How I became a Lawyer!

How I became a Lawyer!
By Lawyer Asad

Every man has his own destiny and he has to reach it. Whatever efforts we put in but it always happen what is written in our destiny.
Those who don't believe in destiny or is dubious about the existence of God and more believe in their own confidence will definitely say that whats the utility of acting then? Why don't we just sit back and enjoy whats in our destiny?
They has always given preference to the power of the man over power of the divinity. But if we think for a moment then we'd realize that power of man has applicability upto a certain level of our lives but when it comes to destiny, it become totally a puppet before the power of divine.
For example, Karan or Karna of Mahabharata, the maidenhood son of Kunti, wife of Pandu, was a great warrior. He could have easily finished the entire Pandavas with all their army single handedly. But his destiny became so powerful to make him meet the end of his life the wheels of his Chariot was stuck in earth and he was killed by his own brother Arjun.
At a very mature stage of life and almost after 28 years of practising as an Advocate of the Burdwan Judges' Court a very unique book came to my hand. It is "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. I had bought it from Wheeler's Book Stall at Burdwan Station. I had heard a lot about this book from my friends but somehow could not read it then.
I believe that everything has its own time and nothing happens before time.
Anyways, in The Alchemist, the factor of destiny was described in a great details by Paulo Coelho and he has advised how we'd persue our dreams and listen to our heart. It is one of the greatest motivational book.
Now coming to my own life and matters. If you've already read my article "My Grandmother" a few days ago then you know how that old, ailing, small and fragile lady transformed my life with her love, care, affection and motivation for me. She'd say to me that I was destined to be a very educated man and would visit foreign countries.
She died when I was in Class VIII and her departure created a void in my life which has not been filled. My world had collapsed. As I was fostered by her since my six months of age so I had never grown any affinity or attachment with my parents. Even my own brothers and sisters were also alien to me. I lived a world of my own which revolved around my grand mother.
I was barely 14 when she had gone for ever. Her absence was virtually killing me and it couldn't be said to anyone. Our maids and servants looked after me. For long time I'd sit in the vast medow and looked up at the sky searching my grandmother in vain. At that juncture of life my "Mota Dada" had taken charge of my life and saved me from going ashtray. He was a man of letters. A real wise man with great insight.
Slowly but steadily I was returning in the main stream of life.
I started projecting myself as a successful human being according to the likings of my grandmother. In my mind I was seeing myself as a suited-booted man. After much deliberations it came to me that there's only one kind of professionals who wear suit and tie through out the year was the Lawyers. I started thinking myself as a Lawyer. May be God had destined me to be a Lawyer. Because something very strange happened barely few months after my projecting myself as a Lawyer. It was not one but two things happened which Paulo Coelho had described as "omens", which are sent by God to us as His signs to show us the correct course.
But to be very honest all thse omens, signs from God, etc. didn't come to me at that time because I just not that mature of insightful nor had the depth of thinking so deep.
Both these incidents are about books. And these two books has changed the directions of my life.
The first one was a book about subconscious mind, self-development, and allied matters. The name of the book is "Atmik Shaktir Parichay" or Introduction to the Power of Psyche, written by Prof. Rajendralal Rudra of Rongpur, East Pakistan (or East Bengal which is now known as Bangladesh). I've read this book at lest a thousand times till now. It was my very first book which has made me interested to know the inner powers of human being. It was very interesting for a boy of 15 to know about unconscious mind and how it works, the power of prayer, aura, etc.
The second book was "Kato Ajanare" or Saga of so many unknown written by famous Bengali novelist Shankar. It was a coincident to know that the novel was written in the same year in which I was born, 1955. Shankar used to work as the Clerk of the last British Barrister of Calcutta High Court, Mr. Barwell. In the pages of his novel he had written his memoires of that unforgettable personality, his family, the style of work, the atmosphere of Calcutta High Court and the Chambers of Lawyers and their Clerks or Babus.
I was charmed, mesmerized, spell bound. It shooked me from my core and instantly I decided, "Yes I want to be a Lawyer"!!!
Since then I've been a fan of Shankar and read each of his books. Many years later I had the opportunity to see this man face to face in our Law Department. He was invited by us as a speaker to grace our re-union.
Three years ago Shankar had written the second part of it, "Se Onek Diner Katha" or Its A Long Story.
So my life was set before me.
I became interested in matters relating to human mind and wanted to be a lawyer.
I was just in Class IX and yet to pave a long way to make my dream a reality.
Death of my Grandmother had a bad effect on my studies. Mota Dada tried his best to make me mindful at my studies again. At that I was sent for taking tution to one of my teachers. And it was good for me. My performance in studies started doing better.
My Mota Dada was an M.A in Bengali from Calcutta University. He was then working as a Junior Assistant at Burdwan University and posted at Golapbag Humanities Building. He was the first batch of employees who were working in the Burdwan University since the very first day of the University, that is, 15th June, 1960. Mota Dada had a knack for studying further and he prepared for his M.A in English from the Burdwan University. So we studied together. Oh no it doesn't mean that I was also preparing for M.A. English!
I was studying for my Higher Secondary (H.S.) final exam and Dada for his Masters. Gradually his books made me interested about the English language and its niceties. I had read Walden, Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Aristotle on the Art of Poetry, Treaties on Lord Tennyson and his poetry, Shakespeare, R.L. Stevenson, and many more.
Examination results were out. Dada has passed with 55% marks and I also had a Second Division, getting more marks in English than my First Language Bengali.
It was 1971. For the past few years there was political unrest all over West Bengal. It was decided that I'd be admitted in Commerce. Though it was easy for me to be admitted both in English and History with Honours. Anyways. Dada took me in the evening to Raj College for admission. Before the admission window some very strong bodied guys were standing. Later knew that they were Students' Union leaders. They were checking every student before admitting his finally to make it sure that none from the opposition political party can get admission. I had no such political affiliation but I was lucky as one of those guys recognized me as a student of the Typing Institute where he was also learning typing with me. He nodded the other fellows and I was allowed to get admission.
Three years in College had made me more mature about life.
In the mean time my father has opened a High School on one of his properties and he became the founder Secretary of it. Few teachers were also recruited to teach the students. As there was no High School near by so local villagers, of course the poor ones, used to send their children to this School. It was a co-education school. The School building was made of mud and had straw thatched roof.
As it was yet to receive recognization from the Govt. of West Bengal so the salaries couldn't be paid to teachers and non-teaching staffs. Only few rupees as alimony to them was paid.
In the third year of my College my father asked me to join the school as its Head Teacher as the designated one had left for another job.
I had to oblige my father. I started teaching English to the students. During Examination I was asked to set paper for English examination. My Mota Dada, an M.A in English asked me to show Him the Question paper which I had set for the students. After looking into my set of questions he looked at my face and sternly uttered, you can kill people.
Was it that hard?
Hard! Its meant of M.A students.
So I had to moderate those question to make them appear easy for the students.
My B. Com final result was out and I had passed very well.
I told Mota Dada that I want to study Law in Burdwan University. He informed me the time of admission. I had filled up my admission form and waited for the call from the University for the admission.
After a month Dada informed me that University has changed its rules so in this session no admission will be made.
Previously twice every year, that is once in June and another in December students were admitted in the 3 year LL. B. Course and the Classed were held in the evening. So one student could have three degrees simultenously. M. Com, LL. B. & B. Lib. To change this practice the Vice Chancellor has decided that the Law should be a Full-time course and classes would held from 10-5 on week days.
Those who had submitted admission forms for admission in LL. B (evening course), like me, had to write again to the University Authorities to treat our previous application for admission as the application for Day Full time LL. B course. We had to paste our passport size photo too. Admission test would be taken for admission.
Our admission test was held during the first week in March, 1976. More than a thousand students appeared in that test. Only 60 of them were to be selected. I was very tensed. Asked Mota Dada for help but he also couldn't help me because it was not under his departments. I appeated in the Admission Test. It was a real back breaking tough one.
Some how managed to answer all the questions to the best of my abilities. After two weeks result was out and my rank was 23 out the lucky 62 students. Hooray.....!!!
My dream to be a lawyer has advanced one more step.
Without delaying any further I requested Dada to take me to Rajbati, the Administrative Section of the Burdwan University for getting admission.
Few other students were also there for taking admission.
But somehow I was admitted first and my Roll no was 1.
From 2nd April, 1976 our classes started. Daily from 11 AM to 4.30 PM on week days.
We were the First Batch of Law Students who studied Full time day Course LL. B.
These three years had made me the person I wanted to be in my life. Some day I'll write about those too.
The seed of a possibility which I had sowed in my heart as dream in 1968 became a tree in the year 1976.
Dream is not what we see when we're asleep. Dream is that which won't let us fall asleep.