Greatness is not measured by money

One day in the month of April, Shehnai Nawaz Ustad Bismillah Khan ’s grandson Banda Ali received an elaborate telegram from the Rashtrapati Bhavan - asking if Ustad will be interested in being present at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on a particular date, to receive the Bharat Ratna from the President of India. Wheelchair bound and very ill Ustad Bismillah Khan, facing a severe financial crunch, had tears of gratitude in his eyes. He replied in affirmative. One Small Issue. As soon as this news spread - Congratulatory calls and messages started streaming in - Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Madhya Pradesh, Celebrities, Old colleagues, Officials, Media anchors - everyone wanted to personally congratulate the humble Ustad for this achievement.

Being ever gracious, Ustad obliged everyone, thanked everyone - but failed to mention to any of them an issue which was causing him grave distress. He didn’t have any money to travel to New Delhi. The D-Day arrived. Finally, the morning of the day, when he was supposed to receive the highest award of the land arrived. He still had no money. No tickets.While he was half contemplating on an idea to play severely ill - saving himself from the embarrassment, he heard a little commotion coming from his living room. A few men that he’d never seen, had arrived to take him and his wheelchair to the airport. Outside his house - the whole street was full of proud faces, mostly unknown - everyone had come to see off their hero, the newest Ratna of Bharat.

He thanked his God, and decided to play along. He instructed his grandson Banda Ali and Nephew Mumtaz to pack a pair of fresh kurta for him and accompany him to the Airport. Now the Twist. Once at the airport, he was greeted by an even greater sea of unknown but proud faces - someone was trying to touch his feet, someone gave him a garland, there were smiles all around. Now before he could instruct his grandson to figure a taxi while he feigned an excuse of illness to return back home - a new twist arrived. Senior representatives of a few airlines appeared out of nowhere, pleading for him to choose their flight to travel to New Delhi. There was one manager smarter than others, who carried three tickets instead of one - Ustad said a yes to him. Now It was time for Banda Ali and Mumtaz Hussain to get excited as well - they were all going to New Delhi.

He was personally welcomed inside the airport by the senior most officer of the Airport Authority of India - His bag containing a kurta was picked up and carried by the head of the Airport security himself - the pilots and crew members welcomed him at the tarmac - the other passengers clapped and cheered while he got seated. As the flight took off - a tear dropped from Ustad’s eyes. He wasn’t that poor after all. Now the Welcome. The news of him taking off from Varanasi, reached New Delhi much before the Ustad himself. There were thousands of people who had come to see him. Hundreds wanted him to come along with them and stay in their house - but he chose to go with a guy, specially sent for him by the Rashtrapati himself.

He, his wheelchair and his best Kurta in a bag, thus spent an afternoon, in the greatest presidential house in the world, hosted by a much grateful Shrimati Usha and her husband, Dr. K R Narayanan, the President of India were now ready for Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan. In the evening, Ustad was presented with the highest civilian honor, in front of an august gathering of dignitaries. Everyone present in the room was smiling. A few had tears in their eyes. It is difficult to tell though - If Ustad was more overwhelmed then, or you perhaps are, right now. ‘This’, cannot be bought with money or coerced through power. ‘This’, can only be earned through a lifetime.

A Man's greatness is measured just by one single factor alone - his kindness to others. One may live for money or to acquire power and fame, many men have. Remember the poem “Ozymandias” by Shelly - where a proud statue once stood of this towering man, now reduced to rubble in the desert. A once powerful man forgotten by time. What remains in the end is not a memory of a man’s wealth or his power. What remains is the influence of his kindness and regard for his fellow human beings. Everyone remembers Oscar Schindler - not for his wealth or power, but for his overarching humanity. Cheers!