Go kiss the world
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Unit 5: Go Kiss the World by Subroto Bagchi
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Go Kiss the World is an inspiring speech delivered by Subroto Bagchi, an Indian Entrepreneur and business leader. The speech, delivered at the IIM, Bangalore, motivates young Indians and people from rural towns in India to recognise and build upon their inner qualities, inspiring them to realise their full potential. Bagchi tells his tale beginning with his birth and early years in a small town in rural Odisha. Bagchi was their fifth and final child; his father worked as a District Employment Officer in Koraput, Orissa. His mother was an East Bengali refugee who finished her high school and was brought up by a widow. Due to the lack of power and a primary school in Koraput, he completed his education at home. He used to move every year because his father worked for the government. He was granted a government-provided vehicle, but he never used it to get to work since he said it was an expensive resource. Instead, he restricted himself to exploring the interiors. So, he discovered his first lesson: never abuse public amenities. They were also instructed to treat the jeep driver with the same level of respect as any other employee. “Respecting little people” is a virtue.
They began their morning routine with tea. Subroto’s father had a routine of reading the newspaper every day. Although he did not fully grasp most of what was written in the paper, he still contributed his excellent English to the habit of reading it aloud with his brother. He was instructed on how to fold it properly after reading. You ought to leave your newspaper and bathroom in the same condition as you found them. All the brothers used to ask their father to get a new radio and a house of their own but their father never bought these things and they learnt “Not to judge personal success and sense of well-being by material possession”. Rarely did the government-provided housing have fences.
Young Bagchi together with his mother used to build the fences and use seeds to beautify the house. When people questioned her about the necessity of beautifying a government building, she responded that in order to make a blossom in a desert, she must make every location that has been given to her more beautiful than what she inherited. Success is defined by what you leave behind, not by what you build for yourself.
Subroto’s mother had cataracts in her eyes. His older brother was studying for the civil services exam while doing a job as a teacher in the University of Bhubaneswar. In order to assist his brother, he and his mother were forced to go to Bhubaneswar. Since there was no electricity in Koraput, he had never seen any fans or water taps till then. For the first time he saw electricity in houses and water coming from taps. They discussed the daily news and built a bond with the society that made up another lesson for him which meant to be connected with a larger world. During that time, there was a war between India and Pakistan. Lal Bahadur Shastri’s words “Jai jawan Jai Kissan” sparked the entire country. He dreamt about catching a terrorist and to read his news on the newspapers. “Imagination taught him that if he can imagine a future he can create it, and if he can create it, others will live it”.
Water did not come out of the tap. He witnessed water flowing from faucets and electricity in homes for the first time. They developed a connection with the wider cosmos while talking about the day’s news. He used to experience a sense of greater closeness to the world, which taught him another lesson about what it meant to be a part of a bigger world. There was a war going on between India and Pakistan at that time. “Jai Jawan, Jai Kissan” was Lal Bahadur Shastri’s legendary slogan, inspiring the entire nation. He had dreams about catching a terrorist and reading the news in the papers. He learned from imagination that if he can envision a future, he can make it happen, and if he can make it happen, others will live it. In a very short period of time, his mother’s eyesight worsened. She had to operate it, and as a result, she soon suffered from a corneal ulcer and lost sight in both of her eyes. She spent her thirty-two years living with her blindness, yet she never complained. “I don’t perceive any darkness. With my eyes closed or open, I only see light. She would do yoga and handle all household chores. Subroto was hired as a clerk in a government agency, blessed with two daughters, and relocated to the United States. His father, who was retired, sustained a third-degree burn and was being treated at Safdarjung Hospital.
Even when he was in a severe condition, he was more concerned for the overworked nurse than for himself. He lost his father, but his values and the lessons he imparted helped him succeed in life. His mother held the opposite view to that of his father, who supported the British Raj and did not have confidence in the Post-Independence political parties’ ability to rule the nation.
Success is a process of constant thinking, not the ability to arrive at a dogmatic end state. At the age of 82, his mother passed away after suffering a paralytic stroke. He took care of his mother throughout the time. While departing he kissed her face, she answered “Why are you kissing me, go kiss the world”.
She advises him to continue to be a part of the world at large and to focus on living his life rather than being sad for his mother. She advises him to continue to be a part of the world at large and to focus on living his life rather than being sad for his mother.
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