29/04/2014
INTERVIEW WITH WG CDR PRIYANATH SCHOLAR ASIF ALI KHAN
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Shreyas: This is Shreyas Kumar, Class of 1993, calling from San Francisco, Where are you now?
Asif Ali Khan: Sir, I am at Purulia right now, at my home.
Shreyas: Please tell us something about your family background
Asif: I belong to a middle class family from Purulia. My father is a locomotive driver and my mother is a housewife. I am amongst the very few members of the family to study beyond class 10th. My grandfather, a bus conductor, wanted my father to go one step ahead of him,.but my father says that I should go one step ahead of everyone else. My mother studied upto class 10th. I have a brother who is studying in class 11.
Shreyas: What is your aim in life? What was your NDA result and what if any is your backup plan?
Asif: I cleared UPSC written exam for NDA in the first attempt, but got conferenced out at Air force SSB at Varanasi. Now I plan to be a scientist and am preparing for ISI, NEST, JMI, WBJEE and IIT JEE(MAINS) to pursue my graduation then I want to do higher studies in applied mathematics.
Shreyas: Your favourite subject and why?
Asif: I love Mathematics because it is the most accurate science.
Shreyas: What was the most important thing you learnt at SSP?
Asif: Self reliance, cooperation and discipline.
Shreyas: What do you know about Wg Cdr Priyanath Mukhopadhyay?
Asif: Wing Commander Priyanath Mukhopadhyay was an ace fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force. At the time of his death in an air crash in 2003, he was the Commanding Officer of the No. 5 Squadron IAF based at Air Force Base Ambala. From his very early years he showed exceptional brilliance in reading, writing, public speaking and solving complicated puzzles. The talent did not go unnoticed to the parents and teachers of the school in the village. As a young boy of merely 7-8 years he finished reading epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata etc and went around the neighborhood with the epics under his arms to read it aloud to elders. To harness his immense academic and related talents he was enrolled in Sainik School Purulia in the year 1972 in class VI. His Roll number was 620/TG. It was a challenge for a boy from rural background and having studied till standard V in a Bengali medium school, to cope up in a school where medium of teaching was English and that too staying alone away from the family. It took him some time to adjust to the new set up and new medium of teaching. It was a steady upward progress to stardom and he stood first in class in standard IX and onwards and there after scored highest marks in English in Class X amongst all students in India in CBSE Examination in Yr 1977. Apart from his outstanding academic skills he was gifted with superb oratory skills, reading habit and quick wit. He had very strong determination and would relentlessly pursue any goal set by him till accomplished. He was selected to the NDA in his first attempt and joined the 60th NDA course in June 1978.
Shreyas: Wow! I must say you know about him as much as I do, and I am very impressed by your knowledge. This shows you really cared to learn who was Wg Cdr Priyanath Mukhopadhyay. I hope you take the initiative to educate all future scholars about the great man.
How did the scholarship help you?
Asif: It was an immense pleasure for me to receive the trophy in front of so many parents. I will get the scholarship amount when i will take my T.C. I will hand over the entire amount to my father because whatever I am is because of him.
Shreyas: What is your biggest strength ?
Asif: Hardwork.
Shreyas:. What is your message to the donors of the scholarship ?
Asif: Thanks to everyone who were directly or indirectly involved in the scholarship.I hope this initiative will help many a students like me as a inspiration and to some extent to reduce the financial burden from their parent's shoulder.
Shreyas: If you can change one thing about Sainik School Purulia, what would you do ?
Asif: SSP is unique and no change is required. A change is required in the students.I will increase the students' faith on themselves.
Shreyas: Asif, this was an honor to talk to the finest product of Sainik School Purulia this year. If you ever need any career guidance or help, feel free to contact me. On behalf of all donors of the scholarship, I wish you the very best.
Asif: Thank you sir.
