Born from pakistan, our brethren turned adversaries.

Born in India, a victim to one of the world’s most devastating terror strikes, the haunting images of the 2009 Mumbai attacks left a lasting impression on me. The perpetrators, came from Pakistan, our brethren turned adversaries. For a 9 year old, it was intriguing as to how a motley group could paralyse a bustling metropolis for 4 days.

The aftermath of this event left me stupefied and inadvertently I started skimming through magazines and newspapers to further feed my childhood curiosity. A miasma of distrust and conflict has always affected India-Pakistan relations profoundly and this simmering discord has given rise to a rhetoric that is so belligerent that it has generated ramifications throughout the Subcontinent. Coming from a politically adrenalized family, and ever too eager to know about events that defined my country’s past and present, I found myself in the midst of political discourses. Reading internationally acclaimed magazines such as The Economist and TIME challenged and expanded my horizon. I relished books like “ Understanding International Relations” by Chris Brown, a precursor to my dalliance with International Relations.   My commitment to my school community has been quite enriching as I’ve successfully managed to engage in a potpourri of activities; be it academics or extra-curricular. My school Pallikoodam, which boasts of illustrious alumni like Arundhati Roy, has exposed me to a plethora of opportunities. An active participation in Model United Nation (MUN) exposed me to the intricacies of war and peace; the power play and lobbying within the international system; and the ever evolving nature of the state and non-state actors.

I learnt to synchronise knowledge and ideas and sort them in clear, logical, well construed arguments. Being the president of the MUN Club, I’ve managed to groom and mentor a 50 strong contingent which, under my stewardship, brought in accolades. Without being a dictator, I was able to delegate tasks, foster camaraderie which in turn developed my leadership and organisational skills. I’ve enjoyed portraying “ Theseus”, a lead role in the much anticipated Annual School Drama, despite being handicapped in the local language, Malayalam. Pallikoodam has also given me the opportunity to conduct various assemblies which has helped develop my public speaking and communication abilities, an integral asset for university level deliberations.

Elected to the Student Council as an Assistant Magazine Editor helped me foray into the limitless world of writing. To nourish both my passion and interest, I interned with New Indian Express, a national newspaper, where I attended various press conferences and assisted in documenting and editing articles. Reading Russian Literature especially works of acclaimed authors like Dostoevsky and Tolstoy has given me an insight into their artistic prowess and originality. Apart from Academia, I have pursued my passion for athletics and football quite ardently. I have represented my school athletic team in various state meets , where I’ve learnt to incorporate “ my” concept of 3P’s; People, Passion and Perseverance. Juggling multiple activities in school has helped me to organise my time effectively; I am used to working hard and staying self-motivated.

I strongly believe in being part of the larger community, espousing volunteerism,  that embraces compassion. My bi-weekly visits to “ Navjeevan”, a destitute home, has been highly gratifying, while tutoring English to young girls in the nearby orphanage, “ Santhwanam ” has been transformative.   To understand today, we have to search the yesterday and that is exactly what International Relations will guarantee me. I look forward to spending the next 3 years in UK adventuring into the myriad nuances of this fascinating subject., cultural diversity at my disposal.

At the risk of sounding audacious I believe, that I possess the wherewithal essential to pursue this fascinating subject. As Vincent van Gogh quotes: ‘ I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart.’. But I cannot make bricks without clay and studying in UK would be the perfect kiln to mould me