Corporate learnings from Champak

  This isn't a review nor a recommendation. Its an experience, a journey of learnings and emotions. 


     Champak came into my life when I was barely seven or eight years old. I still vividly remember we had visited my father's office friend for dinner. Those were the days when children accompanied their parents manditorily. With limited sources of entertainment out of the house, family get togethers were the social interactions. On one such mandatory dinner where the adults were chitchating about Narhsima Rao and likes, I was thoroughly bored. Now this hypnotic monster mobile not being invented and invited, I was thrust with a copy of Champak by our host. 

" Read it beta, you will have fun. "

My already sleepy eyes gave a disapproving look but my lips were zipped out of mannerisms of strict upbringing. Without an option, I flipped the pages and from their began our never ending romance. 

     

       Champak taught me life not only through its stories but it gave vessels of filled experiences. Out of the book lessons were few but I carry them even today. 


Lesson 1: RESOURCE UTILISATION 

Every month I received a sum of rupees five for all the help I offered to my mother in the household. There was no incentive system back then. More work or less pay is the same. Now its upto me to decide how I spend that money. Champak is my ever demanding magnetic girlfriend who draws me towards her. So I decide to splurge on her. But the problem is I get only one new copy at 5 which I could finish in three days what about the rest of the month. I'm in isolation. Making best of my resources, I approach a radiwala who gives me 1old copy for 1 rupee. Fair deal. After all old is gold. I have my cake and eat it too. 


Lesson2: ACCEPTANCE OF REJECTION 

After reading these copies, now by age of 10 I am driven towards writing a story myself. So every month I keep sending a story without any approval. Innocence didn't allow me to take rejection to my heart. Writing continued till someday teenage took over and I started pursuing something else. 


Lesson 3: FAIR TRADE

There were these hundreds of copies lying in my humble closet accomodating space which made it difficult to hoard anymore. I needed to give it away. But not for free as it is not valued. So I sold these old but well maintained copies at 50paise each the way  my brother gambled for his marbles. 


Lesson 4: INVESTMENT 

Money came to me at a young age but love for Champak deterred me from spending that money on chocolates or other goodies. Today that same habbit has helped me to invest in commodities than luxuries. 


Lesson 5 : TEAM WORK

What I read, I propagated. The stories of Champak taught me to help people with solutions. Team is better than an individual is what I learnt subconsciously from the animals of Champak. 


All in all, this article is an ode to 

Mr. Vishwanath of Delhi Press who in 1969 released Champak as a competition to Chandamama and Amar Chitra katha. 


Must say competitions are healthy!!!

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