We need cheerleaders here…
Every IPL cricket season takes the nation by storm, and every blockbuster performance by a batsman and bowler is instantly rewarded with a glittering dance and waving of golden coloured streamers by lady cheerleaders.
Every season of results of boards or public service competitive examinations throw up surprises of students, who rise above their challenging circumstances and come out with flying colours, to become leaders in their respective fields in the near future. However, their success in the print and electronic media is just a small news flash and then we all forget.
This season, the most touching story is that of the shepherd boy, who is all set to adorn the uniform of an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. It reminded me of the poem of the famous English poet, William Blake, the excerpts of which goes thus:
How sweet is the shepherd’s sweet lot!
From the morn to the evening he strays;
He shall follow his sheep all the day,
And his tongue shall be filled with praise …
However, William Blake would be proud from the heaven above of Shepherd Boy Birdev Siddappa Dhone, from Yamage village in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra. For, besides looking after his sheep he studied hard enough for his UPSC examination to secure the 551st rank.
Birdev, who told the media humbly and delightfully that he heard the news while he was grazing sheep in a field was gifted with a lamb by his family members who were overjoyed at his outstanding results. The celebrations took place outside their humble hut, an unusual environment for a party.
In sharp contrast, thousands of young girls and boys from well-placed families are given solid support by parents, through providing them opportunities to join popular and expensive coaching classes. Even well-off parents from rural towns and villages spend for their sojourn in cities, where such coaching classes flourish. This financial and emotional support by their families, helps them crack the UPSC examination and prospects to work in prestigious posts of government administration.
For Birdev though, he had his mother making Bhakris on a Choolah, fired by sticks from the nearby wooded areas; lived in a thatched and mud hut, away from the urban world of materialistic conveniences and pleasures. However, through his mobile phone, accessing information that would be useful to him, he struggled, after his day's responsibility of grazing the sheep was over.
The site head at Arihant Superstructures Ltd., Aabid Khan, has posted a touching poem on his LinkedIn account on Birdev. Excerpts:
Meet Birdev Siddappa Dhone -
A boy from the small village of Yamage, Kolhapur,
The son of a humble shepherd,
Who dared to dream beyond the horizon.
Background: Son of a shepherd
Achievement: Cracked the UPSC to become an IPS Officer
Rank: 551
Attempts: Just ONE
No fancy coaching, no special privileges.
Just an iron will and a burning desire to change his destiny.
Under the faint glow of a dim veranda light,
He built his dreams, page by page.
When he once lost his phone and couldn't even file a police report, he made a silent promise to himself: "I will become the force that people can rely on." Today, he stands tall, not just as an IPS officer, but as a living testament that no circumstance is too strong to crush a determined heart.
In another contrasting and fascinating story, failure in every subject in Std. X examination, was rewarded with a party celebration by the family.
In a world where academic failures are often met with harsh judgment and relentless pressure on the child, one family from Karnataka is redefining what it means to truly support a child, when the chips are down for him.
Abhishek Cholachagudda,a Std. X student at Basaveshwar English Medium School in Bagalkot, recently failed in all six subjects in his SSLC board exams, scoring just 200 out of 625 marks, and scoring a mere 32%. However, instead of reacting with disappointment or reprimand, his family chose to turn the moment into one of encouragement and unconditional love, proving that setbacks don’t have to define a child’s future or dampen his spirit.
His father, Yallappa Cholachagudda, a professional photographer, threw a party for his family and friends. Since Abhishek had scored 32%, this number was designed on the cake. As Abhishek cut the cake, the family cheered, fed him lovingly, and rallied around him with positivity.
Two stories – both are inspiring and are torch bearers of positive social change.