“SPARK: Every Indian needs to create the “spark” in this endeavor.”
I must say that I am humbled by the invitation to write an article for the inaugural issue of the SPARK magazine. I will start with a humble bow to the devoted leaders of SPARK particularly to Mr. Amit Bose who has shown exemplary vision and a determined commitment towards the society by conceiving the idea and making it a reality. I have had many discussions with Mr. Bose over almost two decades about his compassion towards the underprivileged. In all honesty, I did not take him seriously in the beginning but every interaction with him helped me understand the depth of this embedded desire in his heart to give back to the society. For those who may not know him personally, he had to overcome many financial, societal, and personal adversities in order to be the leader he is today. Someone has correctly said Adversity Creates Leaders. Many of us have faced adversities within our own situations but how many of us are willing to help others to face such challenges and become future leaders? SPARK is created and intended to provide opportunities for improving the education, the skills, the knowledge, and the ability to explore. These basics traits are keys to the uplifting of individuals in a community which in turn uplifts the entire society. This is precisely what Mr. Bose wants the SPARK to cultivate among its participants and students. Each one of us who consider ourselves a participant in the SPARK community has to be a believer. We believe in the need to spread the development of these basic traits among those that are deprived of these opportunities.
Given that there are numerous organizations that promote education and knowledge, one may be tempted to ask – why SPARK? In my personal experience, one thing that makes SPARK unique is its emphasis on promoting the importance of Research. I am not aware of other such organizations that understand the importance of promoting the concept of Research. I truly hope that the believers and followers of SPARK would not misunderstand the meaning of this very important life skill termed Research. Often, we confuse the meaning of research with technological advances in science and medicine. That is not correct. Research is a primitive trait of any living being on this planet. It is essential for growth but it is critical for survival. To explain that, let us consider the lives of prehistoric human beings who had no education and yet came up with the most important inventions and discoveries of mankind such as the wheel or the use of fire. All of this knowledge was gained by trial and error and by taking a chance or risk. Even animals use research, mostly unknowingly, to find a better habitat for themselves. For example, the migration of birds is governed by the research and the risk taken by their predecessors. Yet, this concept of research is often lost in some communities and it is precisely these communities that stop growing and subsequently become underprivileged. Let us relate this to the community of basket knitters in remote Indian villages. The beautifully knitted baskets yield high prices in international markets but the communities of basket knitters remain financially deprived. Such communities become subservient and dependent on others. Educating such communities and helping them understand the value of research is the only way for them to comprehend the value of their art. If they learn the importance of this research then they can become financially independent by directly benefiting instead of allowing the middlemen to control their business.
So how can we promote this primitive trait? Well, we need to extend a helping hand. In fact, a very valuable lesson that I have learned while living in America for more than two decades is about lending a helping hand and the satisfaction that it brings in our hearts. We Indians are proud of our culture and our traditions but we lack in our efforts to lend a helping hand to those in need. We lack a consistent effort to volunteer our time towards the improvement of this society. It is completely opposite in America. Mahatma Gandhi always preached that we should be ready to absorb good qualities from everyone around us. I would like to request all of you to absorb this wonderful quality by volunteering your time in serving the community – just like Mr. Bose has shown us. Do not be afraid to hug a stranger if that person needs help. Be proactive in convincing your friends and family members to donate few hours of their lives by educating the deprived and helping them understand the value of their art or skills. Do it without any expectations of a return and do it with a passion. It is this passion that can create a “spark” in our hearts to help improve our society – just as envisioned by SPARK. Jai Hind.