Making normal phenomenal

If I have to personify ‘empowerment’, ‘hard work’, and ‘being humane’, it would be my principal, Father Sojan Abraham, a Claretian missionary, currently officiating St Claret Pre-University College. Bill George’s quote, “The role of leaders is not to get other people to follow them but to empower others to lead”, impeccably squares in Fr Sojan. Healthy teams emerge when they have an emotionally mature leader at the helm, and with this exact savour, Fr Sojan has forged the squad of his dreams.

Pledged to his congregation that servitudes betterment of society, he has piloted the institution towards phenomenal improvement, empowering academic personnel and other staff. A paradigm of this is Narayanaswamy.

Narayan enrolled as a lab assistant at the college with a PUC eligibility, but was encouraged by Fr Sojan to pursue his BA. He was then offered financial support to take up a designing course and made to manage both, the lab and media. Approbation didn’t cease at this phase. Father next accredited Narayan to command the NCC. The latter’s tenacity with the NCC students nurtured his life’s horizon.

A year into this work, he was designated as ANO and posted for a three-month training at the NCC Officers’ Academy in Nagpur. On completion, he recouped our alma mater with an honorary rank of Lieutenant Narayanaswamy. What an incredible metamorphosis by the patron! A gentle tap on Narayan’s shoulder by Fr Sojan with the expression, “Your time as a caterpillar has expired; your wings are ready…” had obliged him to soar.

Then there’s my instance. Once when my letter to the editor regarding garbage menace was published in this paper, Fr Sojan was quick to ask, “Ma’am why don’t you create awareness among staff and students about waste management?” I nodded and started working on it. A month later, to my awe, I was certified as a resource person to deliver a presentation on how to resolve garbage issue in Bengaluru at source. It was ‘aha’ moment in my life to address nearly 1,000 students along with faculty for two hours! Thanks to the patriarch, I was humbled when my personal colleagues and students honoured me as guest speaker.

Fr Sojan’s compelling characteristic of being humane merits a footnote — if not, it would be ignoble. Last Christmas season, Father organised a mega programme ‘Namma Santa’ and brought in underprivileged children from different orphanages to participate in the event. These preteens were provided with good meal and also gifts of their choice. The smile that lit up the face of these little ones was the highlight of the day.

Nothing can be a more eloquent tribute to this versatile priest than the fact that the PU Board acknowledged his work and solicited Dr Gururaj Karjagi, Chairman of ACT, to felicitate him. If every leader empowers the lineup, it makes a difference not only to their life but also to the lives of those they touch and the world in which they live.