We’ve all dreamt of being a doctor, a policeman, a firefighter etc., as children but most of us dropped those dreams or changed course when we felt it wasn’t practical or working out. K Balaguru is made of different ilk and he stuck to his dream despite challenges and obstacles and attained his goal solely owing to his strength and commitment.
Born in a remote village near Salem, Tamil Nadu he nurtured a dream of becoming an IAS officer. A son of a daily-wage labourer, he knew that this dream will not be easy to achieve. He worked hard and managed to get a scholarship of 1000 rupees throughout his middle and high school via the Tamil Nadu Rural Students Talent Search exam. He had a thirst for knowledge and was always well-read and well-informed. Not having the money to afford newspapers or books he visited the local barber shop to borrow magazines and dailies to read.
As he grew more mature he could see that he had responsibilities towards his family and decided not to go to college. He chose to work to help his family and decided that he would pursue his studies after his elder sister got married. He took up a job with a distant relative which involved delivery of furniture and other household items and a lot of travel which left him no time for studying. While he worked at this job for nearly 4 years, his most treasured possession was a photocopy of an article titled ‘How to become an IAS officer’ from the Tamil edition of Malayala Manorama Yearbook.
After his sister’s wedding in 2007, he knew it was time to put his plans in action. He left for Chennai to start off his journey in pursuit of his dream. He stayed with a friend for a week until his roommates asked him to leave. By then he had registered for a correspondence course in BA (History). He had to find a way to afford his stay and food while he studied and when he saw a ‘Wanted’ board for security guards, he joined right away. The Security Agency provided free food and accommodation and this was a big relief to Balaguru. His duty was at Billroth Hospital where he was incharge of the lift operations. He worked the night shift and wisely used the mornings to enrich his knowledge. He would visit the government library to study and also registered in short-term courses of Spoken English and Basic Computers.
A year later, he got a job as a Pharmacy Assistant at the same Hospital. In just under four years he got his degree and appeared for the UPSC exam for the first time. This was a failed attempt. However, he managed to clear another competitive exam and was selected for a clerical post in REPCO bank. His salary would have been Rs 15,000 per month at the Bank and this would have tempted any ordinary person to choose stability over pursuing a dream. But Balaguru was steadfastly committed to his goal. He took a decision to sacrifice the job to focus on his IAS dream and continued in his Pharmacy Assistant role. He worked harder to prepare for the exam. Four years and three attempts later he achieved his goal – he cleared his UPSC exam and interviews.
Balaguru, IAS is today the SDM of Pushpagarh in Madhya Pradesh. He continues to inspire youth via his story of single-minded pursuit of Dreams.
