MAHIMA SIKAND

It was so much easier in our parents’ time. They didn’t have too many options and hence their career paths were almost laid out in front of them. It’s an altogether different story for us. We have a plethora of very “cool” and “exciting” jobs to choose from and it can be a real nightmare to decide what we really want to do. I had always wanted to be a doctor, a neurosurgeon to be specific, and was sure that my future lay in medicine. Surprisingly, my parents always dissuaded me from taking this route. They were worried I might spend my whole life studying. My mother always wanted me to be a journalist. Her own dream of being a newsreader was unfulfilled and she hoped that I would give meaning to her vision. It’s a little strange as I trace my journey from then to now. The tables have turned and I sit here reflecting on the how’s and why’s for my very first journalism assignment.

I grew up having changed more schools than I can remember. My father is in the army and we were always on the move. I took great pride in my being an “army brat” as we are rightly called. However, life in a cantonment isolates you from the real world. I might have travelled more than any of my peers, even stayed in some of the remotest areas in the country but life in one cantonment is no different from the other. Having led a very sheltered life, my father’s transfer to the Indian Embassy in Washington D.C. when I was in the 12th was a turning point of sorts.

I took up Neurobiology in college with the hope of fulfilling my dream of becoming a neurosurgeon. My three years in the University of Maryland were deeply enriching. I stepped out of my comfort zone for the very first time and was amazed at how little I knew, about India and the world. I began to understand how other people view India and how they perceive our democracy. I remember this big argument I had with one of my American classmates about the caste-system in India. Having grown up in a very secular, non-segregated Army culture I was convinced that caste was a thing of the past, prevalent only in a section of the illiterate. My friend begged to differ. It was only later when I interacted with people of Indian origin that I started understanding how vital religion and caste was to them. It was their identity in an alien land. My notions of utopian-ism were gradually being shattered. It was such incidents that drove me to learning more about my own country and the world. I started following politics back home very closely and often drew parallels with happenings around the globe. I lapped up books on contemporary Indian history and was amazed at my ignorance about my own past.

I was extremely fortunate to study at an institute which encouraged inter-disciplinary studies. Besides my core subjects, I took up classes on the media and society, gender, minority studies and a host of other topics. I was beginning to get drawn to the media. I was enjoying my liberal arts classes more than my science ones. I knew by that time that I wanted to enter a profession that would allow me to work closely with people and get to know my country better. Journalism was taking up a huge deal of my mental space and I was unsure of how to de-clutter my mind and decide on a career once and for all. Ironically by then, it was my parents who were advising me to stick to my path and pursue medicine since I had already invested so much time and energy in it.

It was NDTV’s Election Bus that finally sealed the deal for me. I loved the concept of travelling to small towns and villages through the length and breadth of India. It was a platform for ordinary people to voice their aspirations before the elections. I was convinced that that was the kind of work I would love to do.

It took some time to get my parents on board. They didn’t want me to make an impulsive decision and fritter away the hard work I had put in for Neurobiology. But once I was able to put their fears to rest, I had their complete backing. I finished with my graduation in January this year, getting a degree in Neurobiology and Physiology and came back to India. I was fortunate enough to get an opportunity to intern with CNN-IBN at the health and medical desk. My three months at IBN reinforced my belief that journalism is the job for me. I was warned that TV is a stressful medium with little time to focus on one’s personal life. The 24*7 nature of TV ensured that there was constant excitement. I worked on several stories and it gave me a new respect for journalists who work under such tight time constraints. Stories have to be shot, transcribed and edited all within hours. I had excellent mentors who patiently guided me and watched with pride as my understanding of the medium grew.
This is a crucial time for Indian society where the media is not only a means of dissemination of news but also an instrument for generating accountability amongst the power holders. As an involved young citizen of India and the world, I consider the fourth estate to be the strongest pillar on which society rests. I have plunged into this world hoping to lead an interesting, exciting and involved professional life.