THE LECTURE WAS DELIVERED AT DON BOSCO SCHOOL LILUAH AT ITS INAUGURAL DAY ON 4TH APRIL, 2007
LIFE[1]
Respected Father Joseph Pathichal, other faculty members of the Institution, Mr. S. K. Agarwal and Dear students. I am honored to be with you today at the commencement of new academic year. The theme of the year, as you know, is Life and I have been asked to deliver key note address on the theme. I do not know whether I am competent to deliver lecture on such multifaceted issue without even crossing majority of its stages. I am not a philosopher nor a spiritual leader but simply one of the millions citizens of country who have seen and experienced the life very closely.
The day when I was asked to deliver this lecture, from then till now I am wondering – Why God Almighty has given me this life? Why there are so much disparity among the life of those who are rich, resourceful and those who do not have resources? Why those disparities even exist in all places irrespective of poor, developing and developed countries? I used to ask one question to my parents in my childhood that why people in developed world die at the average of 80-90 years while in India the average age of death is around 60 years while all have one Almighty God? They answered me that God has given the life along with the faculty to understand life and regulate it in the way one wish. Gods helps them. There were illustrations when people survived more than 100 years. Even couple of years back I asked my one of cousins who is Moulana (Religious Teacher) that why the rich who have resources survives much longer, have more fortunes and the poor are sufferers one? Does God discriminate among poor and rich? I had give him the example of our former Priminister V. P. Singh who has cancer since long but still surviving probably none of the cancer patient from poor family would have survived so long. My grandmother died because of cancer. He seems very angry on such question which he never expected. However, he politely replied every thing in the world happened on the direction of God Almighty. I do agree with him as I am not atheist and firmly believe that every thing in the world is with the grace of Almighty. The question which I posed, the reasoning which I given, the faculty of understanding one has developed all with the grace of Almighty. But even then can one change his own life? Can we have better world where every one will be equal? Can the capability which bestowed upon us will help in making life better not only of one self but of all?
Mohd. Iqbal, the great Urdu poet said,
KHUDI KO KAR BULAD ITNA KE HAR TAKDIR SE PEHLE
KHODA BANDE SE KHUD PUCHE BATA TERI RAJA KYA HAI
(You make yourself so high even before your luck that God himself will ask you what your wish is)
All the children of the Country are not privilege enough as most of you are while studying at one of the best institution in the Country. I know all of you have great future in life and you will succeed in your all endeavor. But there are people who are not privileged enough to study in best schools. Even there are children who have not seen the school because of poverty. This poverty is biggest enemy of our country. What fault those children have? Only that they born in a poor family and they suffer whole life, their lives become different from others – the meaning of life for them is different from others. I did my schooling at Calcutta Madrasah, which is an Urdu Medium Government School at Taltala. One day I asked my father why I have not studied in English medium school. Why I do not get all such opportunity as other students gets of the same school as well as of other reputed schools? During those days from my Class VI to Class X, I have to go to my father hawker stall which was at Esplanade. I had a small bicycle by which every day I had to travel 4 KM from residence to School and then from School to Esplanade. Every day I worked with my father, used to sell Sarees there on the footpath of Esplanade, and in the night around 10 to 11 we together returned to residence at Topsia. My father also had a Cycle. Within couple of years my younger brother joined us and also did the same thing. When ever I used to upset with our condition, or on comparing ourselves from others who have resources, my father used to reply just look on the other people who are worse than you, who do not have money to have two time meal, whose children works in factory or Hotel to feed himself as well as parents. It will give you some satisfaction. I always remember those words of my father and reiterate the same whenever any one complained about their conditions.
Even with all these difficulties I continued my study. Passed Madhyamik Examination in the year 1988. Similarly I did Higher Secondary from Umesh Chandra College in the year 1990. My father purchased one small shop at Topsia and started Building Materials business there. It brings fortune for us but not initially few years. I joined United Bank of India as Commission Agent just before Higher Secondary. There was a break of three years in my study during 1990-1993. However, I passed B. A. Examination as external candidate. My agency at Bank gave me financial assistance to continue my study. I joined South Calcutta Law College and completed LL.B in the years 1998. I got arranged marriage in 1999. I practiced for around two years and had been selected for admission at National Level Entrance Test of West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences. The study at NUJS gave a new meaning to my life. Presently I am Lecturer of this University.
I may remind here that once Mahatma Gandhi said, ‘men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn’t have it in the beginning’.
Sir C. V. Raman said in 1969 while addressing young graduate, ‘I would like to tell the young men and women before me not to lose hope and courage. Success can only come to you by courageous devotion to the task lying in front of you. I can assert without fear of contradiction that the quality of Indian mind is equal to the quality of any Teutonic[2], Nordic or Anglo-Saxon mind. What we lack is perhaps courage, what we lack is perhaps driving force, which takes one anywhere. We have, I think, developed an inferiority complex. I think what is needed in India today is the destruction of that defeatist spirit. We need a spirit of victory, a spirit that will carry us to our rightful place under the sun, a spirit which can recognize that we, as inheritors of proud civilization, are entitled to our rightful place on this planet. If that indomitable spirit were to arise, nothing can hold us from achieving our rightful destiny’.
My Professor at NUJS, Prof. D. Banerjea always reminded us that for all successful life, whether in professional career, administrative career, academic career or otherwise we need three ‘C’ – Character – Commitment – Competence. I had courage and determination, the Almighty made me successful.
When I was in Class IX, I went to British Council once to enquire about the process to study law at United Kingdom. My mother used to tell some story in my childhood where invariably Barristers, Judges were characters. She also never thought that her son will become lawyer one day and then faculty of one of the best law Universities of India. It was uncommon for Urdu Medium School student to visit British Council to enquire about studying at United Kingdom at that age. More so for me knowingly that my father resources will never be sufficient to send me U.K. My father was merely a hawker and I used to assist him every day from evening 4 to 10 in the night and during school holidays whole day. The fortune turns on me. I had been awarded British Cheveing Scholarship, which is one of the world most reputed scholarship, to Study LL.M at University of Essex, United Kingdom in the year 2004. The dream which I have seen in class IX got realized in the year 2004. The Holy Book Bible Said, ‘Ask and you shall receive’. It may not happen immediately but it happened nevertheless.
Dr Wayne Dyer in his book ‘Manifest your destiny’ interestingly categorized the life of man which passes through different stages as ‘Athelete Stage, Warrior Stage, State Person Stage and Spirit Stage. I am not aware where shall I put myself whether at the end of the second stage or beginning of third stage. The life of all person might not bring the fortune in same way as it happened to me. Because life is diverse, different for different person, its bring fortune to one and misfortune to others. Dr. A. P.J Abul Kalam said, to quote; ‘what is life but a mixture of unsolved problems, ambiguous victories, and amorphous defeats? The trouble is that we often merely analyse life instead of dealing with it. People dissect their failures for causes and effects, but seldom deal with them and gain experience to master them and thereby avoid their recurrence. This is my belief: that through difficulties and problems God gives us the opportunity to grow. So when you hopes and dreams and goal are dashed, search among the wreckage, you may find a golden opportunity hidden in the ruins’.
To prove the statement made by Dr. A. P. J. Kalam, I may allow to mention the story of Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studio. He in his lecture to the students at Graduation ceremony on 12th June, 2005 reiterated three instances from his life which indicate how golden opportunity is hidden in wreckage.
1. He dropped out from College, mainly due to financial constraint, and as he does not have regular classes he joined calligraphy classes. He learnt about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what make great typography great. He never hope of any practical application of it in his life. Ten years later when he was designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to him. And he designed it all into Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. According to him if he had never dropped out from college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally space fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, its likely that no personal computer would have them. According to him one has to trust in something – his guts, destiny – life – karma – whatever. This approach had never let him down and it has made all the difference in his life.
2. He started Apple in his parents garage when he was 20. In 10 years it became $ 2 billion company with over 4000 employee. When he was 30 he got fired. How can one get fired from a company he started? As the company grows they started hiring other people and ultimately Board of Directors sided with him. What was the focus of his entire adult life was gone. The turn of the events at Apple had not changed him. He started a company named Next, another company name Pixar. Pixar went on to create the world first computer animated film, toy story and now is most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of event Apple bought Next, he returned to Apple and the technology they developed at Next is at the heart of Apple current renaissance. He said that he was sure none of this would have happened if he had not been fired from Apple. According to him some time life hits one in the head with brick but don’t loose faith. According to him the only things which keep him going that he loved what he did.
3. Couple of year’s back he was diagnosed cancer. According to doctor he may not live more than three to six month. He remember one quote which said, ‘if you live each day as if it was your last, some day you will most certainly be right’. This quote made an impression on him and since then every morning while looking at mirror asked himself “if today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”. He reminded the young graduate that their time is limited, so don’t waste it living some one else life. He said, ‘Don’t trap by Dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
Dr. A. P.J Abul Kalam quoted Khalil Gibran who said, ‘Bread baked without love is a bitter bread that feeds but half a man’s hunger’ – According to Dr. Kalam those who cannot work with their hearts achieve but a hollow, half hearted success that breed bitterness all around. He showed the path to us by saying ‘Thinking is the capital, Enterprise is the way, and hard work is the solution’. What we need today in our life is to following one’s own desire, own pursuit.
Once Ibraham Lincoln said, “There is one thing that I would to say: happiness comes from family’s prosperity at various levels. God’s grace gives bliss to human lives – Happiness and bliss are two important components of a Godly life on earth. Perhaps there is so much conflict between peoples and nations because in our pursuit of prosperity and power we have lost sight of ethical values. We must ask ourselves, what is the role of human consciousness? Does it have a part in political thinking, scientific thinking and theological thinking? Is spirituality is acceptable in business of life?” This statement reminds us the requirement of incorporation of values in life. Even if one self achieved tremendously in his life, how he/she can contribute in the changing the lives of others. From where we will get lessons about morality, brotherhood and generosity? These lesson of morality can come only from religious education be it Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or otherwise. Different persons lead their life differently. Some one do for oneself and others who devote their whole life in betterment of others lives. St. John Bosco born in far away Italy one hundred and ninety one years, seven month and sixteen days ago devoted his life for improvement of others. Still millions of children lives improves, including you all, by the mission developed by him. Kolkata is the City of Mother Teressa who devoted her life to the betterment of others, more particularly poor and under privilege. So one’s life is not only become meaning full for one self but have impact on the lives of millions others. That what the lessons we must draw from those great Saints.
Dr. A. P. J Abul Kalam Said, ‘Unfortunately, the only line prominently drawn in our country today is between the ‘Heroes’ and ‘Zeros’. On one side few hundred ‘Heroes’ keeping nine hundred and fifty million people down on the other side. This situation has to be changed’. According to him the biggest problem Indian youth faced was lack of vision, a lack of direction. What we really need now is proper vision which should not only include the progress, development one self but of others too. The life which can not contribute towards improvement of others life, more particularly poor and under privileged, such life is not complete.
I have shared with you the story of life, the struggle which million of underprivileged youth of this Country faced. No one, however poor, deprived, underprivileged or small need feel disheartened about their life. I firmly believed that sheer determination, dedication and hard work will lead to one’s life accomplish all that he/she dreamt. We all should remember three ‘C’ which my Professor taught me – Character – Commitment – Competence.
May God Almighty accomplish the life of all of us.
Thank you all very much.
[1] Sarfaraz Ahmed Khan, Lecturer, West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata. Lecture delivered at Don Bosco, Liluah, Howrah on 2nd April, 2007.
[2] The group of people in North Western Europe of German Origin.
