Delhiwale: Portrait of a scholar

This moment, the young man in white kurta-pajama is poring over a book. A student at Zakir Husain Delhi College, Asif is from Mewat, near Gurugram in Haryana. He is an English honours scholar belonging to a place where “hardly anybody understands English.” A student at Zakir Husain Delhi College, Asif is from Mewat, near Gurugram in Haryana. “Things can turn around in Mewat only if more children start to attend school, especially if they familiarise themselves with English.” He draws a line on his pad, lips contracting in concentration, softly declaring, “English is an international language.” Like many Mewatis, Asif reveals, his mother is illiterate. “These writers have such great status in the world… will I also be able to carve out my identity?” But first, will Asif really want to settle down in his village after completing his years in the big city?