Mysore moulded me, a grateful Akhilesh says

A crowd of over 1,000 students at the Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering (SJCE) campus  here on Friday listened in rapt attention as the chief minister of the most populous state in the country told them here that it was the city that moulded him.

Replaying the four years of his life in SJCE campus and in Mysore, Akhilesh Yadav said: “If I am what I am today, it was the culture of hardwork and quest for knowledge that the city of Mysore and my mentors here kindled in me. I have carried the spirit of Mysore throughout my life till now and will always guide me.”

His speech interrupted repeatedly with thunderous applause, the young Samajwadi Party chief minister gave his audience no impression that it was a politician who was addressing them, but a student who got some high commendation.

Dotted with humility and self-deprecating humour, Akhilesh’s 10-minute speech evoked bursts of laughter for its witticisms.

“I was at the canteen when the first sessional results were out. I was afraid to go and take a look at the notice board, but a friend told me that my name was in the pass list. I gathered courage to go and see the result sheets. My name was there alright, but it was there to notify me that I had passed only in one paper and failed in the other seven,” he recalled.

“But then it had a profound effect of me. Due to the prodding of my teachers, for the first time in my life, I was afraid of failure. Finally, when I walked out of the portals of this college in 1996, I had passed with a decent 70% marks,” Akhilesh said.

“I spent most of time in canteens and with a friend who played guitar, and even today I remember the ragging session we had. But despite all the boyish pranks, there was an innate sense of responsibility towards ourselves and towards others. Whatever silly things we did as students, we never lost the sight of the values of life that this college and its teachers taught us,” the young chief minister said.

He was disappointed that he could not interact with the students as planned, as the interaction had to be put off due to paucity of time.

He was quick to notice that a large number of students had gathered there to hear him and derive inspiration from his life. Advising them to study well, he asked them to not allow their lives to drift, but take control consciously and diligently.

The CM also had an audience with Suttur mutt head Shivaratrishawara Desikendra Swami.