A Fight with the Destiny

I was young. I was na?ve. I didn’t know the Destiny when I fought with her. I only knew that if the University wouldn’t have played the politics to make the other student topper by 1 mark, I would have got the Gold Medal, and University of British Columbia, Canada would have given me full fellowship for my higher study there. I was trying my best to reach Allahabad High Court on time to file a case and take a stay at the Convocation where the Gold Medal was to be awarded. Little did I know that my destiny wanted to take me to some other direction and was creating all the hurdles in my way.

It was 2.00 O’clock in the morning, and I was standing on the foot-over bridge of Mughal Sarai (now Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay) Rly station. The train ‘Toofan Mail’ was coming to the platform which could take me to the Allahabad (now Prayagraj). Out of blue I told my friend ‘Bipin’ that “as this train is long distance train there could be big crowd. Why don’t we go back to Varanasi railway station and take 4.00 am train to the Allahabad? The other train starts from Varanasi, and we will get the seats to reach Allahabad comfortably to file the case before the Court starts”. We didn't catch Toofan Mail, but got the auto back to Varanasi railway station. Had I stayed back and taken that train, the scenario could possibly be different. I still dream the Toofan mail coming to the platform and me returning from that foot over-bridge. I can’t say what prompted me, but I did not catch that train when I could.

Earlier, I tried making long distance calls to my father who was an advocate at Patna. Despite my several efforts the call couldn’t get through. As I had to file the case in Allahabad High Court and since my father was an advocate, I needed his support badly. He was in Patna, unaware of what’s happening. We did not have mobile phones in 1991, therefore I tried Standard Trunk Dialling. I was hoping that once I inform my father, he could come down to Allahabad and join me. It was my bad luck that I did not get support from my father when I needed the most.

Anyway, I and my friend came back to Varanasi Railway station, and bought the tickets to Allahabad. We checked at the platform whether the train was going to Allahabad, selected upper birth and went to sleep. We were very tired. We probably got up around 10.00-11.00 am when the train stopped at one station. We learned that the train had hardly travelled 40-50 kms from Varanasi. The co-passengers told us that it was a passenger train, and we should have taken the express train (we had tickets for express train) which was standing on the next platform at Varanasi. My friend regretted that his mind also did not work when he was supposed to be alert knowing very well that I was not in my mind.

We reached Allahabad that afternoon when the Court timing was already over. The next day was convocation. Meanwhile, students at my University in Varanasi learned about my case, and they boycotted the convocation. However, the Gold Medal was awarded to that student.

Three decades down the memory line, I struggled, fought, and made ways for myself in international development field. I established two development models: one in Iran and another in India, where small/marginal farmers live with dignity, not on charity. My story has been published in India and at Silicon Valley, USA. I went abroad for higher study after 4 years, but with a commitment to come back to India and continue to follow my passion of working with small & marginal farmers.

Had I gotten my Gold Medal, I would have gone abroad for higher study, and probably had settled there, teaching in some University. The Destiny had planned something different for me – a bigger purpose for my life.

Jitendra Sinha

Co-founder - SAI Sustainable Agro