Expect nothing, live frugally on surprise.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Capital Samurai: Laxman Rao

Laxman at his tea stall at ITO in Delhi

At first look he is like any other tea vendor pouring infinite cups of tea for clientele, Laxman Rao appears to be one of numerous tea vendors we see in our everyday life on any busy road of the capital. But looks can be deceptive and Rao proves that. He is not just any other tea vendor in the national capital. He is different from many.
Meet Laxman Rao, the tea vendor turned book writer. Born to a family of farmers in Amravti district in Maharashtra,
Rao's fondness for Hindi literature saw him complete his graduation in Hindi medium from the Mumbai University in 1973. Reminiscing the bygone days, Rao said he was an avid reader and got addicted to Gulshan Nanda's novels early on.

This tea vendor has authored 18 books till date! The reading inclination he is carrying from his school days way back in early 70s and love for Hindi literature made him devoted to first with reading and then writing novels. He writes at the night, when the world sleeps, he finishes of his work and starts writing. The writing sometime continues while working when there are not enough customers. His writing often has his own experiences and hardship which he confronted in the capital. Sitting on a low down chair at his tea stall near ITO in Delhi, 53-year-old Rao spoke of how he came to run his own publishing house, Bharatiya Sahitya Kala Prakashan.

"I have been writing short stories, plays and books for 28 or 29 years," Rao smiled and said, as he poured tea into one of the small glasses to a customer. "In my first book, titled Nayi Duniya Ki Nayi Kahani I poured out my heart. I narrated all the hardships that I had faced and the challenges that I fought to rise to a decent life. That was back in 1979," Rao told. He went on to write a play, Pradhan Mantri in 1984, which was about his meeting with the then prime minister, the late Indira Gandhi. The play was woven around Gandhi in a social set-up and how her subordinates were responsible for corruption. 'Ramdas and Parampara Se Judi Bharatiya Rajniti' are some of his other publications.

59 comments:

Radhika February 8, 2009 at 12:17 AM  

Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform. Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything or nothing in the world's estimation, and publicly and privately, in season and out, avow their sympathy with despised and persecuted ideas and their advocates, and bear the consequences

Radhika February 8, 2009 at 12:28 AM  

that was really encouraging story

Anonymous,  February 8, 2009 at 12:30 AM  

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy

Anonymous,  February 8, 2009 at 12:30 AM  

But the bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them,glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it

Anonymous,  February 8, 2009 at 12:31 AM  

motivating post..lovely blog sir
regards

Dr.Ragini Rastogi February 8, 2009 at 12:32 AM  

Good one.

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage—to move in the opposite direction

Shilpi February 8, 2009 at 12:33 AM  

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage—to move in the opposite direction

Good motivating post hats of to Laxman Rao

Ruchika Mittal February 8, 2009 at 12:34 AM  

thats really something being a tea vendor and authoring books

Ruchika Mittal February 8, 2009 at 12:34 AM  

It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power

Anonymous,  February 8, 2009 at 12:35 AM  

Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.

Amrita Kumari February 8, 2009 at 12:36 AM  

Courage, it would seem, is nothing less than the power to overcome danger, misfortune, fear, injustice, while continuing to affirm inwardly that life with all its sorrows is good; that everything is meaningful even if in a sense beyond our understanding; and that there is always tomorrow.

Anonymous,  February 8, 2009 at 12:36 AM  

long to accomplish a great and noble tasks, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble. The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker

Anonymous,  February 8, 2009 at 12:36 AM  

Moral cowardice that keeps us from speaking our minds is as dangerous to this country as irresponsible talk. The right way is not always the popular and easy way. Standing for right when it is unpopular is a true test of moral character.

Anonymous,  February 8, 2009 at 12:36 AM  

Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.

Anonymous,  February 8, 2009 at 12:37 AM  

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

Anonymous,  February 8, 2009 at 12:37 AM  

Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm

Ritika Pandey February 8, 2009 at 12:38 AM  

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall...

Shilpi February 8, 2009 at 12:40 AM  

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.

Rohit Sharma February 8, 2009 at 12:41 AM  

that was really a godd motivating story and well articulated

Rohit Sharma February 8, 2009 at 12:41 AM  

When you meet your antagonist, do everything in a mild and agreeable manner. Let your courage be as keen, but at the same time as polished, as your sword.

Austeen Sufi February 8, 2009 at 12:42 AM  

what a man....
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.

Ashok February 8, 2009 at 12:44 AM  

good one...thats courage

Courage is fear that has said its prayers.

Alec February 8, 2009 at 12:46 AM  

thats really intresting and encouragin.......
man has written so many books as a tea vendor really appreciable

Vinay February 8, 2009 at 12:53 AM  

it's amazing... that's great!

Prachi Pandey February 8, 2009 at 1:01 AM  

that was ver good motivating story u presnted avinash.... nice one

Patty February 8, 2009 at 1:34 AM  

He sounds like a very interesting and intelligent gentleman.

Anita February 8, 2009 at 9:53 AM  

Incredible Man! a true fighter.

Dr. Neha Srivastav February 8, 2009 at 10:07 AM  

Literally a figher...a Samurai in true sense

Anouska Awasthi February 8, 2009 at 10:10 AM  

A samurai...yes ..thats what a man with courage and will power is called.....he is true gentle man and a fighter..motivation 4 many

Er. Nidhi Mishra February 8, 2009 at 10:52 AM  

a motivaating story well covered

Puja February 8, 2009 at 12:33 PM  

thats what passion n courage is all about

Dr. Palki Vajpayee February 8, 2009 at 4:06 PM  

to understand, correctly, that courage is not the absence of fear, but the capacity for action despite our fears.

Anonymous,  February 8, 2009 at 4:07 PM  

Enlightenment is man's emergence from his
self-imposed immaturity. Immaturity is the
inability to use one's understanding without
guidance from another. This immaturity is
self-imposed when its cause lies not in the lack
of understanding, but in the lack of resolve and
courage to use it without guidance from another.
Have courage to use your own understanding!

Anonymous,  February 8, 2009 at 4:07 PM  

Courage is rarely reckless or foolish . . .
courage usually involves a highly realistic
estimate of the odds that must be faced.

Anonymous,  February 8, 2009 at 4:07 PM  

Don't work for my happiness, my brothers--show me
yours--show me that it possible--show me your
achievement--and the knowledge will give me
courage for mine.

Anonymous,  February 8, 2009 at 4:07 PM  

That some should be rich shows that others may
become rich, and hence is just encouragement to
industry and enterprise

Jyoti Dixit February 8, 2009 at 4:09 PM  

thats treu fighter..a story well told

Jyoti Dixit February 8, 2009 at 4:09 PM  

Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course
you decide upon, there is always someone to tell
you that you are wrong. There are always
difficulties arising that tempt you to believe
your critics are right. To map out a course of
action and follow it to an end requires some of
the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has
its victories, but it takes brave men and women to
win them.

Parul February 8, 2009 at 4:11 PM  

good post.

The bravest thing you can do when you are not
brave is to profess courage and act accordingly.

Ruchi February 8, 2009 at 4:12 PM  

W]e must believe in ourselves or no one else will
believe in us; we must match our aspirations with
the competence, courage and determination to
succeed.

Tulip Banerjee February 8, 2009 at 4:13 PM  

Not one of us knows what effect his life produces,
and what he gives to others; that is hidden from
us and must remain so, though we are often allowed
to see some little fraction of it, so that we may
not lose courage. The way in which power works is
a mystery.

namaki February 8, 2009 at 4:36 PM  

that's an interesting story ... this shows us we can't judge people from the first glance !!!

Prachi Pandey February 8, 2009 at 5:25 PM  

dats really motivating......
hats of to him

Dr. Aradhna February 8, 2009 at 8:28 PM  

Courage, in the final analysis, is nothing but an affirmative answer to the shocks of existence.

Vinisha February 8, 2009 at 9:57 PM  

This post just goes an extra mile spreading the message

Every life has an extraordinary story. :)

Loved it.

सुशील छौक्कर February 9, 2009 at 5:24 PM  

मैंने भी एक पोस्ट की थी इन्हीं पर। बहुत ही मेहनती और ईमानदार इंसान है। सलाम इनको।

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