It was a pleasant morning on the 10th of December 2018 in Kolkata when my entire family was busy preparing for the events scheduled for the entire day on the occasion of my cousin’s marriage. I was also occupied with loads of work while my father dealt with the guests and greeted them with clothing material purchased from Pantaloons situated near Vardhan Market in Kolkata. The reviews gathered, later on, were very good and appealing. Various ceremonies were carried out during the day with people in great apparel purchased from Pantaloons covering a wide range of shirts, trousers, Kurti, etc. The entire family looked complete. It was a complementary but principle addition as is evident from ‘a complete man and a complete woman’ (Grasim). The clothing need of the entire family achieved a single point solution. It not only avoided the chaos and hustle in the city of Joy but also save valuable time. The statement ‘Time is money’ became suddenly prominent with the feel with which the ceremonies proceeded. Suddenly, I realized that my father’s clothing was missing. It was obvious because of the workload and busy schedule which all addressed the guests. ‘Atithidevobhava” was the soul theme of the ceremonies while my father’s needs went unaddressed. Moral being ‘service before self’. I requested my father to stay and receive the guests as I would rush to the Pantaloon store to get the clothes for him. When I reached the store, the support staff addressed my concern on an urgent note as he was the one looking after the Peter England section. He very well remembered my father who visited the store last week. He recommended a wonderful formal shirt and trousers for my dad which would carry on very well with a lovely and fashionable blazer. The peter England section support staff also gave decent discounts on my purchase. When I returned home and suggested my father to have a trial, I was awe-struck to see the perfection which the suiting brought in him. The honest shirt appeared ‘honestly impressive’ in an amalgamation of the suit on an honest being. This is a small live story that made me realize the #bigness of Aditya Birla Group in my life along with my family’s life. The suiting became an example of perfection which many of my relatives followed and are still following.
‘Dubte ko Tinkey ka Sahara’ is a well-known tagline in Hindi which the people use to demonstrate the minute helps which created a dynamic impact in their lives. Coming from a joint family, I was given the atomic support from my uncle and cousins in the form of school admission, education, and livelihood. The small journey to IIM Ranchi and willingness to serve the society selflessly began in a small town of Sahibganj in Jharkhand which was inoculated with education from St. Xavier’s School followed by graduation from St. Xavier’s College Kolkata. Earning my school education in a neighbor’s house, as my house was not equipped with a table and chair along with a lack of space; I managed to clear my board exams with distinction in the school. Several Scholarships and consistent guidance from my dear concerns and well-wishers helped me sail successfully through my college life as well. There was a time when I stood outside the gates St. Xavier’s college to get admission into it as my marks in a subject was slightly below the required level. Days passed by and I stood consistently just to have a glimpse of the then Principal Rev. Fr. Dr. J. Felix Raj so that I could explain to him my scenario and request him to deal with my case on a slight consideration note. Finally, it did happen to me. I got admitted to the college and in the second year, I was also elected as the Working Committee Member of the prestigious St. Xavier’s College Students’ Council. My eyes were flooded with tears when I stood on stage to bag a memento from the same Principal who offered me to consider my application into college. Days passed by and I added sincere and dedicated points with my service to the college, in the college and for the college with ideas to serve the society. I also bagged a very good scholarship in college to help me with my education. After that, the harshness of life continued further. The job life coupled with my family did help me to maintain my efforts and struggle to earn me a wonderful college where I can complete my masters in business education. Several other things are there which I have not mentioned here. Well, I do stand in a place where people who know me portray me as an example for the others in a similar way. But I should not be excited about it as life is not a bed of roses. I would like to mention a few lines from ‘a psalm of life’ by H.W.Longfellow:
Lives of great men remind us,
We can make our lives sublime,
And departing leave behind us,
Footprints on the sands of time.
These lines were taught to me when I was in class 9 in my school. I do remember them and bag my inspiration to strive hard in life regardless of all the difficulties. Self-determination and ambition in life are very difficult to maintain our work consistently and efficiently. A touch on the ground level realities and a practical approach with commitment are the founding pillars of any work to attain a successful execution.
THANK YOU!