#baranwal

I recently read, and was deeply influenced, by the book Atomic Habits authored by James Clear, an expert in the science of habit formation. Based on the advice given in this book, and my intense desire to become an author myself someday, I have decided to develop habit of “writing” by starting this weekly blog. I will write one blog every week and hope that, in time, this will enable me to develop skill of writing something which can then be published as a book.

When it came to deciding on the subject for blogging, I could not think of anything other than what I do everyday. Being a member of Indian Administrative Services — one of the most prestigious fraternities of public services — I am exposed everyday to the diversities and complexities that our country has to offer. I get an opportunity to deal with challenges which come along while administering this huge and populous, and if I may say so, a deeply opinionated country of ours. Week after week, in this blog, I will try to put down how business of administration is conducted, my experiences in implementing various schemes and policies of the government and the lessons I have learnt or will learn in this entire process. I have therefore named this blog “Karmayogi” — the one who practices karmayoga or the “path of action”.

I only wish that readers will be able to understand our lives a little better and in the process, I will gain some experience of what to write and how to write it, to make myself more readable and understandable.

Yesterday on 28th July, 2014 another one of my “day dream” got converted into reality. I got an audience with Anna Hazare, a person who in a significant way is responsible for kindling the spark in me which ultimately led me to decide to serve the nation and to become a Civil Servant.

It all started in August 2011 Jan Lokpal movement. I was doing my graduation in Engineering from MIT, Pune and was in my penultimate year. I had a very close contact with the extreme surge of enthusiasm and energy that our country experienced in those months. I was a small speck in huge sands of people who came on the streets on call given by Gandhian leader of model village Ralegan Siddhi, respected Anna Hazare (hereafter referred to as Annaji).

Pune is indeed city of the young. Students from different corners of the country and the globe come here to get moulded and in this process mould the future of this country. Something of this very ind happened in those fantastic days. Talks about Annaji was present wherever we turned. We found ourselves discussing the merits and demerits of the system, merits and demerits of the movement. We found ourselves as citizens of India as we never were.

One constant thing that Annaji and other leaders said in those days was that the youth of this country will have to rise to the occasion if our country has to be where it wants to be by year 2020. We found ourselves in total agreement with this. The seed sown by Annaji in our hearts began its journey towards germination.

However, decision of joining Civil Services was not taken overnight. It began with desire to make a project for nation’s benefit. It went through innumerable modifications as we matured more and more. Finally it culminated in the decision to join Civil Services. Many people had an important role to play in this. First person who suggested to me that I should join this services was father of my friend Abhishek Shendre who is himself a Civil Servant living in Mumbai. But I am not going to detail that journey here as I am too eager to speak about what I am feeling today.

On around 15 July 2014, I got message from Mr. Sandip Kusalkar of Yuvaan in Ahmednagar and he invited me for a function there. He added the icing on cake that function will be followed by a visit to Ralegan Siddhi to meet Annaji. I jumped at the occasion and the date of 28 July was fixed immediately.

As decided, we went to Ralegan Siddhi and reached there by 4.30 pm. I came to know many new things about the person who was responsible for so  much which has happened in my life. We went to the temple where Annaji lives (he does not live in house!! TEMPLE IS his house where there are other gods too). Mr. Amol Zende who was accompanying us informed Annaji about our arrival while we waited in waiting room which looked too modest to house a person who forced the might government of India to retreat. I have heard how he has refused to accept crores and crores of rupees that came his way as donations and support for his activities. We waited hardly for 10 minutes and he came out. The person whom I saw only on TV, the person who without knowing changed the course of my life and of many others like me, was standing in front of me!!!

After usual greeting I was awestruck by his remarkable modesty. When I asked him what he expected of me, his answer was to do my duty with honesty. He said I should follow five principles : Pure thought, Pure behavior, Clean conscience and character, A bit of sacrifice and big capacity to suffer insults. The manner in which he explained things were remarkably simple. His explanation for sacrifice was, “One bushel of corn and jowar contain hundreds and thousands of grains. But these grains were able to grow because of sacrifice of one grain that became seed for that plant”.

We spoke to each other for around 15-20 minutes but I am unable to put together words to explain how I felt and I still feel about meeting him.

Many friends told me that now that I have met him, my life has completed a full circle by reaching to person who started this all in my life. But I don’t think so. Circles make moving forward difficult. I am definitely not going to retrace the path. I believe my life has been more of a spiral. Annaji met me at the point of origin. Different people shaped me, helped me, supported me and helped me to increase my coverage, increase my radius. My family has been there all along. I have met Annaji today as a different person.