Actually when I started to think of Icons, they were supposed to be people who had surpassed their start up hurdles with innovative ideas and succeeded phenomenally in their ventures. But then as an average Indian psych, I felt we should start with an auspicious feeling. Hence to remember a person who has survived all the odds, but yet stood firm on his principles, and of course conquered untraveled peaks, was what I had decided to do. This CM is homeless and scamless.
This politician is a rare species in the arena, since independence and needs our greetings for his strange but bold endeavor. Please excuse me if I am leading you away from the topic, but I am smitten by his path. So our Icon for the day is Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, who was in power for the last fourteen years. But to this day he lives on his wife’s earning and she is also an officer in government service. He boldly admits, ‘I am dependent on my wife Panchali Bhattacharjee, who is an officer of the Central Social Welfare Board under the Central Government.’ He has no home and his bank balance is just Rs 13,920 when he filed his balance sheet for elections in 2008. Till date all his salary is given as party fund. He is a Politburo Member of Communist Party of India (Marxist), not only believing in its ideology but has also evolved his life around them. A non-smoker and teetotaler, Sarkar’s critics and archrivals in the Congress and other opposition parties are also quite impressed by his personal integrity and honesty. At this juncture the lady behind this successful man is his wife. She needs to be commended too. But for her support, he would not have accomplished this mammoth task.
He is a brand on himself and is a standard that all of us have to adhere to, in our path to perseverance and success. Truthfulness is also one of the golden rules for start ups. Because being truthful to self and others, no matter what comes your way will definitely be successful, for any upcoming entrepreneur. This man has totally haunted me that I have written this same article in six different blogs, presented each time in a different way. Such is the power of discipline and commitment.