams seems easy when they scroll the pages of daily newspapers flooded with advertisements of foreign universities and colleges offering an array of courses for an average Indian student.

The exodus in the garb of so-called ‘higher education’ has left many rural as well urban households devoid of any young male population back home. So intense and fierce the mad rush has become that down from a below average to an extraordinarily brilliant student find themselves sailing in the same boat in their journey to foreign shores. Amidst this rat race to go abroad, no wonder that students are forcing their parents to dispose off a portion of their assets to pave their journey abroad.

More often than not, the hidden agenda of the students and the parents alike is to seek a settlement abroad rather than the education. No doubt, given the rampant unemployment scenario in the country, overambitious parents, in many of the cases are left with no choice than to yield to the demand of an overzealous son, too keen to go abroad.

The trend of the Indian students seeking admission in foreign universities and colleges, in fact started about ten years ago. Laced with degrees and faced with unemployment, the parents as well as students have found an easy and sure shot route to migrate to European countries in search of greener pastures.

However, slowly but surely, the dream has started turning sour. Accustomed to a life of homely comforts, many an Indian students studying abroad are packing their baggages for homeward journey, leaving their curriculum midway and hopes of their parents dashed to the ground. A number of cases have come to life where the students, after a few months of their landing abroad, had developed withdrawal symptoms. They soon found out that the Utopian land they have dreamed of was literally as barren as a desert. The teenaged who back home roamed about the city lanes with gay abandon, were faced with bitter realities of life. They learnt that the supper they relished in their homes had to be first cooked to be eaten. Many students, in order to save hostel expenses, arrange for a pooled accommodation outside the campus and prepare their own food. The drudgery of daily cooking and doing other household chores bring harsh realities of life for the Indian students gone for study abroad.

Harman, a student after finishing his 3- year B. Cam (Bachelor of Computer Aided Management) course went to Australia to pursue a management course. He landed a part- time job of box packing fruits in an
Orchid. The rigors of study coupled with daily cooking and washing made him a grinding mill. Soon, homesickness descended upon him. One fine morning, he caught first flight to home leaving the course midway, much to the disappointment of his parents. Harman is presently employed in a private firm at Mohali on a meager salary.
                                                          Homesickness is one of the major depressants most students fail to cope with during their stay abroad. The case of R.P.Singh of Amritsar is no different. After completing his graduation, he was too keen to get admission in an England university but he was unable to get visa despite two attempts. Ultimately. He was able to secure the British visa through a resourceful education counsel. After the initial euphoria was over, RP started feeling homesick.

On the festival of ‘Lohri’, he repeatedly rang back home to know how the celebrations were going on and talked to his friends about kites and Lohri bonfires. After sometime he became so forlorn that his mother had to rush to England in order to look after his son till the completion of his course. In case of Raman, who went to Calgary in Canada, the things were no better. He soon found out that the dream he had about Canada were all paper dreams. Severe cold climatic conditions there coupled with the absence of homely comforts made Raman to return to India after two months. However, he was persuaded by his parents and friends to rejoin his studies. A disillusioned Raman is now eagerly waiting for the day his course would conclude and he will be to return home.

The prospects of the students opting for study abroad do not appear to be too rosy. Firstly, it is very difficult to get a full-time job offer in countries like U.K., U.S.A., Canada or Australia and unless someone has a job offer complying with the rules of that country, a student is not allowed to overstay in that country after the completion of the course. Thus a student has to return back and after landing in India he finds to his dismay that the jobs are not necessarily available on a platter in the country for a foreign returned student. Hence it is usual for the parents to ask the students to hang around after the completion of the course in the hope of a job or matrimonial offer. If both the offers are not forthcoming, the most likely chances are that the student will come back to start the things from the scratch!