Taking time out from their busy schedules is difficult for our bureaucrats. But, still, some of them make use of whatever little free time they get to indulge in their passions. One of them is IRS officer Mr. Surendra Mohan who recently launched his first book, ‘Hounslo Ki Oonchi Udaan’. The book is already receiving good reviews. He is also an avid poet, photographer, and plans to produce short films soon. In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, the officer talks about his passions and how he plans to pursue them.
HOUNSLO KI OONCHI UDAAN
Talking about his first book, ‘Hounslo Ki Oonchi Udaan, the officer told us that it’s purely based on his own life and experiences. He wrote this book with the purpose of motivating students, especially civil services aspirants, to work hard towards their goals.
“I try and motivate them to be confident and hustle hard to achieve their goals in life, through this book. The biggest problem that exists is that while preparing for the examination if aspirants are finding it tough, they don’t work harder to understand the concept and syllabus but tend to give up in the middle. They are not able to plan and execute everything well and start making excuses. Through my book, I want to guide them through this difficult phase of preparation and help them gain a strong will,” Mr. Mohan told Indian Masterminds.
The book is a straightforward take on the issue. The officer wrote the book in two and a half months and immediately got it published without any scanning or scripting.
WRITING WITH EMOTIONS
Mr. Mohan doesn’t just write for the sake of it. In fact, he only sews his thoughts into words on paper when those emotions flow into him.
“If I wish to write a particular aspect of the book, I will only write it when I’m in that kind of emotional zone. On weekends, I used to take my pen and paper and sit in a park for hours. I only wrote when I felt the emotions rushing into me. You may also find several proverbs and couplets in the book that are my own creation.”
The officer has started writing his second book, ‘Unlock to Potential of Mind: A Guide to Excel in Any Competitive Exam’, which will be a booklet explaining to people how they can fully utilize their potential while attempting a competitive exam.
AN ARDENT POET
Even though the officer hasn’t published any of his poems yet, he loves to compose and write them down. He posts them on his social media handles. He hopes to write more and get them published once he has a collection of about 100 poems.
“I believe that poetry comes to life only when you put in emotions. I express my feelings through these words and mold them into the form of a poem. I use a lot of Urdu words in my poems and write on any theme that comes to my mind, whether it’s motivation, life, or love.”
PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY AND FILM MAKING
The officer has an underlying passion for photography, as well. Being a civil servant, he doesn’t get much time off from his work schedule. Hence, he hasn’t purchased a professional camera yet. But that has not stopped him from clicking photographs. He clicks with his phone camera whenever he sees something worth capturing.
“In the near future, I am also planning to shoot a non-profit short film with a message to society. The plan is underway, and through friends, I am arranging for 4-5 DSLR cameras with which we can shoot the same scene from different angles and bring certain professionalism into the film. The idea is on an infant stage right now, but will slowly pick up the pace,” Mr. Mohan said.
The officer follows his passions with the same zeal that he discharges his official duties. His life is a fine example of how to balance work and passion. Indeed, he is the right person to teach budding civil service aspirants how to achieve their professional goals and, at the same time, maintain perfect harmony in their lives.
