If a man is called to be
a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or
Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare write a poetry. He should sweep
streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here
lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.
-
Martin Luther King (Jr.)
By the
time of writing this story, Sukh Ram just
turned 60, retired and proceeded to his native place in Uttarakhand, India
after fruitful government service.
He was a sweeper in a central police
organization, India. I closely
observed his work life for five years. Truly he is the sweeper the
hosts in heaven cherish for.
Sukh
Ram is a silent worker. I never find him sitting idle during the work
hours. He constantly sweeps the floors and wipes them with wet
cloth. He is such a devoted worker and never gives an opportunity to be
pointed out on his work. He always keeps the floor, wash basins and
toilets neat and clean. Anybody who see the premises must feel so homely.
Whenever
I am in low moods, I look at him and draw inspiration. He is a fountain
of energy. His small built but robust limbs never get tired to climb up
and down the stairs during the day. He always respects his seniors with
courtesy and smiling gesture. I used to see him closely in my afternoons
at the library where he reads the local newspapers to keep himself abreast of
the world affairs.
When I
called and interacted for this story, it was totally an exhilarating
experience. When I see such hard-working people, huge respect flows
from my heart and I look into their eyes to draw inspiration for such exemplary
work culture.
When I
talked to Sukh Ram, I did not feel that I was talking with an old man who
was on the verge of retirement. There was no tiredness on his face.
Physically and mentally he looks sound
to work for another decade or so.
Bookish
knowledge is of no avail to you unless it is translated into action. In
the worldly point of view, Sukh Ram is not literate enough to gain media glare
nor he did any such extraordinary feat to come to limelight. He simply
did his job so well that caught my attention. On moral and ethical side,
he is taller than his insignificant position in work life. In one
word, he is a package of different sort.
Worshipping
the workers, noted Indian poet Subramania Bharati says that:
I sing in praise for the
work you do,
Like Brahma, you are
creator too.
Whenever
I speak to Sukh Ram, these words of Swami Vivekananda resonate my mind:
He who does the lower
work is not therefore a lower man. No man is to be judged by the mere
nature of his duties, but all should be judged by the manner and the spirit at
which they perform them.
So many
people come and go in our lives, but Sukh Ram etched in my memory
with a permanent home in my heart due to his unparalleled work ethics.