- Ramesh Chander
(Samaj Weekly)- I have been writing about my fellow Bootan Mandians in my blogs to register my sense of belonging as a social being and a small cog in the community life. Today, a worthy daughter, Rushali Kler, of Bootan Mandi, my native place in Jalandhar has given me yet another opportunity to write – Rushali Kler has passed the Indian Civil Services Examination, 2022 with flying colors. It means now she will join the big league of elite civil services like IAS, IFS, IPS and other allied services. I take this opportunity to congratulate Rushali and her proud parents and the family. We, the fellow Bootan Mandians are proud of Rushali and wish her all the best and further success in the days to come.
Rushali is the daughter of the first family of Bootan Mandi, Seth Kishan Dass, a great community leader of his times and a close associate of Babasaheb Ambedkar. Rushali is the daughter of one of the scions of the family Steven Kler, an established businessman and a political activist and Babita Kler, an IAS herself, adorning a coveted post in the Government of Punjab. Intellectual and public service traits, it seems, are inherited in Rushali’s genes – her great grandfather, Seth Kishan Dass was a politician (MLA) and community activist of standing, her uncle (father’s brother), Avinash Chander is former MLA and Chief Parliamentary Secretary of Punjab, her aunt (father’ sister), Anupam Kler is a PCS officer in Punjab. Rupali’s maternal grandfather (Nana), Govind Ram was an IPS officer of great caliber. Rushali has held the family flag high and rightly so. It is a matter of great satisfaction. I wrote a blog on Babita Kler on October 6, 2021 which may be accessed at: https://diplomatictitbits.blogspot.com/search?q=babita+kler
Just to complete the story, I may mention here that Bootan Mandi has produced and contributed a great deal in the sphere of public and government services in the recent years; in addition to some of the details I mentioned with regard to the family of Rushali – Ambassador Ramesh Chander, IFS, Sushil Sheemar, ITS, Pushpa Kler, PCS (Judicial), Kler brothers; Sunil and Pawan, both PCS Allied, Jaswinder (Lovely) Sheemar, PCS (Judicial) and a good number of sons and daughters of the soil in banking, insurance, medical and other services. Rushali has credited her parents as her motivators; particularly her mother IAS Babita for her success and has wished to join the elite service and said “I am hoping to have a choice between IAS and IPS services.” One can understand her emotional bondage – as an IAS to step into the shoes of her gracious mother, Babita and as an IPS to pay a befitting tribute to her Nanaji, Govind Ram. Sharing my loud thinking, I may say that if Rushali is allotted IPS, the things would turn a full circle for us in Bootan Mandi to boast of having IFS, IAS and IPS among the fellow residents. It would also be a great source of inspiration to the up-coming generation in the area to follow suit.
Before I close this congratulatory and felicitatory note, I may add that like the young ladies leading and topping the UPSC Examinations for the successive years, of late, it has been observed that my fellow Bootan Mandian girls have outshined the boys – Jaswinder Sheemar and Sunita Kler as Judges, Neena and Rimpy (daughters of Hardev and Prem Shant) and Mamta (daughter of Krishan Lal) as doctors, Anju Mahesh Chander as Teacher/Instructor of ILETS and Priya Ambedkar in scaling the heights (Mountaineering) among others. With this, I once again greet and congratulate Rushali Kler for her excellent fete in joining the young brigade the ‘Steel frame of India’, the Indian Civil Services. I am confident that Rushali would add to the forces interested in the empowerment and weaker sections of the society.
अभी तो नापी है हमने थोड़ी सी ज़मीन,
जरा देखिए खुला आश्मान बाकी है.
