On being a Mandevian ... a salute

- Amit, NMP 23

No one has felt the experience of being born. We arrived on this planet because of the doings and conceptions of others and not out of our choice. We were conceived as well as delivered by other human beings and were invited to travel the path of life. For many early years we never had an idea of what was in store for us or with what purpose we had arrived.

Abhimanyu, perhaps, was among the rare few, who arrived with predefined targets.

As we grew, the identity and personality shaped up. We started feeling the joy of ownership. Starting from family, the sphere of our ownership – euphemistically referred to as social circle - expanded. The notions of ownership started in the tangible domain – toys, comics, stickers, tattoos and so on. With the passage of time, it encapsulated the emotional realm. Some, or perhaps, most of us, have had occasions to identify ourselves with best friend, bestest friend, jigar ka tukrha, apple of eye, 1 soul in 2 bodies….. Gradually, the identities merged and people were identified with their gangs. The phenomenon continued and the identity syndrome spread in education. The schools, colleges, B-schools started carrying a market value and people jumped in the race of value enhancement – claiming and boasting tags – Cottonian, IITian, Stephenian and a few call themselves Mandevians !

I, like a 100 others, jumped in the battle this year upon joining an executive course at MDI. Sadly though, the ownership of being a Mandevian never came till yesterday. The tag eluded the participants of executive courses.

Being only in the realm of Gurugram but not in its spirit was like Abhimanyu longing to be born. The life in the womb was choking. The foetus was getting restless. It had to evolve. It had overlived its self-allotted timespan. Finally, with a kick here and a knock there, it felt the experience of being born, the pain of breaking the silos, the pleasure of belonging and above all the joy of evolving to a new life!

What a caterpillar calls the end of a day, the Master calls it butterfly.

Let Mandevian be a word of colourful pride for all who Belong to this spirit. Wish that people do not have to be born twice in their lifetime!