Fake degree row: How AAP's press meet put me in a crushing identity crisis

I feel like I have accidentally popped the red pill Neo took in Matrix. All of a sudden, nothing makes sense to me anymore. For instance, I may not be myself. I may be masquerading as someone else. In that case, I demand to meet my clone, as Arnold Schwarzenegger did in The Sixth Day. [caption id=“attachment_2772260” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  What’s in a name?[/caption] All these existential insecurities came rushing into my head when I chanced upon the press conference held by Aam Aadmi Party’s Ashutosh where he claimed that the documents shown by Amit Shah and Arun Jaitley earlier in the day are “forged” because the Prime Minister’s name is different in BA and MA degrees. The blood drained out of my face when I remembered that my BA degree, which I completed from University of Calcutta in 1998 carries my name as Srimay Talukdar, something which became a cause for worry back then. Upon inquiry, I was told it was a clerical error and quite commonplace. I was also assured that it won’t matter in the long run. It didn’t. I subsequently cleared MA in English from Jadavpur University where the original spelling was restored. And this anomaly hasn’t bothered me since up until today, when Ashutosh appeared on screen in righteous indignation and put a question mark on my identity while targeting Narendra Damodardas Modi. And this name change took place without my ever having to file an affidavit. Following the AAP leader’s “explosive” presscon, I stumbled upon many unfortunate souls like me who have a difference in names in their educational certificates.

Ashutosh screams his lungs out. Calls degree forged cos theres additional Kumar in it. My own certificates till XII have no surname

— Vikas Saraswat (@VikasSaraswat) May 9, 2016

@sidin yes. The 2nd one is from Bombay Uni so has my father's name after my first name.

— Nayanika (@nayanikaaa) May 9, 2016

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Also, the year of appearing for an examination doesn’t necessarily have to be the same year when the degree is conferred. There could be many reasons for delay. Well may the AAP flex its vocal chords and demand resignation from everyone within its shooting sight, errors in names cannot be conclusive evidence of forgery.