30.10.2026
S: My grandfather, who was the pioneer in our family that had come to Great Britain, told me when I was growing up that we had to work twice as hard for the same reward. Because we were Indian. And that was how they treated us. It is a common mantra in the ethnic minority community.
A: Why do you have to work twice as hard?
S: Because they do not value us. That is the essential reason. Because we are unwanted. Because they are hostile to us. They do not want us on the team. They do not want to reward us. They do not want to promote us. They would rather that we had nothing and that they kept everything to themselves.
A: And did you work twice as hard as everyone else?
S: Not only twice as hard. Much harder. When I did my ‘A’ Levels, I did six subjects at the same time. I currently have five degrees when most people have just one. Even now I am studying for more degrees in my free time. When I did my PhD, I had a part time job as a teacher and I also volunteered in several places. I work seven days a week with overtime on top of that. I’ve only stopped doing it recently because I have a girlfriend, to spend time with her. I volunteer at many places because I have social commitments on top of work. At work, I take on project after project, commitment after commitment. I come in early. I leave late. I answer messages on my days off.
A: You do all this and you tell me that you have not even gotten your reward.
S: Yes. So you admit that my grandfather was right?Because of the hate in the hearts of the people here towards us. Because of their unfairness. That is how they treat us. I have not been given the position that I want.
A: Which is?
S: To be acknowledged as a genius. To be given the status and respect of a cultural leader, of a thought leader. In the cultural sphere, they will never accept our voice and our power.
A: What drives you to work so hard then?
S: I have told you before. My grandfather expected me to do it. My mother expected me to do it. The community of The Oppressed, the Untouchables, the Dalits, my community, they expected me to do it. We need those role models. We need that achievement. We need a champion.
A: How do you know that it is you that is cut out for this destiny?
S: The goddess of learning has gifted me with the mind and the talent. The signs all point towards it. The circumstances of my birth. The experiences that have shaped me. The inheritance of being raised by a man from the time of the Indian Independence Movement…
A: How long can you keep working so hard?
S: To have your revenge, you need to have energy. It is a line from the film Dhurandhar (The Master of the Field). And this son of farmers, of hard labourers, this son of serfs, this energy has been built into our system to survive. No one can work harder than us. And that is why I am a genius and others aren’t. No one can have our hunger. And that is why I am a genius and others aren’t. No one can have our resilience. And that is why I am a genius and others aren’t. My great great grandfather was acknowledged as a saint. My grandfather was the top scholar and athlete in his college. I have won the genetic lottery. The wisdom is built into my core. They have always looked up to us and at what I have been gifted. And that is why I am a genius and others aren’t.
