A success story of hard work, not mere luck - ‘Harassed’ in India, successful abroad'

A success story of hard work, not mere luck - ‘Harassed’ in India, successful abroad'

At my age 62, one night I was not able to sleep, switched on the light, started making a research to find the closest American Bar Association approved Law School where I could go to accomplish my long time keen desire of studying with Americans to complete Master of Laws LLM with specialization in U.S Citizenship & Immigration Law, and found one, Beasley School of Law, Temple University Philadelphia Pennsylvania, one of the most prestigious and premiered Law school in the United States located at an hour one way drive from my residence but was surprised to see the total cost for one year was around $35000 US dollars and one most inspiring thing which I noticed was that "a Professor in that Law School for "Copyright" was blind which inspired me a lot, to decide to apply for admission to this law school, although this School was too far and I had to drive 60 miles one way every day. After completion of all the formalities, I submitted my application with documentation and then forgot. Few months thereafter, I went to Philadelphia to see the parents of my daughter in law and noticed that law school was on my way, when stopped and parked my car at a metered parking, went inside and found that the Law School Administration was waiting for me to deposit the fee as I was accepted & admitted already in 2008 for the above Master of Laws course. I completed the formalities and started my classes right from the next morning.

For couple of weeks I was a back bencher and was confused as I was not being able to cope with the class but three weeks thereafter, I found one classmate taking notes at his laptop and that was the day where-after I never looked back because of my typing speed being 100 words per minute and from next morning I was in the first row of the class taking notes on my laptop and looking at the glowing faces of my professors on the one hand attending the lectures and simultaneously typing the lecture of each class on the other hand. Every morning, I used to leave my house at 6 and come back home late at night & some times at midnight too.

Before graduation ceremony in August 2009 at my age 63, when the Degrees were conferred on convocation I was honored having been considered as one of the most distinguished students of the class for U.S Citizenship Immigration Law, refugee/Asylum law besides Criminal Law, Law of Criminal Procedure, Corporate Law, Employment Law, Business Immigration, legal research and legal writing and I was awarded Degree in Master of Laws LLM at the time of convocation where I found myself the oldest student of the class when Professors were mid fifties and students were mid forties I believe, and I was 63. That was the most happiest day in my life when I was getting not only the highest degree in Law in my life abroad that too Degree in Master of Laws LLM but also achieving my long time desired ambition of my life, but that was happening at a stage when most of the people retire, "play and enjoy with their grand kids" whereas I had my grand kids deprived thereof. Thanks to my grandkids.

There was a time when I was about 6 year old, and we were so poor that my parents were not able to make both ends meet. My father had a tea stall in the Township of RAJPURA District Patiala in Punjab in India and my very strong, sturdy and very beautiful mother 6 ft tall was doing two jobs every day, one in early morning & late evening to cook meals and clean utensils in the neighborhood and the other during day time for loading & uploading of 60 kg bags from Trucks as a laborer in a rice sheller. After school, most of the time I had to help my father at his tea stall for three hours for three days a week. We had no electricity at our house and I used to study under the street lamps with torn clothes. Kerosene lamp was the only source of light at night in our house. Many times we had no money to buy food even, some days we were unfed and some other days we were underfed. This was the reason after high schooling in 1966, I accepted the job as a typist and my first salary was RS 80/- for the month. Due to my shorthand and typing speed, I had been changing my jobs one after the other and finally I landed in the Bank, where soon I was posted with the toughest Managing Director Mr. S. D Ganda, of the Bank where I used to work for 16 hours a day some time 7 days a week. Before landing finally in the Bank in 1971, I appeared in the Indian Administrative Services IAS Examination in 1970 just 15 days after my marriage on 9/09/1970 when there was no entrance exam at that time but failed and at that time I had a full time job in the Income Tax Department Sector 19 Chandigarh and was an evening student in Panjab University Chandigarh studying for MA English in 1970 itself But I never lost my hopes. When I left India I was having degrees in Master of Arts (Economics) Bachelor of Laws LLB, Post Graduate Diploma in Personnel Management and 25 years Bank's meritorious experience to my credit when I was Bank Manager at Loharghat in Himachal in the supernumerary capacity which is still the most hard hit area in the State of Himachal Pradesh close to Bilaspur in India.I completed my entire Education during my employment by burning midnight oil. I completed Degree in Bachelor of Arts in 2 years (known as via Bhatinda BA - Prabhakar - Inter only English & BA English & Elective subject as Economics)in 1969 from Punjabi University Patiala in India then I joined Master of Arts MA (English)in the Department of Evening Studies at Panjab University Chandigarh as already stated. I completed Degrees in Bachelor of Laws LLB and Master of Arts (Economics) both from Punjabi University Patiala India in 1976 & 1978 respectively. I completed Post-graduate Diploma in Personnel Management & Labor Welfare from Panjab University Chandigarh India in 1987. My credentials were highly recognized by foreigners who as a matter of pride offered me position in the management. I am indeed indebted to India the country of my origin and its countrymen who always stood by me through thick and thin from time to time. God bless India and its country men and women.

On December 15, 1999, I was interviewed by the Tribune Correspondent Chandigarh India where the computer market was at boom much before changing my profession to law practice and I enrolled with the Bar Council in India in 2001.

Before coming to the United States I was working as Assistant Manager in State Bank of Patiala Morinda where the then Chief Manager in 1995 sent me on outside official duty during office hours and I performed the journey by my own car and when came back to the branch, I found a credit of Rs.100 (one hundred rupees only) in my personal savings account through a voucher passed by the then chief manager of the branch by debit to Bank's suspense account and credit to my personal savings account as "TA Bill advance" whereas I neither requested therefor nor was I entitled thereto because I performed the journey in my own car that too during office hours. I requested the chief manager to reverse the entry by debit my personal savings account and credit back to the Bank's suspense account as the credit of Rs.100 was not only unauthorized but illegal. When my genuine request therefor was not acceded to, I reversed the entry of my own and credited Rs.100 back to the Bank's suspense account, which action of my honesty was not tolerated by him, who harassed me and humiliated me on numerous occasions and stopped my salary and perks and when protested and wrote to the Assistant General Manager for intervention who also did not cooperate and as a result of which I was forced to proceed on leave duly legally sanctioned to me and when I came back to report for duly I was not allowed to do so, rather I was given a letter in writing by the same Assistant General Manager, stating therein that you have abandoned your duties and have been treated to have resigned from Bank service, whereas I neither resigned nor served any notice of resignation, rather I came back to report for duty. My request for voluntary retirement was not acceded to and my all the benefits including pension were not paid to me. No charge sheet was served, no departmental inquiry was conducted no opportunity of being heard was given to me to defend my case and I was illegally treated to have abandoned my 25 years of unblemished and meritorious service of the Bank. I was also contacted by the Tribune News Service and a news appeared in the Tribune India on December 24, 2000 "www.tribuneindia.com?? 2000 ? 20001224

The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh

Dec 24, 2000 ·?‘Harassed’ in India, successful abroad?CHANDIGARH, Dec 23 — His?success?story may not be fit for a novel but is interesting?to?hear. Tired of constant?“harassment”?at the bank