Merit does matter

I was born to a middle class family with both my father and mother working in government agencies. They came from small towns to make a life in a small city called Mysore. While both were educated to an extent and were very learned, they came from family for 8 children and hence had to create their own path in life. From a humble beginning of starting a life in a garage, which had one room where you cook and sleep, and a bathroom outside of house, they worked day and night and struggled to build a house to ensure better living for themselves and their child. The house was called MIG type (middle income group).

Insert: (1) Picture of the garage house and me along with mom.

They wanted a girl child in the house but fate decided otherwise. I was born but it didn’t deter my mom to dress me like a girl.

Insert: (2) Me dressed as a girl :-)

While my mom and dad used to work and start early to their respective offices, I used to walk couple of miles to my school on a daily basis or travel by bus, which were few during those days. My friends at school had their parents dropping them either by scooter or by car. I used to get two pairs of regular dress (during festivities) and two pairs of school dresses yearly and hence my dress would look shabby many times. However, school was one such place where caste, creed, religion, gender and wealth did not come in between friends.

I do not know how time passed and life realities slowly started sinking in. My father during those days used to be a personal assistant to Divisional Railway Manager and Divisional Electrical Engineer with authorisation to give emergency quota for people who needed to travel urgently across India from South India. I used to visit him at his office often and used to observe that people used to offer pay additional money for allocation of the emergency quota. My father used to politely refuse the money and sometimes used to cancel their reservations. He had 1000 Emergency quota per day to be released and people used to offer anywhere between INR 50-100 as bribe. That means to say that he had an opportunity to earn between INR 50,000 to INR 1,00,000 per day back in 1985-89. Seeing the jazzy things around me, I used to wonder what would happen to my life if my dad had accepted the money. Lavish life, bigger house and purchase anything and everything.

I once asked him on why he is not accepting the money and what he told me just got imprinted in my mind and heart. He said

I will take the money to give myself and you a happy life today. There may be genuine people who maybe needing the emergency quota and I will be taking away a possibility of helping the right people. Also, today, people will accept me taking the money due to their need but just imaging the same people will talk at my back tomorrow and I cannot live with it and keep my head high and walk on the streets

 My father bought me a cycle to travel to school while I was at 9th grade and he did not stop mentioning that he paid INR 842.35 (14$). Off course it was his money and he had earned it hard. He spent about INR 60,000 that is about $1000 for my entire education.

My mom died in an accident while I was in 10+2 grade. It was a very critical juncture. I was able to cope up with my studies and did get very good marks and highest in maths. However, during those days, quota system was very prevalent and there was a capitation fee for general public. INR 20,000 was the money which my father had to pay as capitation fee but he refused to pay stating that it would have been alright if you had come up by virtue of Merit. The sports quota, religion and caste-based quota took away the opportunity from me.

The best thing, which happened to me in my life, was that my father packed my bags and filled fuel to my bike at my age of 18 to kick me out of house. He said,

Go start living your life

I came to Bangalore and starting living at my aunt’s house to be again kicked out for my habit of smoking. Stayed in footpath for couple of days before finding a room to live in. I was earning INR 1250 per month in 1992-93. The room rent being INR 800, I could only afford one time food a day. While my father knew this, he was verbally very supportive and always said that this experience will make you a good person. We continued to be close and I continued to work hard and smart to climb the ladder to be what I am today.

God gave everyone brains but depends on you as an individual on how you want to use it”

While I speak about the history, my experiences in life has taught me few things:

Quota based on Religion and Caste:

Does not matter which religion / caste you are born to and what you follow, if you have the right attitude and willingness to do the right thing, you will continue to prosper.

The quota system in India was meant to be for a definite period of time to ensure that what wrongs were done very early pre / post independence should stand corrected and everyone should have equal opportunity. But today, the same is misused which will take us down the wrong path.

Others loss may be you loss as well

To ensure that we continue giving equal opportunity to all, we should move away from religion and caste based quota system to economy based system.

Merit should be given due credit to ensure long term employability and better economic health.

Gender:

My mother in 1968 used to walk from a small village to a small town to work. She was well accepted by her colleagues and treated well. She merged with the group to be one amongst them rather than playing the trump card of being a women.

Treat yourself equal

Both men and women have equal strength (male physically and women mentally). It is by inclusivity that we will be able to bridge the gender gap and not by creating a divide. 

There is no death if there is no birth

The birth and death are defined as 2 moments that is not in your control. You are a baby (no gender and religion reference) at birth and a body (again no gender and religion reference) at death.

Everyone is born to a family who follow certain rituals called religion. The defining moment in your life as a person is what you did (Karma and Dharma) without keeping religion and gender in mind.