Late son submitted last assignment in hospital before passing away
Mr Kumar, 25, was set to graduate this year, but his life was cut short after a chronic illness.
Wednesday 03 September 2025 | 22:30
Chandra Wati holds a potrait of her late son, Ajneesh Ritesh Kumar, who was to graduate today.
Photo: Laiseana Nasiga
The University of the South Pacific graduation today will be an unforgettable one for a family from Sigatoka.
When the name of Ajneesh Ritesh Kumar was called, it was not the young man in a gown stepping forward, but his father carrying the weight of a dream his son never lived to see fulfilled.
Mr Kumar, 25, was set to graduate this year, but his life was cut short after a chronic illness.
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His death shattered his family, who had longed to see him walk across the graduation stage, hold his degree, and celebrate the achievement that he worked so tirelessly for.
Yesterday in Suva Mr Kumar’s mother, Chandra Wati clutched a framed photograph of her son, her eyes filled with tears.
“Every day, I look at this picture and I wonder why he had to go so soon,” she said.
“He used to tell me, ‘Mum, when I graduate, it will all be for you.’ I wish he was still here to keep that promise.”
Mr Kumar had aspired to use his degree to set up an agricultural nursery, a plan that symbolised his determination to not just build a career, but also provide for his family and community.
His elder sister Anika Kumar said graduation day would now carry a bittersweet meaning.
“Ajneesh worked so hard for this moment. It breaks our hearts that he won’t be there to walk across the stage,” she said.
“But to honour him, our father will walk in his place and receive his degree. When Dad holds that certificate, it will feel like Ajneesh is with us again, even just for a moment.”
The family says they will sit together during the ceremony, holding back tears as they watch their father rise when Ajneesh’s name is called. “It won’t be easy,” she admitted.
“But this is for him. He deserves this moment. He earned it.”
She said the graduation ceremony would no longer just be a celebration.
It would be a tribute, a final salute to a son and brother whose journey was cut short, but whose determination, dreams, and love remained etched forever in the hearts of those he left behind.
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