Landed in the Station Market at Mumbai in a summer day, full of diversity, with people from different states and also few foreigners. Small shops full with lots of items, hundreds of buyers in queue. Lanes are full with people, busy in their own work. Watching the pattern of behaviour of the new city, I went to stay for a week. So I was relaxed, unhurried to buy and go back. In that rush, few small children were there, roaming here and there, playing with a plastic ball running in the street among the crowd. Staring at sweet shops and fruit shops.
Heard a voice, Listen, Come Here You All, a lean and thin boy with tight jeans and full tight shirt called all those four children. Then I peeped inside the crowd, where are they going ? Whether this boy is using those small children for some unwanted activities, or what will he do with them. He took them near a trolly, where he provided all of them with tender coconut with water and white meat. Then he offered ‘Pink Candys’ to all of them. They all were taking it sincerely. Then he asked them, you all have not gone to school today ? Children said no, Summer Vacation is going on, so school will re-open after seven days, next Monday. Then he said, then from tomorrow onwards, you all come to me, I will give you tender coconut every day. Then you play here, he pointed towards a very small empty space just behind his trolley. ‘Do not beg like this, as you are the school going children’ the boy said them. Children said, as school is closed, they are not getting midday meal, which forces them to come here, as both of their parents go to work in the early morning, they do not have the time to cook.
I was listening to them silently, standing on the verandah of the nearby market complex. After their conversation was complete, I went to the boy, who was selling tender coconut, candy and very small small packets of biscuits and other snacks of only one rupee to five rupees a packet. I bought one tender coconut and asked him, since how many years you are selling in this market. He said only two years. I again asked how much money you earn a day ? He said Rs. 500/- to Rs. 1000/- a day. Do you know those boys ? He said not very well, but as I stay in the nearby slum, they also stay in the same place. At times, I see them returning from the school, while I return in the evening to my home. But you have donated food costing around Rs.50/- to each one of them ? Do not you think your profit for the day will be reduced. He said, every day 8-10 tender coconut is wasted, as it is a perishable goods. It can be kept maximum for three days, in this Summer. If I give those kids, 4 coconuts per day, nothing will happen.
With curiosity I asked, what is your plan to do ? He said, I will do politics. What type of Politics ? He said, now I am selling those things and saving some money, with that I am helping the people in my slum and in this market and building my public contacts, as such in five years, people of my area will recognise me. Then I will fight election. The school children like them also will grow and help me. So everyday, I do something to build up relationship with few.
Just then I was reminding the words of Jeffery Pfeffer of Stanford Graduate School of Business, We get the job for relationship, we get the promotion for relationship, we make friends for relationship, we get social relationship for relationship. The small boy, Who does not know anything about academics, went to school only for few years in the early age, has such a nice strategy for his dream.
Alchemist was watching the tourists and the people visiting the desert, the yellow sand and blue sky, and was delighted to see the green date palms. He was seeing the travellers, the kings, the riches and doors. But was waiting for the person, to teach his secrets, as told by omens, with a hope that, his expert eyes will recognise him.
The most general truth behind dream is vision, strategy, patience and actions …..
MORE POSTS
6 Comments
ABOUT
Sasmita Samanta
Prof. Sasmita Samanta is an accomplished academician and administrator with more than two and half decades of experience in strategizing excellence in professional and technical education. Currently she wears the mantle of Professor of Management and Vice-Chancellor of KIIT Deemed to be University.
Needless to say, it is the naked truth that everyone has been living for the next day and, on the other language, it's with a positive DREAM. And, if the intention is positive, then no doubt, the dream will become a positive truth.
Thanks a lot to the narrator for such a heart touching narration with burning example.
Exam Cell, School of Civil Engineering, KIIT DU
Dreaming large is the hallmark of Leaders and it is so nice to read it from the pen of a Leader, Prof Samanta who has so strategically groomed KIIT University to achieve the “Institution of Eminence” status. Dreaming Big, making big plans should always be supported by clear vision and then the vision should always be put into action in its true spirits. The anecdote given here by the author endorses the importance of vision in a dream and the effective planning and fearless courage to fulfill that dream…
I never heard such a heart touching story from a boy who is living in slums doing a business where hardly getting something but has a dream which many of the richest people will not think about. You are right if your dream is real and you want to fulfill it then nothing can stop you to find a path. I am not sure whether that boy fulfilled his dream or not but this beautiful article will be an inspiration to all.
Sometimes formal education makes nowhere, where inner talent does…Real story of life and nicely noted..
Great Strategy to achieve the the goal. Nice story madam.
What a write up. Everyone has dream, but to live the dream is a real challenge. Great Maam.