Never underestimate the power of a dream that is propelled by fire in the belly. It can work wonders, like it did in the life of Balaguru, whose surreal life story is the stuff that scriptwriters churn out in tinsel town.
But Balaguru’s story is real, and more inspiring than any celluloid fare.
As a 15-year-old, K Balaguru, son of a daily wage labourer, dreamt of becoming an IAS (Indian Administrative Services) officer. He never allowed the dream to die, though he lived in a thatched hut in an impoverished village, studied in public school (for children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds) where the medium of instruction was Tamil, and missed attending college due to family circumstances.
After completing class 12, he took up a job in a small town as a delivery boy. The owner of the business was a distant relative. Balaguru stayed in a small room on the terrace of the relative’s house, along with few other co-workers. They were provided accommodation and food. They got no salary, instead the arrangement was that after 3-4 years, each of them would be given a separate territory and taken as partners in the business. He worked there from 2004 to 2008. Throughout this period one of his treasured possessions was the photocopy of an article, ‘How to become an IAS Officer,’ he had found in the Tamil edition of a local magazine.
Right from his childhood he was fond of reading. He would read any book that he could lay his hands on. His family never subscribed to newspapers or magazines, but the local barber did, and Balaguru made use of the opportunity. He visited the barber shop every couple of weeks to collect the weekly supplement that came with the Tamil dailies. He took them back home for reading. He also regularly listened to the quiz and current affairs programs in radio to stay informed about current affairs. Noticing his interest in general knowledge, a teacher suggested that he take the Tamil Nadu Rural Students Talent Search Exam, which was open for students whose family income was less than Rs. 1, 00, 000 per annum. He passed the test while he was in class eight and received an annual scholarship of Rs. 1000 till he completed his schooling.
This achievement not only gave him joy, but also the energy to pursue his goal. In 2007, he was ready to quit his job and start preparing for his IAS. The next year he took a settlement of Rs.1,60,000, which was paid to him in installments, from his boss and packed his bags to Chennai. He was turned away from a friend’s house and having no place to stay he started looking for a job. He joined a security agency because they provided free food and accommodation. The work was difficult and thankless. He worked in the night shift and used the morning hours to visit the nearby government library. He also registered for short-term courses in spoken English and basic computers.
A year later, he got a job as a helper in a pharmacy at a Hospital. Although this job was more respectable, the salary was lower than that of a security guard and there was neither free food nor accommodation.
He found a small room with a thatched roof in a nearby slum for a monthly rent of Rs.600. He cooked his own food, went to work in the night, and prepared for his civil service exams in the daytime. In 2011, he got his bachelor’s degree in history and took the UPSC exam (to become an IAS officer) for the first time. It was a failed attempt.
Four years and three attempts later, he has achieved his goal.
His determination, focus, effort and the training he received played a key role in his success. Balaguru’s story shows us that hard work is irreplaceable when on a quest for something.
You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great - Zig Ziglar