Mother of two set to take Higher Secondary examination with son in Bengal

SHANTIPUR/NADIA: A homemaker from Nrisinghapur in Nadia's Shantipur, 38-year-old Latika Mandal, will take the Higher Secondary (HS) examination with her 17-year-old son Saurabh from March 14. Her grit has set an example and encouraged many to resume studies, neighbours said.
A mother of two, Mandal originally hails from Nadia's Dhubulia. She left formal studies when she was in class VI due to poverty and her mother's illness.In 2001, she got married to Ashim Mandal, a construction labourer.
Her daughter Shila - a third year student of Bengali (Honours) at Shantipur College - often helps her and Saurabh with their lessons. Saurabh will take his exams from Kalna Maharaja Uchcha Vidyalaya. He wants to join the defence in future.
Latika, who intends to continue with her studies, said she brushed up on her lessons while helping her children with studies at home.
"I used to teach my son and daughter which helped me to sharpen my knowledge base and kept alive the desire to study. It's a privilege and God's blessing that I can appear in the same examination with my son." Mandal's husband is also an inspiration for her. He never objected to her pursuit of knowledge even though the family often ran into debt and he travelled to neighbouring states for work, neighbours said.
Mandal had earlier passed the Madhyamik examination from Rabindra Open University through Shantipur Municipal High school in 2019-20. It fuelled her desire to continue with her studies, she said.