Pavan Bhalavath (MBA IB) 2013-15 elucidates the way subjects are dealt with in SIIB!!
The results of the Blogging Contest for the month of July have come out and
Pavan Bhalavath (MBA IB 2013-15) has been declared the winner of the same.In his blog,Life in 16 subjects,
he has beautifully wrapped his nascent MBA journey in just 16 subjects and has thus won himself an attractive prize.
About Leadership Series:
“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.”
In the business world, the true mark of a leader is the willingness to stick with a bold course of action - an unconventional business strategy, a unique product-development roadmap, a controversial marketing campaign - even as the rest of the world wonders why you're not marching in step with the status quo. In other words, real leaders are happy to zig while others zag. They understand that in an era of hyper-competition and non-stop disruption, the only way to stand out from the crowd is to stand for something special.
Fuelled with the above ideology, Symbiosis Institute of International Business pioneered the annual conference, “LEADERSHIP SERIES”, starting from 2003. As the annual flagship event of SIIB, the Leadership Series has always been the forerunner in spotting the trends in the Business World thereby inviting relevant dignitaries so that the students extract maximum mileage out of it. This event has always been the platform for the students of SIIB and many others to interact with a wealth of eminent personalities and get the real feel of what it takes to make it to the pinnacle in a career ladder.
Life in 16 SubjectsPosted by Pavan Bhalavat(Blogger of the month of July,2013)
MBA… after a maddening 2 year chase, I finally got hold of it and after joining SIIB, I am looking forward to grabbing it in the 2 years to come. It feels good to be in the company of so many smart and brilliant students. The faculty is amazing, each one more eccentric than the other, but they drive home the concepts straight to the grey cells, where everything becomes 'crystal clear'.
With an overwhelming number of subjects (read 16) in the first semester, it is very difficult to juggle between them, maybe that's how we become managers. But one thing which I have realised is that all subjects have a pinch of so called psychology and can be applied in our daily life. Our economics sir tells us – people face trade-offs, well truer words were never said. Staying in a hostel is filled with trade-offs, sleep less to “study” more, play CS or write an assignment. Statistics teaches us, it is better to have a bigger sample to make it a normal distribution, which is what we want during our placement, most of the students (bigger sample) must be within the z-score of one. Our Marketing sir has “positioned” in our mind that marketing is one of the most fun subjects to study. Its interest is not segmented demographically and we are at the top tier of Maslow's hierarchy of human behaviour.
Foreign trade policy and Export Import helps us understand why trade barriers are bad. In our hostel we are not allowed to go out after 11, hence a barrier for all the “spirited” students in our hostel. This leads to trade from outside the hostel to inside of hostel through unguarded gates (benefit for both exporter and importer). Staying in hostel is always a time of financial crisis, maybe studying finance will help us in managing it better. “Operating” expenses on roadside vada pavs, chai and colored liquids should be reduced and the capital provided by our parents must be utilised properly to improve shareholder's (parents) confidence. Since we are on finance, we cannot leave accounting behind. As I started learning balance sheet, my dad insisted me to write one. I wrote one, and it dint balance.
Data driven decision making helps us to collect data effectively and use it for analysis. Most of the guys are busy collecting data on the girls in our batch and recording in excel. They apply filter on relationship status to find out the single ones and apply conditional formatting on themselves when they go out to meet one.
Further knowledge of other subjects is required to write on it. So let me get back to studying and then I will try to relate it to our lives. Till then Auf Wiedersehen (goodbye in German- one of our subjects).
Is Poverty an issue?
by Kalpana
The politics within a country decides the leaders of the nation. As future manager, you have to be well versed with the developments happening on this stage. They may not impact your business directly but the policies and objectives are guaranteed to make a difference in the long run. At institutions like SIIB, students learn about these intricacies through the several industry interface programs that are interlinked to the curriculum. Of course, SIIB also has industry experts come in from time to time to share their views, insights and opinions with the future managers. Last week, there were several political developments that kept the paper occupied throughout. From allegations to trivialization of poverty, our leaders did it all. But, the trivialization of poverty by the ruling party was one of the most shocking statements that led to a national uproar of sorts. After all, if everything was so simple, businesses had to be functioning flawlessly giving magnanimous amounts of revenue to the economy. But, is that happening?
Well, businesses are growing and so is the opportunity for managers passing out of institutions like SIIB. But, this growth is not the result of sudden enlightenment. In fact, it is the result of consistent hard work, regular efforts and a strong support structure by the government policies. However, when you hear leaders of the nation speak of poverty as a trivial issue, it comes as a rude shock. All that we have learned about socially responsible businesses that help in improving the standards of living for the community, are they not needed any more? Our leaders surely seem to claim so. In fact, the bold statements that they made last week, clearly give a hint that businesses have done their job and indeed improved the standards of living to such an extent that everyone has access to the basic necessities like food security.
Just when the business community and analysts began to scrutinize the statements, the leaders realized that they had opened the Pandora's box. The super specialist crisis management team was called in and the salvaging of the situation began. There were explanations given and supporting statements issued. But, the damage had been done. The issue had resulted in mockery of the ruling party across different mediums. So, if there was a newspaper talking about the seriousness of the matter, there were trolls on social media pages that used satire to highlight the gross mistake that the leaders had committed. The news travelled like wildfire and before the end of the day it had done enough damage to tarnish the image of the ruling party.
As the future of India Inc. , you may have had the doubt as to the seriousness of the poverty issue. After all, our leaders have been bragging about the methods being adopted to eradicate poverty for quite some time. One of the common doubts to arise in the mind is that how big an issue is poverty? Well, poverty continues to be a major issue even today. As managers of the future, it is imperative for you to be aware of the real scenario. Poverty is a cause of concern but the situation is improving. This improvement is partially because of businesses shifting to a sustainable model and taking active steps to improve the standards of living for the underprivileged. The participants at B-school like SIIB use a holistic approach to infuse within students the required skill set that prepares them to evolve into socially responsible business managers of the future.
After all, poverty is a cause of concern, but the future of this concern can surely be made better with the efforts of the soon to be business managers.
Rusha SahaAmrut Varsha Mahotsav
By Smit Rathod and Manu Potti
“Damn yaar I can't recollect the last time I woke up at 5 am!” said Manu, a carefree urban lad who has never been exposed to the hardships of life. “It's ok bhai, it will be worth it, it's going to be a life changing experience, mark my words” assured Smit. Manu smirked at the comment and got off his bed unwillingly.
The day was 19th of July, when a selected few SIIB students visited a village of a district in Maharashtra called Satara for Amrut Varsha Mahotsav. It was an initiative by a few enthusiasts who wanted to give back to the society in the form of agriculture. As we entered the rural landscape, we saw mother earth in her “green sari”. The fields were lush green and fresh in the monsoon, in the avatar it deserves to be seen! A sense of excitement rushed among everyone in the bus. People dozing off interestingly in the bus too were wide awake with excitement now. Everyone was excited about exploring the true colours of an Indian village and seeing the ground reality of a contemporary Indian farmer, an opportunity to put ourselves in the “In Vivo” condition we've been hearing all throughout our graduation years.
We stepped out of our comfort zone, the bus, in bare feet in the rains. We were then divided into groups of 10-12 and each of us allotted a farmer. A 9 km walk into the fields was enduring. By the time we reached the fields, we were exhausted. We were showcased a farm, which at first seemed like a pit of water, cow dung and a few rice plants for plantations floating around. We were given responsibility to transplant almost an acre of land!
Finally the drill started. At first everybody felt icky and complained about the conditions of work, but as time passed by, we devised our own ways to beat the stress and worked in harmony. We managed to go against all odds, and completed the plantation of 1 acre in a meager 4 hours time! Singing, interacting with the farmer and a few candid moments, all came along as a package during the drill. Not to mention the finger licking lunch which was prepared by the compassionate farmers themselves for their respective groups. Transplantation is considered one of the most strenuous practices in agriculture, and at the end of the day we took pride in declaring to the world “we contributed!”. As we sat in our buses, strained and drained out, everyone sunk into their own thoughts. The entire experience was humbling with a plethora of takeaways. Respect for every farmer on earth multiplied by leaps and bounds. We saw for ourselves how the farmers mixed their sweat and blood just to secure our “TOMORROW”.
“Did you like it?” Asked Smit with a smug smile. Manu fumbled for words appropriate to the situation, and replied saying “jai jawan, jai Kisan!”
Rusha Saha
Africa – or ifriqiya as known before, means sunny place. Second largest in terms of population and area, Africa is one of the most diverse continents. It comprises of 54 countries and terrains ranging from Sahara desert to the tropical rain forests.
It is called the place of origin by paleoanthropologists, pointing out the fact that it was the first place inhabited by humans. One of the earliest modern civilisation was that of Egypt. It has its own aura of mysticism, and people are still lured by the stories of Cleopatra and the Sphinx.
The glorious days for Africa were short lived, Dark Age loomed near. Slave trade became rampant till the 20th Century. The imperialist rule continued until the end of Second World War. Most of the countries started forming after 1950. Libya, Tunisia and Morocco were among the first ones to gain independence.
The situation in Africa after most of its nations were formed was chaotic. It is the most mineral rich and has the highest biodiversity, but it still remains world's poorest and most underdeveloped continent. It is plagued with diseases and the infant mortality rate is as high as 100. Most of the countries are torn apart by ethnic clashes and the government is in disarray.
But the scenario in Africa is changing. With the uprisings in Egypt, Libya, Algeria and other countries, people are coming out of the dark ages. Countries outside Africa are focusing their attention towards the huge natural resource base in Africa and the market potential it promises. African countries itself are coming up with international trade friendly policies.
The policies of sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries i.e. Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia etc., are to maximize their trade-related economic growth by 2025 by tapping into the growing markets in Asia, Latin America and their own continent, and invest in trade-related infrastructure such as poor transport, inadequate energy supply and poor storage facilities which hold back the supply of goods and services and trade facilitation which deals with procedures and controls governing the movement of goods across national borders to reduce cost burdens and maximise efficiency while safeguarding legitimate regulatory objectives.
Trade between Western Africa and Asia, for instance, is forecasted to increase by 14% annually over the next 10 years, significantly surpassing the overall growth in world trade. But, since the majority of SSA products destined for Asia are commodities, a reorientation to growth markets is by itself not sufficient to achieve future sustainability. Furthermore, the share of raw materials in Africa's exports to Asia is still growing. Thus by simply turning towards Asia, this analysis shows that the SSA region runs the risk of leaving itself even more vulnerable to commodity price shocks than it is today.
India and Africa have much to gain from each other. Africa being a potential market for growth has a wide range of opportunities for India and at the same time China is also competing for the same. India has much to lose if it misses the opportunity and hands it over to China, the most active trader and investor in African markets. Bharti's Airtel, ONGC, Godrej, Hero, Mahindra, Tata and Bank of India are companies that have already made their footprint in Africa understanding the capability of the market.
The prospects of trade between Africa and other nations will be best highlighted by the leaders from Africa itself. This year SIIB is bestowed with the presence of Ambassadors from African nations in its LEADERSHIP SERIES. They will be providing valuable information on how the relation between Africa and India will grow and how both countries have to benefit from it. The future leaders of India have a lot to learn from this, because with trade boundaries dissolving, businesses are going global and this requires a fresh outlook from the future workforce.
For more information log on to: http://www.siibleadershipseries.com
Follow us at: https://www.facebook.com/SiibLeadershipSeries
“Tsamina mina, eh eh Waka waka, eh eh; Tsamina mina zangalewa; This time for Africa”- Shakira's lyrics just don't make our hips not to lie but also succor us to look up to a continent which has always been shining with possibilities but never discovered!
Yes as rightly pointed out by the pop singer it's time for Africa and its big time for Africa!!
Africa in the current global scenario is the most lucrative place to set up a business and growth is bound to come, chasing you like a cheetah which is mostly found pan African forests.Driven with the eagerness to beat its problems it has been living with all these years, breaking the shackles of suppression and passing a clear message to the exterior world that it has all the competencies to give a tough fight to them in the fields of business, Africa as a whole has risen as a preferred business destination.
The major achievements in Africa have been registered in the southern part with South Africa acting as a big brother to the African continent and doing its part as yeomen service to make the lives of its fellow African national's life better.
Business scope in Africa has always been high and under-utilized. The sectors such as mining, petroleum exploration, banking, and telecommunication have made their presence felt but education has been the continent's major concern. Though the Global School of Business, Cape Town has made it into the top 100 business schools list for Executive Masters in Business Management, there is an immense amount of effort to be put in by the sister African nations to reach up to the education standards followed around the world.
The scope for business in various African nations is wide open for sectors like housing, financial services, infrastructure, tourism, mariculture and agri-processing. There is a wider scope of growth for service based industries such as BPO, KPO and LPO. The legal framework in place in most of the African nations is said to be robust and needs to be efficiently put into effect to deal with the crime rate and certain issues which have maligned the image of the continent with highest potential.
Business success stories in Africa prove that the continent has the highest growth prospects and words said by the leaders of US based, Cardinal Resources, LLC compliments the above said even better.
SIIB Leadership Series, the flagship event at Symbiosis Institute of International Business, Pune has had the legacy of providing opportunities to the student community to interact with leaders across every vertical-be it art, business, media etc. and discover the leaders in them.
The theme for SIIB Leadership Series 2013 'Rediscover Africa' comes at a time when the leaders around the world which is changing rapidly are looking forward to tap African continent for the World Citizen's growth!
Contribution by Prithvi Burgula, Student of MBA International Business (2013-15), Member-Public Relations @SIIB. The author can be reached on [email protected]
“RE-DISCOVERING AFRICA”
India and Africa have a long historic relationship which has grown into a sustainable partnership. From their struggle against colonialism and apartheid, they have emerged strong and have accepted the challenges of a
globalizing
world
. Whether in dealing with threats to international peace and security, or threat from international terrorism or the curse of poverty, they have traversed the same path, shared the same values and cherished the same dreams.
Africa-India trade relations include historical, political, economic, military and cultural connections between them.
Historical relations concerned mainly India and
Eastern Africa. However, in modern days with the expansion of diplomatic and commercial representations, India has now developed its relation with most of the African nations.
Though separated by The Indian Ocean, the
geographical proximity between Africa and the Indian subcontinent has played an important role in the development of their relationship. The monsoon winds helped the merchants trade cotton, glass beads and other goods in exchange for gold and soft-carved ivory. The influence of the Indian architecture on the African kingdom shows the level of trade development between the two civilizations. During the medieval times relations attained stronger levels due to the development of trade routes between the Mediterranean and Asia. During the British colonial rule in the Indian Subcontinent and large parts of Africa, the Indian city of Mumbai was the main center of ivory trade between East Africa and Britain. During the period of colonialism and liberation wars, political relations became stronger.
The relation between the countries has come a long way since then. As of 2011, India has emerged as Africa's fourth largest trade partner behind China, EU & USA whilst Africa has emerged as India's sixth largest trading partner behind EU, China, UAE, USA & ASEAN. Indian companies have already started investing in Africa. The countries have regularly held trade negotiations and chalked out policies beneficial to both parties.One of the first such meetings between the heads of state and government of India was held in 2008 in New Delhi, which discussed about the growing concern of rising oil and food prices.
Indian firms have realised the potential unleashed by African nations in the form of huge market potential and bountiful natural resources. Businesses are conducting numerous takeovers and are venturing deeper into African nations. Bharti Airtel, purchased Zain Africa. Among the proposals that CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) received from the African nations are 126 agricultural projects, 177 infrastructure projects and 34 energy sector plans.
“Africa possesses all the prerequisites to become a major growth pole of the world in the 21st century. We should work with Africa to enable it to realise this potential”. India and Africa have much to gain mutually. Africa being a potential market for growth has a wide range of opportunities for India and at the same time China is also competing for the same. India has much to lose if it misses the opportunity and hands it over to China, the most active trader and investor in African markets.
Leadership series is the annual flagship event of SIIB, it has always been the forerunner in spotting the trends in the world of business. SIIB invites relevant dignitaries and leaders of their field to inculcate industry knowledge to the future business leaders. It is a platform for the students of SIIB and MBA students to interact with a gamut of eminent personalities, to get the real feel of what it takes to make it to the pinnacle of the career ladder. This time SIIB Leadership Series theme is “RE-DISCOVERING AFRICA” and it is honoured with an opportunity to learn from the Government Ambassadors of African nations, who will be imparting knowledge about African culture and its economy and the bright future which Africa is facing.
For more information log on to: http://www.siibleadershipseries.com
Follow us at: https://www.facebook.com/SiibLeadershipSeries
We started with the Agri and EnE Meet on 14th August covering 2 colleges namely RIT Islampur and College of Agriculture Kadegaon on the very same day.We got to interact with the final year students who were really eager to know the various aspects of agriculture and energy and environment.The entire session was conducted very successfully and all the queries of the enthusiastic students were solved.This was just the beginning and we aspire to cover a lot more colleges in the coming week.
Sushmit Mukerji's Contribution:
SIIB-The New Beginning.....
3rd of June, a new beginning was set,
Bundle of joy and surprises that I was supposed to get.
SIIB was calling, for a brand new start,
Went towards it, lurch in the stomach, a rush in d heart..
Expectations were high, a goal in mind,
I knew MBA wasn't going to be kind.
First step in, a new world lay ahead,
It will be a tough two years, everyone had said..
So all of us were ready, ready to begin,
The gruel of SIIB and the life within..
Induction in the 'audi', a new director for us,
Got all things into our head, without much of a fuss..
Introduction sessions in the audi, called the Induction week,
Got to know about the dudes and the college geek.
The outbound was next, the breaking of the ice,
Two amazing days, pretty good, very nice..
Full of adventure sports and numerous fun games,
We slowly started recognizing people by their names..
We had song and dance for the 'chill out' night,
What a show it was, a marvellous sight..
Many bonds were made, and many to be,
Those cherishable memories, the moments of glee..
The happy moments over, the charge to our grey cells,
Got to learn the market, and how a product sells.
Began the first week, official beginning of our classes,
Our Economics sir was an instant hit with the masses..
Stats looked tough, Ma'am initially gave us a scare,
Coming without books or 'calcis', you shouldn't even dare..
Finance and Accounting, our minds completely swirled,
For Engineers United, it was a completely new world..
Market research method classes were like a piece of cake,
Marketing Sir with his unique quizzes kept us wide awake..
Learning in EXIM and FTP never came to an end,
With smileys and 'Thursday Tadka', always came our friend..
HR activities are so 'interesting', so full of fun,
For some of my classmates, this might be a pun..
'Data Driven' always makes us drive that extra mile,
Appreciation or scolding, Ma'am does it with 'that' smile.
Formation of committees and selections that were held,
Being part of a team, with pride our hearts swelled.
We will put in the efforts and bear the sweet pain,
We budding Managers, our efforts won't go in vain..
Full of 'Dyanamicity' and a logo newly designed,
We are heading to the place where we have been destined..
With a sense of belief and confidence all along,
Reaching the top of the ladder, where we always belong.
We will get to the top, and remain there forever,
This two year journey, will be a nice one to remember.
Sushmit Mukerji-MBA IB(2013-15), Member, Public Relations and Academic Committee.
Reviews from the experts on LEADERSHIP SERIES:
"I am very impressed with the work being done by the Institute in building the brain power for India in the 21st century. I wish the Institute all success."
Mr. Baba Kalyani
Chairman & Managing Director, Bharat Forge Ltd.
"It was a great pleasure addressing the students and interacting with them."
Mr. Adi Godrej
Chairman, Godrej Industries Ltd.
"I was very impressed by the quality of the questions as well as the organization."
Mr. Ajay Piramal
Chairman, Nicholas Piramal.
"A wonderful afternoon with a wonderful bunch of eager youngsters! The quality of interaction was thoroughly enjoyable."
Mr. V. Raghunathan
President, ING Vysya Bank Ltd.
“Truly an enjoyable experience and I look forward to more such campus visits to SIIB. Good Luck."
Mr. A. Srinivasan
V P - Sales, i-Flex Solutions Ltd.
"The participant group was vibrant and engaged in high level of interaction. The standard of the students is high and are very impressive. God Bless & all the best."
Mr. N. K. Mohanty
Head-HR, Bayer (India) Ltd
When SIIBians 'ran free!'
Surprisingly Elton woke us up at 6.30! Hussain Screaming at the top of his voice- Come on, Get up! We need to go! . That was the only moment I felt I made a mistake going for the Freedom Run.
Ganesh Chathurdi celebrated with great fervor by students of SIIB at Symbiosis Infotech Campus.😃😃
SIIB Wishing you a very Happy Onam...!!The Stories Behind the OnamA long long time ago, an Asura (demon) king called Mahabali ruled Kerala. He was a wise, benevolent and judicious ruler and beloved of his subjects. Soon his fame as an able king began to spread far and wide, but when he extended his rule to the heavens and the netherworld, the gods felt challenged and began to fear his growing powers. Presuming that he might become over-powerful, Aditi, the mother of Devas pleaded with Lord Vishnu to curtail Mahabali's powers. Vishnu transformed himself into a dwarf called Vamana and approached Mahabali while he was performing a yajna and asked for alms. Pleased with the dwarf brahmin's wisdom, Mahabali granted him a wish. The Emperor's preceptor, Sukracharya warned him against making the gift, for he realized that the seeker was no ordinary person. But the Emperor's kingly ego was boosted to think that God had asked him for a favor. So he firmly declared that there is no greater sin than going back on one's promise. He kept his word.The Vamana asked for a simple gift — three paces of land — and the king agreed to it. Vishnu in the guise of Vamana then increased his stature and with the first step covered the sky, blotting out the stars, and with the second, straddled the netherworld. Realising that Vamana's third step will destroy the earth, Mahabali offered his head as the last step.Vishnu's fatal third step pushed him to the netherworld, but before banishing him to the underworld Vishnu granted him a boon. Since he was attached to his kingdom and his people, he was allowed to return once a year from exile. Onam is the celebration that marks the homecoming of King Mahabali. It is the day when a grateful Kerala pays a glorious tribute to the memory of this benign king who gave his all for his subjects.
SIIB – MBA in Symbiosis, Symbiosis
SIIB is going to have a special event on september 21st 2013 especially aimed for Supply Chain Management. The industry alignment with the present students has become the need of the hour. Unfortunately that does not happen much in our country. But SIIB is different !
The event has a flagship called Supply Chain in the boardroom. This will see the Top managers from blue chip companies participating with the students to help them understand how strategic decisions are taken within SCM. Companies participating in such initiatives is certainly a boost for Symbiosis and the overall fraternity. Other Symbiosis institutesalso participate in events but what we have seen from the past is SIIBhas the biggest name for industry aligned courses and events. This helps the students to establish themselves within Top notch companies worldwide. Isn't this so interesting.
Interested students can go to www.siib.ac.in or just view http://siib.ac.in/FrmEventDetail.aspx?eventid=89 where all the event details are mentioned.
“The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.”- Muriel Rukeyser
He was sitting at the rear end of the auditorium, watching the proceedings on stage with dispassionate interest. Teachers' day was being celebrated at SIIB and like every year the Kshitij team had taken the responsibility of making all the arrangements.
The teachers of SIIB were being commemorated with hand-crafted cards made by the children of Kshitij when suddenly an announcement was made requesting the members of the Kshitij team from the senior batch to come up on stage. He got up from his slouch and looked around. Realising there were only 2 senior members present in the auditorium and he was one of them, he decided he had no other choice but to oblige. As he began the long march from the back of the audi to the stage he thought back to how he had come to be a part of this inspiring initiative.
A year ago when he first came to SIIB he was 21 and Ksitij was just another credit course that he had to put up with. He picked Ksitij because he thought how hard could it be to teach a few scrawny kids, right? Considering that some people still considered him a kid or rather “kiddo”, if we were to adhere strictly to the terminology used by some people to address him, it should have been a cake walk for him. A kid teaching other kids! Brilliant! An easy 2 credits.
So 21 years old and not a damn thing in his life he could be proud of. That was the mentality with which his MBA journey began. Two things have changed since then. One, he had learned the meaning of the word sonder. What is sonder you ask? Well, I will tell you. It is the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you'll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk…
Now, if you haven't really understood what it means don't worry. You will once you read change number two.
So two, he now had done something he was proud of. As a mentor for three kids in Ksitij it was soon clear to him that this was not going to be an easy two credits. This was not just any other credit assignment. It was so much more than just credits. Not only did it demand a great deal of his time and attention but also his affection and attachment. These kids did not come from affluent families who could afford the best education. But they had hopes and dreams and aspirations to make it big, just like him. And they had the ability and determination to achieve them as well, but unlike him, they lacked the resources. And so it was in him that they placed their trust that he would make all possible effort towards their education and encourage their dreams.
If he had not been a part of Ksitij he would just been a blur in the lives of these children as so many people had been in his. An extra sipping coffee in the background, a blur of traffic passing on the highway, a lighted window at dusk…
But now he was a part of their complex and rich stories. Indeed, in some ways he had now affected those stories forever. He was entrenched in the elaborate labyrinth of their lives. Yes, he was no longer just a random passerby. As their teacher, mentor and friend he had made a difference. Minuscule maybe, but a difference indeed.
And as he stood on stage in front of everyone and received a memento as commemoration he knew he had reason to be proud as did everyone associated with Kshitij.
—
- Contributed by Debdeep Majumdar