Meeting Maniya After All These Years

Today, I met Maniya at Guwahati.

It has been more than four years since 2021, when a few individuals came together to help him enrol in a PhD program and help him get a laptop for his studies. At that time, it was a small collective effort — just doing what we could to ensure that a good student did not miss out on an opportunity.

A lot has happened since then.

Maniya is now a Prime Minister Research Fellow (PMRF). He has authored three research papers in peer-reviewed journals and co-authored twelve more. He is on track to complete his PhD at IIT Guwahati by December.

But what stood out to me today was not just the list of achievements.

He is still the same person — soft-spoken, grounded, curious, and deeply focused on academics. In many ways, unchanged.

We also spoke about his family. The foundation for their home was laid back in 2010, but construction kept getting postponed. The priority was always the education of the children. Now, after all these years, the house is finally nearing completion and should be ready before the monsoon.

Thank you, Maniya, for coming to the airport and taking the time to chat. These conversations serve as reminders of why we do what we do.

The Viveka Scholar Program has now crossed 3000 alumni. And yet, every time I meet someone like Maniya, I find it difficult to fully grasp what all our scholars have gone on to do — and what they will continue to achieve.

Maniya’s journey is also a reminder of how different SVYM programs can come together, quietly and effectively, to support a student through challenges.

There is nothing dramatic about this story. Just steady effort, the right support at the right time, and someone who stayed the course. And sometimes, that is more than enough.

Read my post on 17 Sep 2021 on Instagram