Months After Telangana Farmer's Suicide, His Son Scores 87% in Class X Boards

Ten months ago, Suresh Bikasapathi's father had committed suicide. Today, he dreams of becoming a software engineer. The young man has scored 87% in his Class X board exams.

Suresh's father Narsingulu Bikshapathy was one of the over 900 farmers who have been driven to death by crop loss, poverty and debt over the last one year. When he consumed pesticide last July, the family was devastated.

But after his story was told, NDTV's viewers came to the rescue of this family from Warangal's Vangapadu village. Their help enabled Suresh and his elder sister Swapna to continue their studies.

Swapna has joined a teachers' training course. Her dream is to build a school and help educate children from impoverished families.

Suresh's results came out over the weekend. When NDTV visited the family home in Vangapadu, 150 km from Hyderabad, the house wore a joyous look.  Suresh's friends and relatives had some visiting. His teachers came too, to congratulate him.

The school -- a private English medium school in Orugallu -- had thrown him out last year, after Narsingulu was unable to pay the fees. It had further humiliated the 40-year-old farmer, who had set his heart upon the best possible education for his only son.  

Today, with his excellent marks, a local college has already invited Suresh to join.

"People we don't even know helped us, so I could continue in school, stay in a hostel and study. I will become a software engineer and help others too,'' the 15-year-old said.

Suresh's grandmother Sarojamma expressed her heartfelt thanks for the NDTV viewers. Their help, she said, had also enabled the family to get treatment Suresh's mother Lakshmi, who has a chronic heart ailment, and helped pay the family's debts.

"Both my grandchildren would have had to drop out of school and college. They would not have been able to live their dreams," she said.