For a leap ahead

Bijit Das Start Date: Feb 24, 2018 - End Date: Aug 23, 2018
  • Educational/Research Trip
  • Leadership/Training Program
  • Study/Degree Abroad

My Travel Story

by: Bijit Das Start Date: Feb 24, 2018 - End Date: Aug 23, 2018
  • Educational/Research Trip
  • Leadership/Training Program
  • Study/Degree Abroad
In an interview I was asked to introduce myself, to which I replied, “I am myself !”. After that, I was
immediately asked to leave the hall.
This was one thing I always hated. Why is it that we have to imitate others, wear a facade to please others
and do things that we actually aren’t fond of? I am often told that in the twenty first century we earn by
selling our services to public. We need to be what people around us want us to be like.
I can guarantee the fact that everyone has a childish innocence and informality inside them, but is often
burdened to mask it. Be the change you wish to see! I dream of expressing my feelings to the public, to
scream out that no human is illegal and that global equality is my birthright !
I’ve been advised by my seniors in school to highlight my grades and extracurriculars in my personal
statement. I found this rather awkward. It is true that I secured the best grades in my high school years
and I am among the top 2% of my graduating class. But that isn’t anything commendable! Every year
someone or the other secures the best grades and for the past four years it happened to be me. The much
praised paintings of mine that are put up in the exhibitions at ‘The Academy of Fine Arts’ or the grand
marks on my score sheet are not my identity. My work to let the illiterate Indians be cognisant of their
rights, give a voice to the country’s youth and to make rural women aware of the fact that they can
manufacture silk sarees to sell in the global market creates. By the way I impact others, moulds my own
identity.
I have a dream and my mum often tells me to get it out of my head. I don’t know elsewhere, but a
Bengali, Indian middle class mother had believed for centuries that it is a sin for a child from such a
family to dream big. She says, “big dreams are for rich kids, not for middle class people like us. The
Gandhis would forever be big names”. It is a saying in India, the kids born with a silver spoon, remain
affluent. They would be the world leaders, inventors and people like us would study hard and get in a
good college offering great placement opportunities at a big multinational corp. I deny. I’ve read about
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, about his journey from a newspaper seller to a scientist and ultimately the eleventh
president of the world’s biggest democracy. I’ve read about Narendra Modi, a tea salesman who later
became the Prime Minister of India. They inspire me but do not influence me.
My dream is what influences me. I dream of creating a system where education and healthcare is a
fundamental right to the public. I dream of a world that does not ostracise humans as ‘illegal’. I dream of
a world that does not discriminate the rich and the poor, a world where the rich naturally helps the
destitute, and does not need the governments to compel them to do things that should naturally come out
from humane ethics. My friends have often called my ideas abstract, sometimes even called me a
schizophrenic. There weren’t many to lend me a ear and hear my opinion until I decided to make my
ideas tangible. I founded and am the incumbent Chairman of ‘Pi Theta Organisation International’, that
helped me out to make my ideas tangible. Within few days, there were people willing to hear what I had
to say. I created a platform to express myself.I am proud of ‘Pi Theta Organisation International’ ,an
organisation that has planned this year to work for achieving 100% literacy in the country by 2025. Well
this was one of the numerous projects I am rodomontade about.
Ingenuity will bear the fruit. In spite of hearing again and again to use the trust money for my education or
improving my PR policies, I remained firm and honest. I didn't mean to earn fame for my work. I wanted
to achieve my goal, a literate India, a literate world! The fame comes complimentary. Ideas, that can
change life is what interests me.
My dreams are essential for me to survive. The determination to achieve my dreams is the actual motive
to live. I am never worried about failure. Failure makes me immune to new challenges and enhance the
quality of my work. And as for my dreams they can never be shattered. I never dreamt of riding a Cadillac
or dining in expensive restaurants. A humble middle class kid would never have the audacity! Instead I
dreamt of shaping a world whose people would sleep peacefully, undisturbed by sounds of gunfire. I’ve
dreamt of a world where it would be obvious for children to attend schools and colleges. A world where
taxes would be imposed on pastry boutiques and asian spas not on rudimentary needs for survival such as
ration and healthcare.
I love planning about programmes that would boost the innovation index of the country. Amongst many
other things I am currently interested in researching about a system which would comprehensively
ameliorate the situation of developing economies. I love to analyse graphs that show GDP growth and the
incessant change in the prices of shares.
Since childhood, I had this awful habit of talking to myself in front of the mirror. I look at myself and
rethink of the situation when I was embarrassed and then imagine a situation where I got praised. It helps
develop new strategies to move further in life. The few minutes when I am in front of the mirror, I get
teleported to a different world where I am a world leader, cursing them who, 25 years back have
attempted to hurt someone’s sentiments by demolishing Babri Masjid, not to establish their beliefs but to
get noticed by other people with similar belief system.I try to forget of the moments when I was lauded
for being a Jagadis Bose Scholar or securing the first position in my school examinations. I try to forget
the moments when my teachers held me as an example to other students because I cleared the national
level examinations/olympiads and was selected to represent my country in the internationals. Instead I try
to imagine myself in a time when I am lauded for awarding someone for their excellence. I never dreamt
of receiving the Nobel Prize, I’ve the distinct picture in my mind where I would be awarding someone
with a similar accolade.When my friends tell me that they want to be the highest paid CEO in the world, I
tell them, “Undoubtedly, you’d be working for my company by the end of the next two decades.”
I dream to give my Alma Mater- another Scientist, Entrepreneur and a world Leader as an
Alumnus.
I dream of calling Ecole Polytechnique. as my Alma Mater.