Note to my dad

Tushar Vashisht

My father is my inspiration. I know parents are to most, but allow me to say what I must.

Dad retired a few days ago after 34 years in the Indian Police Service. Having been the Director General of Police, Haryana, and head of the State Vigilance Bureau, he has many accomplishments. Again, almost every officer would have a lot to look back at. It is at a personal level that Dad’s my hero. It’s been a journey filled with test after test of conviction and moral authority for him, and he’s dealt with those situations with integrity, courage and resolve.

Few are aware of it, but before you became an IPS officer, you started your career in various odd jobs to finance your education. Then, as an assistant in the post office, you studied late into the night under the light of the railway lamps as you travelled to and from work. You steadily upgraded yourself to banking as a management trainee, as a Customs and Excise officer and then as an IPS officer.

Unfortunately, in our nation, bribes are increasingly common in the government. You refused to look that way, even when the pressure was immense on the family finances. You and I took a loan for my Ivy League education, which I paid back later. I respect that more than any physical comforts that moral corruption could have provided. You didn’t think it virtuous to smoke, or drink and you stood by that throughout. I salute that resolve of standing by your moral compass.

When I was 18, I recall that I was caught for speeding and I didn’t have money to pay the fine. You refused to intervene and I am now glad for that. The sense of fairness you instilled in us made us unlike the stereotypical “police boys”.

Your sense of justice extended to all. Your courage in saying “no” got us many transfers — I attended nine different schools before Grade 7!

Witnessing your contribution to the state was a big part of my decision to leave investment banking in Singapore and join the Unique ID Authority in India.  The sense of purpose and satisfaction that my journey in India has provided me since, including as the founder of my health startup, has proven to me that money can never be the motivation. It has to be a collateral. As you retire, you do not have mansions or a big bank balance to your credit, but you have built castles of virtue that your family is enriched with. We thank you for that.

You have dealt with hostage situations, you have defended terrorist attacks, handled riots, and other daunting situations. But I think the one characteristic that has shined through is your level-headedness under intense pressure. A more recent example was the Rampal Operation. I learnt from you that a leader has to remain cool and keep the spirits high in the face of dire circumstances. You put your team first, gave credit freely. I learnt from you that an effective leader is nothing without his team.

Despite all the stresses of the IPS life, I never found you missing our school functions. I have seen you take the lead actively in key events of the family. As I struggle with my startup, I am trying to remember this aspect as well. That, after all, family is important.

As you move forward to the next chapter in your life, I know you will carry all these virtues with you. And whatever comes next, I know it will continue to inspire us.

The writer runs a health startup