Vadodara, March 6 – Diminutive Tsering Youdon stood out among gold medalists, in her distinctive Tibetan dress with a quiet satisfaction at winning the Shakespeare Society gold medal. Unlike other medalists, she did wish that her family was around in her moment of glory.
‘‘I am sad that my family is not here to share this moment with me,’’ said Tsering Youdon, a 24 year-old Tibetian who walked away with the Shakespeare Society Prof V Y Kantak gold medal for excelling in MA (English). She got a first class and also stood first among the 40-odd students she competed with.
Shying away from the media glare, Tsering admits that she is passionate about English, a topic that not many pursue with vigour these days. Dressed intentionally in the traditional long skirt, Tsering says that she always had an affinity for the subject. Her mastery over diction and words were apparent even as she spoke to the media with a lot of reluctance. ‘‘I do not like the media. I don’t like how they make issues out of nothing,’’ she said. It is obvious that Tsering’s struggle has been a long and difficult one.
A Tibetan by nationality, Tsering’s family reached Himachal Pradesh when she was very young. They were refugees but managed to complete her education.
She is the eldest among four children who came to M S University five years back, to satisfy her desire to excel in English language. She completed her Bachelor of Arts with specialisation in English and then went on to do her Masters. Tsering specialises in Indian literature and its English translations.
‘‘I work on literature written in regional languages and translate it into English. Besides, English-writing Indian authors are a favourite,’’ said Tsering.
However, there is a lot more than just passion for English that is pushing this young woman. ‘‘There is a need to promote the issues of our country. I want to use my education as a medium to do this,’’ she said.
She expressed a deep desire to work for the Tibetan cause and was grateful that MSU gave her this opportunity.
‘‘I don’t think that I am that good but I am thankful to this university who helped me get this far,’’ she said. Her teachers claim that they always knew she would make it. ‘‘She was one of our best but was almost inconspicuous in class,’’ said Bharati Parikh, her English lecturer. Being the eldest in the family, Tsering agrees that there is an added pressure of supporting her family. She has already acquired a job as a teacher at a school in Himachal Pradesh but says that she desires to continue her education.
