November 15, 2024

Vishwakarma University – Centre of Communication for Development

An Initiative of Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Vishwakarma University, Pune

No shortcut to achieving dreams

Swamidas Nair

Pune

There are many who dream but very few who pursue the dream. Anuj Singh’s story is the story of a young boy who faced a lot of hardship in life but remained determined to bring change.  

He was born in Uttar Pradesh in a middle-class family. He was the eldest among his three younger sisters. As a child, he was naughty and carefree. He was good at his studies. But Anuj felt the burden on his shoulders too early owing to the tough financial condition of the family.  He would work along with his father in shops while his mother struggled to run a family of six with limited income. 

As the family stayed in a small congested accommodation, Anuj would feel the discomfort of his parents and sisters. As he was growing he realized that he needs to do something which would make life better for his family.  Anuj recalls that he was in eighth stranded when he decided that he would study hard and earn handsome money so that his family could live a quality life. But the path of his journey was not easy. He cycled to attend tuition classes and avoided wandering with friends and attending spending money on hoteling.  

He dreamt of becoming a doctor but then his family’s financial condition was not good enough to support him. For higher education, he opted for the commerce side and decided to become a charted accountant (CA). After appearing for Common Proficiency Test (CPT) he was bedridden due to illness. He was hospitalized and there was an immense financial burden on his family. His distant relatives and friends started pressurizing him and also taunting him that instead of studying anything more, he must earn for the family.

New Turn

In the given condition, it was impossible to continue any studies, says Anuj adding that after he passed CPT de decided to drop further studies. “ Earning for the family was the top priority and I came to the conclusion to start coaching classes for aspirant CAs,” he says.

In 2013 he started Anuj Singh Academy in Pune. The classes were for tenth and twelfth-standard students who wanted to pursue a career as CA. The journey that started with 50 students now has four thousand students and the number is rising every year.  

Starting tuition class was the temporary plan to earn for the family. But classes became popular and Anuj decided to continue with the task.   Average 15-20 students from his class pass CPT and start their journey to become CAs.  

“ My day starts at 4 am with Yoga and ends around 10 pm at night,” says Anuj adding that even today he doesn’t attend any parties and spends maximum time with the family.

At the age of 28, he has managed to shoulder the responsibility of the family and also determine his own career path.

“ My life situation is the biggest inspiration. Whatever I have achieved today because of my students’ love and affection” he says. Anuj is popular among his students and many students who have passed out of his class continue to draw inspiration from him. 

The Life Story

Anuj had to change his path, leave some dreams behind and take up something which he had never imagined. Life is full of surprises and Anuj is gritty enough to take it as it comes.

His suggestion to youth is that many times things will not go as you want and there will be rough patches in life. But don’t allow these rough patches to withdraw from the battle to achieve the dream. Move on and face the challenges, there is no shortcut to achieve dreams.

(Swamidas Nair is a SYBAJMC student at Vishwakarma University)