Inspiration to Achieve

 

India had recently gained Independence. The tales of various freedom fighters, especially children like Shirishkumar of Nandurbar in north Maharashtra, were making an impact on Sushilkumar Shinde’s young mind. These brave souls inspired Sushilkumar Shinde to achieve distinction in life. Like many of his generation, he was feeling that he should contribute to making India a great nation. Sensing the change in his attitude, Krishnabai fuelled this ambition rising in his bosom.

 

While other children of his age were frolicking, Sushilkumar Shinde embarked on his 'adult' life. His first formal job was in a toffee factory in Solapur. His monthly salary was fixed at Rs. 10. The factory was a tiny outfit and its owner, Baburao, was a kind soul. Seeing the dedication with which Sushilkumar Shinde worked, Baburao gave the new recruit a shirt and a pair of trousers, knowing the dire straits the family was in. After a long time, Sushilkumar Shinde was wearing something distinctive, making him feel taller than the other children around him. Baburao knew that he was attending school in the day, and allowed him to work outside school hours.

 

The boy who had earlier been at a loose end was now busy for the best part of every day. At the end of each month, Sushilkumar Shinde would hand over the salary to his mothers. In turn, he would receive the princely sum of one rupee for himself as pocket money. The height of luxury for him now was buying an ice candy and savouring it. He would feel proud, enjoying the few moments with something bought from his own earnings and mentally comparing himself with other children who were dependent on their parents. Sushilkumar Shinde's next job was in a printing press where his salary remained the same. Despite his earnings, family circumstances continued to be difficult. His income was only a drop in the bucket. Making both ends meet remained the main challenge before the three-member family. The once wealthy women were now feeling embarrassed to go out in torn clothes. Like numerous Indian families, survival had become their only priority. Hard times were still refusing to end. The difference, however, was that the boy who was once considered to have gone astray was now using his time in a productive manner, learning the dignity of labour and the value of money.

 

New Opportunity

 

While the family had been struggling valiantly with the situation, destiny had started taking steps. An opportunity was soon to come Sushilkumar Shinde's way and change the course of his life. Dr Vishnu Ganesh Vaishampayan, a respected physician in Solapur, needed a babysitter. Sushilkumar Shinde was offered the job and his monthly salary was now fixed at Rs. 12. For the first time in his life, he understood what joy an Increment in earnings could bring to a poor person.

 

Working in a famous household brought many rewards to his impressionable mind. One great value he imbibed was that of philanthropy. His mothers had been telling him about the joy of sharing. Dr Vaishampayan's lifestyle now became a source of inspiration for him. He saw with his own eyes how the universally revered doctor treated his patients, many of them poor and needy. Hard work and the eagerness to help others were the two most important values he picked up during this period. He started translating them into his work.

 

The gradual transformation in Sushilkumar Shinde was soon noticed by the discerning doctor, the patriarch of Solapur's Wadia Hospital, a public place always teeming with people. It was here that he came across many individuals and the countless diversities of life began unravelling before him. Sushilkumar Shinde was now engaged by Sonubai Awate, a matron in the hospital. She, too, needed somebody to look after the children in her family. Sushilkumar Shinde had caught her eye due to his pleasant manners and because he was always busy doing something. Sona means gold. For Sushilkumar Shinde, it was a golden moment when Sonubai asked him if he would work at her residence.

 

Decisive Bend

 

This turned out to be a decisive bend in his life. He never looked back after this job, which he performed characteristically well. At Sonubai's house, Sushilkumar Shinde found a cultural scenario he had never known earlier. People here wore different types of clothes, spoke his Marathi language in a polished manner and treated everyone respectfully. Another major difference he noticed was that the family members were vegetarians though Sonubai was a Muslim from Hyderabad.

 

A boy brought up on a diet of mutton and fish, Sushilkumar Shinde was experiencing such a high- taste lifestyle for the first time. The delectable cuisine of Sonubai's house gave him a new insight into culinary variations. Even now, Sushilkumar Shinde prefers eating vegetarian food if there is a choice. But the food was not the only factor that affected him deeply. He was mixing with people whose language, habits and thinking were totally different from what he had been exposed to so far. But this world also gave him a rude shock. It was customary that members Of a family dined together and Sonubai's family also followed the practice. But while the family members were served food in an expensive tableware, Sushilkumar Shinde was made to eat out of a cheap metal plate away from the dining room.

 

Still a child, Sushilkumar Shinde did not understand the reason for such discrimination. But poverty instils wisdom. So rather than making a scene, he asked his mothers for an explanation. He was dismayed to hear that he was born in a low caste and that he had to accept the situation without grumbling. Sushilkumar Shinde wept that night but hid his tears from his mothers. If a family can allow its pets anywhere in the house, how could it ostracise a human being, he started asking himself. Such treatment to servants was normal in those days.

 

Sonubai's family members did not feel they were doing anything wrong, nor did Sushilkumar Shinde’s mothers find anything objectionable. But the child was hurt and became aware of the abominable caste system. Sushilkumar Shinde continued to work in Sonubai's house, but he now began studying the society in which he lived. At an early age, he realised that he would have to overcome the caste barrier by excelling on the strength of his achievements and performance. He had seen how Sambhajirao was respected by his community and understood that it must have been because of his wealth and status. He aspired to command such respect for himself one day.

 

“I had a sort of realisation. A child without any support, I understood, had to chart its own course in life and struggle constantly to achieve. The situation around me has a lesson," Sushilkumar Shinde says about those days.

 

Positive Thinking

 

Though a victim of poverty and low social status, Sushilkumar Shinde decided he would not nurse bitterness towards anyone. Rather than wasting time and energy on negative thinking, he decided to make the best use of the situation. remained my motto throughout life. I am not a fatalist nor do l believe in stars.

 

My conviction is to work and work harder, excel in my chosen field and above all, create friends. I think this attitude has paid me rich dividends. How else could a person in my position achieve so much? I am a self-made man. I like people coming to me for guidance and inspiration. Rather than doling out cash, I tell them to carve out their own future," Sushilkumar Shinde says, looking back at his life.

 

Even as Sushilkumar Shinde was gradually learning about social evils. he was noticing that there were many broad-minded people, too. One of his friends, belonging to the high Brahmin caste, used to invite Sushilkumar Shinde to his house where the two friends would play, study and then eat together. This, despite his father knowing Sushilkumar Shinde’s low caste, whose members were not allowed to even enter the houses of most high-caste Hindus. The sole restriction in the house was that Sushilkumar Shinde was forbidden to enter their 'Devghar' (the pooja room in the house). This could be one reason why Sushilkumar Shinde has never trusted in idol worship or in the caste structure. Every time he has been sworn in to any position, he has taken the oath 'solemnly' and not 'in the name of God.' He became a rationalist at an early age. But he does not belittle anyone for believing in God and himself participates in festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi. His fight is against the discrimination on account of caste and religion,

 

Sushilkumar Shinde became aware of society's attitude based on birth during his childhood but decided to focus his efforts in such a manner that he gained from every experience. This positive attitude towards life first manifested itself in Sonubai's house. Though treated differently because of his low social status, he begun learning etiquette, the finesse of language and table manners, constantly observing others. Pleased with his sincerity and hard work, Sonubai offered him a part-time job in Solapur Ladies' Club. This gave Sushilkumar Shinde an opportunity to mix with the glitterati. The Club membership was mostly restricted to high government officials and some wealthy families in Solapur. Sushilkumar Shinde learned the mannerisms of the affluent class, listened carefully to their discussions and realised the importance of being successful. This rekindled the urge to learn in his heart. He had no other capital but his indomitable will and the preparedness to undergo any amount of toil to achieve success.

 

Gaining Confidence

 

Unnoticed even by himself. Sushilkumar Shinde had been cultivating the skill of grasping everything he heard, saw and experienced. This brought a marked change in his personality. He was gaining confidence in speech, behaviour and interaction. Sushilkumar Shinde realised quite early in life that he had been gifted with the faculty of total recall and the an of mimicry. He could imitate any person almost to perfection with such ease that he was always in demand in his school. He would regale his schoolmates by imitating teachers, school staff and friends, leaving them in splits. Thanks to his fair skin, clear diction and command over language, Sushilkumar Shinde was often mistaken for a Brahmin boy endowed with a pleasing personality, he began to nurse the ambition of becoming an actor. He was convinced that he had all the qualities required for success in the field. He was presented with an opportunity by a teacher in the night school. Shripad Kasegaonkar. An avid reader of Marathi literature, Kasegaonkar introduced Sushilkumar Shinde to the works of various Marathi poets and authors, The teacher decided to direct a farcical skit 'Mumbaichi Manase' (People of Mumbai) for the school annual day. Sushilkumar Shinde was offered a role by his drama teacher, Sarangmama Kulkarni.

 

Acid Test

 

This maiden venture turned out to be an acid test for the budding artiste. Though he had put in his best efforts to master the high-caste language, unknowingly Sushilkumar Shinde still used to revert to his uncouth pronunciations occasionally Kulkarni took pains to nurture the boy's acting talent. His efforts were complemented by Solapur's famous actor, Nandlal Bhaiya, who then took over. He devised an exacting regimen for Sushilkumar Shinde and was happy that he had found a model pupil who was ready to pour his heart into the toil. Nandlal painstakingly cultivated Sushilkumar Shinde's speech, which became flawless.

 

In later years, Sushilkurnar Shinde's diction and his choice of words at different public functions became a star attraction for audiences across Maharashtra. His ability was fully exhibited at the next stage performance, which launched his acting career in the true sense. Drama became an integral part of Sushilkumar Shinde’s life and personality. He won several prizes for excellent acting in Solapur and at state-level competitions all over Maharashtra.

 

While studying, Sushilkumar Shinde continued with his job in court. This was the period which taught him that success never comes easily. At the same time, he was determined to prove that success couldn't be the monopoly of any single class of people. Success, he told himself time and again, can be achieved if one is determined to work hard to attain it. Balancing his time between work, his hobby of acting and his studies, Sushilkumar Shinde appeared for the then prestigious matriculation examination Once through, he could scale newer heights as passing this test was considered quite difficult in those days. Sushilkumar Shinde had studied really hard for the examination but was in for the first major disappointment in life. He failed to clear the examination. This failure brought him to a crossroads. He now had to take a major decision for himself. But it also steeled his resolve to surmount the seemingly impossible.

 

Had Sushilkumar Shinde given up studies, nobody would have criticised him as he had a steady job, which Could last him his entire working life. In his community, he was already peerless. But this had not made him complacent. Instead, it had fuelled in him the determination to study more and higher. When he failed in the second attempt, too, his friends thought this was the end of the road for his academic career. But he was to prove that he was made of different mettle and ultimately, he proved them wrong. Passing the matriculation examination with English as one of the subjects was a great distinction in those days. Sushilkumar Shinde opted for English, to the dismay of his friends and teachers. Their attempt to dissuade him only hardened his resolve.

 

Finally, the golden day dawned when the examination results came out. Sushilkumar Shinde was among the successful candidates. Had he given up without the tag of matriculation, he would have retired, at the most, as a head peon in court. But the resolve to struggle till success smiled had made a difference. Also, it instilled a sportsman's spirit in him. He learned to accept that it was not winning every time but fighting the battle that was the real test of life. This faith has kept him always on top, whatever the temporary setbacks.

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Turning a new leaf

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It was in Solapur's Sangameshwar college that he adopted the name Sushilkumar, which has now become a household word. This also explains his uncanny knack of taking the right decision at the right time. Many have found that the name plays a major role in one's personal career. Sushilkumar Shinde is one such person for whom adversity is the rule and the will to conquer it the creed. "Nobody advised me to change my name. But I somehow felt that a good name was needed for my personal development." He chose this particular name since Sushil Kavalekar, a leading criminal lawyer in the Bombay high court, was a famous figure in those days. As Genba wanted to become a successful lawyer, he decided to become Sushilkumar. Very soon, the name proved to be an asset.

 

It was also in Sangameshwar College that Sushilkumar Shinde was spotted by two teachers — Shriram Pujari and S. Bhogishayan, the principal. Pujari was the doyen of Solapur's cultural life. He took Sushilkumar Shinde under his wing, inculcating in him the qualities necessary for a successful stage performer and enhancing the inherent skills in the boy — impeccable diction, voice modulation and mastery of the language. Bhogishayan was a past master in teaching English literature. 'The Merchant of Venice' taught by him is still fresh in Sushilkumar Shinde's memory. The fatalism portrayed by Shakespeare in the play and the characters created by him made a permanent impact on the young mind. Not only the language but also each finer point would be explained by Bhogishayan in such a manner that love for the English language became a lifetime passion for Sushilkumar Shinde. The time spent in the classrooms of the two teachers enriched Sushilkumar Shinde's personality.

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First Election

 

 

Buoyed by his admiring peers, Sushilkumar Shinde decided to contest the election for the post of the class representative (CR). By now, he was popular because of his skill at making friends. Gifted with an easygoing manner, pleasing personality and histrionic skills, the young man was always surrounded by students. He would keep them in a trance with mimicry and many tales from the life of which they had no knowledge. They egged him on and Sushilkumar Shinde obliged them.

 

Sushilkumar Shinde filed his nomination for the CR's post and got down to canvassing. He was confident that he would be victorious. However, disappointment awaited him once again. He lost his maiden election by a single vote. He tried to analyse the reasons for his defeat and the victory of his opponent. This led to his lifelong habit of studying the opposition and chalking out a strategy to counter it and win.

 

Destiny was soon to smile. The principal rusticated the elected CR for misbehaving with a girl student. Sushilkumar Shinde was appointed CR in his place. This was the first public office he held. He made the most of it. Organising picnics became his speciality. He conducted a socio-economic survey of some localities in Solapur by enlisting some classmates. Such surveys were unheard of in those days in Solapur.

 

Thanks to his job and the decent salary he was earning, the days of penury were over; but the family was still relatively poor. Sushilkumar Shinde took pains to ensure that this was not noticed by the others. He had already developed a fondness for neatness, good clothes and a nice appearance. He would come to college wearing a tie and sunglasses, which were beyond the reach of most of his fellow students. Only a few of his college teachers knew that he was a court peon. One of his responsibilities was to collect mail for the court. While going on such errands, he would don the court uniform, cycle down to the post office, deposit the mail in court and return to college, again in his stylish attire.