Respect Over Money - Why My Salary is Enough For Me

Our former Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri Ji, lived a simple and economical life. He proved that a man’s greatness is not in his wealth, but in his values and honesty.

I believe in the same.

In 2015-16, I was earning Rs. 12,000 per month. At my father's friend's family function, my father pointed at me in front of everyone and said, "Look at him, he earns only 12,000." People looked at me with disgust.

I know his intentions were good. He did it for a rightful purpose. But one should know if the way is right.

I was young, talented, and giving my best. I had cleared CTET and later PSTET, but there were always exams after exams. Time was slipping like sand from my hands.

Out of humiliation, I walked 15 km back home that day, avoiding all public transport.

After one year, during that tough phase, I met S. Kashmir Singh Thind Ji. Sir told me, "Beta, teach with stability. There is nothing in four-five thousand rupees more. When you change schools repeatedly, your value becomes zero." 

I kept his words in my heart and fortunately get a guide Mrs Amarjit Dhaliwal, the Principal of GMT International Public School.

Today, I earn a handsome amount of salary. Yes, it may seem less to you when I tell, but for me it is more than sufficient.

I was always honest about my salary. Before my marriage during COVID, I showed the Screenshot of my salary and savings to my in-laws. They said they wanted honesty, not money. But later, the taunts for my simple living started again.

I don't have Scorpio or Thar Cars like my cousins. I have a Scooter Maestro Edge, and it serves the purpose. I wear a Rs. 200 shirt and Rs. 500 pant, and that too serves the purpose.

I don't want debt. I want to bear my own expenses, educate my only son, do my teachings, stay fit, and spend time in Naam Jap. That's enough.

Since childhood, I had only one passion — to discover my true self, the Cosmic Consciousness. For that, I was called "not practical."

Maybe I am not practical for them. But for me, they are not practical — they are chasing something that will perish one day. I am who I am, without a mask. Perhaps that annoys them.

Let it annoy.

The Words That Stayed With Me

It was 2017. I resigned from Sacred Soul Convent School, Dhandhra Road, near Duggri. I had successfully completed two years there, but the place was too far — 15 KM one side! The school management is good and they are providing quality education in rural areas.

I learnt a lot from the Principal at that time, Mrs. Navjot Kaur Takkar. She was the first who taught me how to write minutes of a meeting, how to set a question paper using minimum space, as she believed in saving paper to save trees. I have many good memories and many more life lessons from there. And how can I forget the P.T. Teacher, Mr. Kamal, who had his own gym at school and I too got the opportunity to work out there under his guidance. He is a very good human being with a great sense of humour.

Then, my best friend Mr. Bhalinder Singh, who came from Jassowal village. He had great knowledge and a superb understanding of almost all areas of Education. And the best thing about him was his way of teaching. He taught in a very unique way. Most of the time his class was one of the noisiest. Students enjoyed his teaching. Sometimes he would tell students, "Haven't you taken your lunch? Shout loudly." And I was the one who suffered the most because my subject needs silence and discipline to teach new concepts. But he is indeed unique and his students always scored more than 90%, while mine were only 5 or 6. Two teachers using different ways, but still best friends.

It's because our alma mater is same — GHG Khalsa College of Education, Gurusar Sadhar.

When I resigned, I came to know about GMT Public School, Jalandhar By-pass. There was a vacancy for PGT English. So I went for an interview. It was July 2017... No, perhaps I don't remember the month. Yes, now I recall, it was September 16, 2017. My interview was taken by S. Kashmir Singh Thind Sir, the Director of the school, and Principal Mrs. Charanpreet Kaur, Vice Principal Mrs. Geetu, and Head of the English Department, Mrs. Anju Sabarwal. They asked me a few questions and then I had a final interview with S. Kashmir Singh Thind Ji. After deciding the salary, he said I could join from October 03, 2017. I agreed and he said I may go now. I rose and went towards the exit door, then suddenly I was called back.

Sir said, "Kake, gal sun, tik ke padhaai. Char-panj hazaar vich kuch nahi rakhya. Jadon tusi school baar-baar change karde ho, tuhadi value zero ho jandi hai. Sab kuch phir zero ton start karna painda hai."

In English: "Beta, listen. Teach with stability. There is nothing in four-five thousand rupees more. When you change schools repeatedly, your value becomes zero and you have to start everything from zero again."

Those words got printed in my mind. I pondered, "Will I ever achieve that ideal?"

He gave me a new direction that day. Unfortunately, I resigned after his death, but again I got an opportunity to work in his one more institution, GMT International Public School, under the guidance of Mrs. Amarjit Dhaliwal Ma'am. Here I got clarity and stability. Now I have successfully completed 8 years in this school.

So, today when I was on my way to home, suddenly the image of Kashmir Sir came to my mind — a contented face with a smile.

Finally I achieve his ideal! But it would never have been possible without the guidance and support of Dhaliwal Ma'am.

I am thankful and will remain indebted to both of them.

Three More Holidays: Am I Becoming Like Others?

There is an off for three more days.

Though I mostly don't like holidays, this time, I too feel happy. I felt light, with no morning hurry, no assembly bell, no fear to confront intense and aggressive traffic. Just a quiet relief.

Then a thought struck me — am I also becoming like others? Am I also becoming like most of us in India; that very Indian trait — laziness and procrastination, the joy of postponing work?

Perhaps yes, and perhaps no.

But this is something we all should know: our subconscious acts like the environment we are living in, like the people whom we accompany. If we live with driven people, we become active. If we live with people who count holidays, we also start counting.

That’s why company is so important. It’s not just about good or bad. It’s about analysing the self through the Self.

And this is where discipline comes in. Violence isn't the synonym of discipline and strictness. Values and learning can't be imposed forcefully. They can only be implemented by presenting right conduct in a strict and disciplined environment.

Perhaps that's why we as teachers need to provide an environment where students develop an inclination to learn. Because if we as teachers get affected by our environment, then what about students? Aren't they more vulnerable? They are less mature, have less self-control, and more dominance of Id, which works only on the pleasure principle.

And to understand this is very tough. Indeed, it is.

Cheeni Kum Hai

When I was a kid, I watched a movie of Amitabh Bachchan and Tabu titled Cheeni Kum. Its concept was different from other movies of that time, which followed the same old pattern — a hero, a villain, a comedian, and lots of masala common to all Bollywood films. But this film was different; it broke the social norms of society. I liked the concept because it breaks the old pattern. It feels right because people connect through their mutual level of maturity, not through age. But yes, one needs courage to support this line of thought.

Now, let me come to the point. I hardly pay heed to such things, as it is all about individual choices and not my area of concern. What concerns me is inflation. Sugar has risen to Rs. 70 per kg! Now Johnny will not eat sugar because there is no sugar at home. For a person like me, life without sugar is like life without air.

I remember during Dr. Manmohan Singh's government, we kept criticizing them for inflation as prices of essential commodities were rising. But when I compare that with today's scenario, I feel the former was much better. Petrol is now Rs. 105 with ethanol and approximately Rs. 170 without it. What a huge hype? It seems galloping inflation is not too far.

As a student of economics, I am concerned about the most dangerous form of inflation — galloping and hyperinflation. Of course, my post is of no use to those who are too rich. For them, nothing really matters. It will affect me slightly too, but what about those who live hand-to-mouth? What about those whose main diet is sugar — the labour class? They actually need it desperately for survival.

Sitting in a room and talking about expensive branded sweet products may seem good to us. We may flaunt that we like this and we like that, but think about those living below the poverty line and those from the lower middle class who can't even talk about their plight in public or in private. I think we don't have time to think about it because we are just worrying about completing our protien intake for the day.

Smartphone: The End of an Entire Family

A piece of news shook me from within: A teenager threatened to attempt suicide if he wasn't given an iPhone. To protect him, his father stepped forward, and then a dreadful incident occurred — both the boy and his father fell from the terrace and died on the spot. After seeing this, the mother also jumped.

An entire family became prey to an iPhone.

That boy was a possibility. He could have become a doctor, a writer, or an engineer, but every possibility slipped away from that hill. This isn't just news. It shows the mindset of an entire generation — Generation Alpha. A generation that thinks it can get everything through stubbornness, by blackmailing its parents.

This news from Maharashtra should be taken seriously. You can't convince them because they don't spend quality time with you. And it's actually because of us, as parents, because we prioritize money and materialistic gains and substitute love with commodities. That's why they now think love means — "give me this, give me that, and if you don't, be ready for the consequences."

Stop giving things. Start giving your time.

That Which is Not, is Actually the Origin of All

Every day we learn something new, and every day we are given a new possibility by the Cosmos. Still, we think we have less, and we keep chasing that which will perish one day. It's our very trait. We keep looking for something great. However, the great never comes, because great requires great effort, great sacrifice, and great responsibility. You can keep chasing, but you will never get what you truly want until you move inward.

But what I am saying should not be taken wrongly. Moving inward doesn't mean closing your eyes. It means opening your eyes. It means being completely aware — aware of your very existence, aware of your very nature, aware of that which can never be seen, but is seeing everyone. And everyone means every soul, every leaf, every atom, everybody — yet it remains unaffected.

Why is it unaffected? 

Can I be like that?

Yes, but not through intellect, mind, and body. First, you need to remove everything — all three layers. Then, that which remains is just a watcher — Pure Consciousness.

No rocket science. It's very simple. Anyone can experience it, because that which is not, is actually the origin of all. And that is just Consciousness.

Two Heroes, One Goal: Let History Speak

For years, a WhatsApp lie is being spread: “Gandhi could have saved Bhagat Singh.”

It is a lie. It insults two great revolutionaries at once. Let’s settle it with records, not rumors.

PART 1: THE TRUTH ABOUT BHAGAT SINGH'S EXECUTION

Who hanged them? The British.

Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were sentenced by a special British Tribunal and hanged on 23 March 1931 in Lahore Central Jail, a day early. The order was given by the British Viceroy and Punjab Governor.

2. Did Gandhi try to save them? Yes, with proof.

a) During Gandhi-Irwin talks (Feb-March 1931), Gandhi raised their case. Official meeting notes of 19 March 1931 record it.

b) On 23 March 1931, the day of hanging, Gandhi wrote to Lord Irwin: “I have... appealed to you to postpone execution...” [Collected Works of Gandhi, Vol 51].

c) Lord Irwin himself wrote in his memoirs: Gandhi pleaded for commutation and he had to refuse due to pressure from Punjab officials.

d) Gandhi wrote in Young India after the hanging: “I did all that was possible to save them.”

The British refused because they feared revolutionaries of HSRA (Hindustan Socialist Republican Association).

3. Did Bhagat Singh want mercy? A Strong No.

His father Sardar Kishan Singh filed a mercy petition. Bhagat Singh wrote an angry letter from jail: “Do not file such petitions... I want to die as a martyr for my country.” For him, martyrdom was a weapon to awaken India.

Two paths, one goal — Freedom.

PART 2: WHAT GANDHI BUILT FOR THE COUNTRY BEYOND FREEDOM

Gandhi didn't just fight the British. He tried to rebuild Indian society from inside.

1. Charkha — The Symbol of Self-Reliance:

Charkha was not just a wheel. It was economic freedom. In 1920s, British cloth had destroyed Indian weavers. Gandhi made Charkha a weapon — Swadeshi, self-employment, dignity of labour. He said, “Every thread spun is a blow to British exploitation.” Khadi became employment for lakhs of poor, women and villages.

2. Satyagraha — A New Moral Force:

Satyagraha means “insistence on truth.” First used in South Africa (1906) against racism, then in India — Champaran (1917), Kheda (1918), Dandi March (1930). It taught India that the poorest man can fight the biggest empire without a gun, by refusing to cooperate with injustice.

3. Cultural and Social Reforms:

a) Against Untouchability: He called untouchables “Harijan — Children of God”, lived with them, cleaned toilets himself. His campaign led to opening of temples for Dalits.

b) Hindu-Muslim Unity: He fasted for it, walked for it in Noakhali.

c) Women Empowerment: He brought women out of homes into freedom struggle — Sarojini Naidu, Kasturba, thousands of nameless sisters.

d) Basic Education (Nai Talim): Education through mother tongue, craft, and character, not just degrees.

4. The Panchayat System — The Dream of Gram Swaraj:

Gandhi said, “India lives in villages.” He dreamt of Gram Swaraj where every village would be a republic — self-sufficient for food, cloth, education and justice. His idea became Article 40 of our Constitution — Panchayati Raj. Today’s Panchayat system in Punjab, in Ludhiana villages, is the direct child of that thought.

He wanted power not in Delhi, but in the village chaupal.

CONCLUSION:

One man tried to save a life through dialogue.

One man chose to give his life to wake up the nation.

One tried to free us from the British.

Both tried to free us from fear.

Respect history. Don’t divide our heroes.

If you want to hate the British, hate the British who hanged Bhagat Singh. Don’t hate the Indian who tried till the last hour to save him.

Jai Hind.

Disclaimer: This post is fact-based and therefore, it is not solely my own work. The information has been compiled from several authentic and reliable sources, which have been duly cited below.

References:

1. Gandhi, M.K. Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi (CWMG), Vol. 45, pp. 333-334 — Letter to Lord Irwin, 23 March 1931.

2. http://mkgandhi.org — Official website of Gandhi Heritage Portal, Government of India. Text of Gandhi-Irwin correspondence.

3. Indian Annual Register, 1931, Vol. I, p. 86 — Lord Irwin's speech acknowledging Gandhi's appeal for commutation.

4. The Indian Express, Archives — "When Bhagat Singh rebuked his father for writing a mercy plea" (Letter dated 4 Oct 1930).

5. Pol Sci Institute — "Understanding Gandhi’s Idea of Swaraj: Self-Rule and Self-Realization" (On Gram Swaraj, Charkha and Panchayati Raj).

6. Wikipedia — Entry on "Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA)" for overview of formation in 1928 at Feroz Shah Kotla.

Do read my previous Blog Post solely based on my opinions on Mahatma Gandhi as per the class 12 Chapter: Indigo introduced in NCERT Book, Flamingo. Link of the post shared below:

https://sssjsv.blogspot.com/2026/08/teaching-indigo-why-gandhi-still.html?m=1