Bahir Dada

There was a person in my village by the name of Ram Swaroop. He was closely associated with my family as he worked at my house in village Nawali, Uttar Pradesh. His job was to fulfil the water requirements of our home. There was a well outside my house in the village. Since it was a big joint family, females of the family were always involved in some kind of household activities and the need for water for kitchen relented activities and many other things were very frequent. Bahir Dada was consistent in his work. On one side the household activities used to go on and on the other side Bahir Dada constantly pulled out water from the well without a single mark of tiredness on his face.

Since the house was full of children, considering the fact that it was a joint family, children were always busy playing and laughing around. Bahir Dada was fond of children. He used to spend enough time with us when we were kids after he has finished his household activities. Not only did he enjoy with us but also taught us many moral values associated with family morals, supporting your siblings, respecting your elders and always being a part of every type of family ritual. He was a firm believer in the philosophy that if the younger generation is not participating in family rituals, in future, they will never be able to understand the real meaning of a family.

Just like a caring elder, he used to monitor the activities of the children also. Whenever we did something illogical or immoral, he used to guide us properly. He often said to us," You belong to a respectable family and your ancestors have done enough to add to the glory of this family and this village both. One wrong step taken by you in any direction will spoil the reputation of those great people. You have to carry the legacy of your family in future. Always do respectable things." 

His commitment to his responsibilities was such that he never cared about time. His only aim was to finish the task once you have taken it in your hands. He often said that "Don't even think about the next task unless you finish the current one. This is the only rule to achieve perfection in life. The most important job in the world is the job at hand. And if you are not able to perform the task at hand perfectly, the other task that you have not been assigned yet, definitely, you are going to spoil that one also."

Indeed a great philosophy of life. I will only say that I am fortunate enough that I was able to meet a person like him who is a true symbol of hard work, dedication and commitment to responsibilities.