FYI, This essay of mine won me an award in the Essay Competition in the online fest titled “LeGo”, which was conducted by Rotaract Club of Loyola college. LeGo was a district level competition which emphasised on cleanliness, service and peace.

A few days back, I was in the college campus for a trivial purpose. When the watch struck noon, I made my way towards canteen, obviously to chow. But, the second I reached the vicinity, an obnoxious smell coerced my hands to cover my nose. It was the stench of open sewage. Just then, I saw 4 men cleaning the sewage line, unsurprisingly, without any paraphernalia except a shovel! Here am I, who is unable to stand the stench even for a second and here are they, who are doing their WORK with dedication and grit. And these are the people whom the North-Indians call “Bhangi” and God knows what in Tamil!

Apparently I was watching a news channel yesterday. The news readers were busy adulating the Team India for their ‘stupendous’ win and they were literally deifying cricket! Two questions arose in my mind. One was “Why in the world do the news channels lionise cricket en masse, knowing it is nevertheless a game!?”. The other was “Why don’t they focus on some real heroes; the ones who are awake 24×7 only to make sure that we could sleep well?”

It was this ‘other’ question which gave me the much needed fuel to write on this topic. Why don’t we think of the Forces (military, BSF, NCC, Commando, Security, Police, Fire Brigade, etc.) when we see the 3 words ‘Service above Self’? Why don’t we treat the ‘Bhangis’ as our fellow beings when we see the words ‘Service above Self’?

I sternly believe in the 4-word idiom which defines my persona — “Practice before you Preach”

And, frankly speaking; no one, I say no one has even the slightest right to even utter a word on ‘Service above self’ except the ones who practice it. This statement is, no doubt, harsh but it’s the truth. There are men, mostly married, who leave their families home and stand rigidly & patrol 24×7 to protect their nation. They don’t fear in even standing in front of a tank, when it comes to saving the nation. They die for our nation, and before dying, they mutter ‘Bharat mata ki Jai’ with pride. And what does the martyr’s family get in return? A minuscule part of what players get in a day of play! Is ‘protecting the nation’ an easy job, or is it cheap? It is on your side to decide. There are also men, who unlike others, wake up early and pray “O Lord! Help me make the world clean. Help me maintain my sanctity.” And off they go to sweep streets, clean sewage holes (where all kinds of diseases can be caught) and repair others’ toilets! The point I’m trying to make will be doubly clear now.

These men, on whom I wrote in the above paragraph, are the ones who consider service above self. They are the ones who deserve the accolades. But the world indeed has a poor eye and it often confuses ‘Service above Self’ with ‘Self above Service’. Just imagine for 4 seconds, what if these men were to follow ‘Self above Service’? And you will get the answer.
Another interesting way of looking ‘Service above Self’ is looking at it the Rotaract way. Rotaract, as far as my view is concerned, is unlike any organisation or conglomeration. It is a movement, of which I’m a feeble part. Except a few bad apples, the ones who lead the movement assiduously use the resources (both material and immaterial) for a better purpose, expecting zilch in return. That is one of the prime reasons why I’m here in Rotaract.
I personally feel that it is only by service that we can experience bliss, the kind of bliss which Father Gilligan experienced in “The ballad of Father Gilligan”. One of the prerequisites of Service is that it requires your heart, body and soul in the work you do. It is only then when we feel bliss. Service is no doubt above self, and sadly this axiom is not understood by many a people in this world.