Young Madhav

It was around 1930. A young man from Maharashtra was in Chennai pursuing research in Zoology.  As part of their study the students were entrusted with the task of manning the aquarium there. 

One has to pay an entry fee to enter the aquarium.  

Once the Nizam of Hyderabad along with his family members came to visit the aquarium. He was known to be miserly. Also may be he would have thought that he being a bigwig no one would dare to demand entry fee from  him. 

Even the top officials of the aquarium were reluctant to ask him thinking “He is a very powerful man. How to ask him to buy the tickets?To invite trouble by doing so? May be we will lose our jobs.” No one had the courage to bell the cat. 

Observing all this the young scholar went straight to the Nizam and told him “sir, for entering this aquarium one has to buy entry ticket. So you and those accompanying you cannot enter it without buying the tickets. 

The Nizam just glanced at his secretary. The secretary immediately rushed and purchased the entry tickets. Then the students took them round the aquarium.

After the Nizam had left the officials were very worried. They asked the young man “Would the skies have come down if you had not collected the entry fee from this group? Or would we have suffered great loss?” 

The young man replied “The question is not whether we will be poorer or richer by a few rupees. The question is whether or not to follow it once we have established a procedure.  Rules should apply uniformly to all. Those who are supposed to be VIPs should be doubly careful in such matters. Because ordinary people observe such persons and set behavioral standards for themselves. If any fee concession or special privilege has to be applied, should it not be only for the poor? “ 

The young man was Madhav Sadhashiv Golwalker, who in later years was to acquire fame as Guruji Golwalker, the second Sarsanghachalak of Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh. 

Responses