THE SCHOOL OF EKALAVYA









A couple of weeks ago, during the training programme in a Mumbai college, a young girl asked me this question: “Sir, what is more important – the journey or the destination?”

“Journey,” I replied without even blinking!

There was a time – perhaps when I was this girl’s age – when I would believe, that the destination was ultimate. In fact, my approach was to reach there at ‘any cost’…

Did you hear that?

I said, ‘at any cost’!

As the years passed by, I could see the self-destruction wrought upon me by my own attitude - ‘Do-or-die’, ‘It’s-now-or-never’. Yes, I could see, that ‘at any cost’ was an irresponsible and immature statement. It brought about a huge load of avoidable stress – I began to let loose my goals. Even though I never did anything without clear goals, I did not want to achieve my goals ‘at any cost’…

It was not worth the cost, Sir!

My goals - success yardsticks and benchmarks – are not everything in life. It’s okay if I haven’t made pots of cash or featured in Forbe’s list of 100-most-influential and all that. It’s okay even if a young has done hundred times better than what I have done in my 61 years… It’s okay!


I watched ‘Super 30’. While Anand Kumar is a genius and a hero, I doubt, his kind of life would appeal to me at all, any more. ‘Success at any cost’ - is not all about life. Getting into IIT or IIM or whatever that is - is not the ultimate goal  in life… People do not cease to live post that… Life is a moment-to-moment thing. And, often, when you have put so much of your energy and passion into one single obsession – it leaves you as a less social and desirable soul…

What about your spouse? What about your children? Are you able to truly connect with them?

Too much is made out of getting into IITs, IIMs, IAS, IPS and Chartered Accountancy and so on…


Anand Kumars are not made in ‘coaching factories’ – even if they are paid or free factories. Anand Kumars, like all ‘beautiful minds’, are made by God as His ‘specially-defective’ pieces… But, those beautiful minds are extremely difficult to live with!

So, relax. There is no need to glorify any ‘Super-30’s’ in life…

There is much more to life, you see…

Be able to relate to life… See simple dreams, and sleep well… Understand another soul’s plight… Understand your own fears, insecurities and ambitions. When you are so busy chasing your dreams – 'at any cost' – you may lose the very soul!

Where are all the IITians and IIM’s and IAS’s and IPS’s? God hasn’t reserved any seats for them in His kingdom… Only we have, here, on this earth!

Anand Kumars are the Ekalavyas of this world. They, always, existed and they will, always, continue to. And, that school called ‘The School of Ekalayva’ shall, always, remain an open school… free of cost…

But, Sir, I did not say ‘at any cost’!


GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: The Indian Express


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