A boy who used to study in the light of a dim torchlight is now the Additional Secretary of Power Department. There was a time when he had to worry about where his next meal would come from, and where he would sleep in the night, leading him to take shelter in an orphanage for survival. How this same boy went on to become an IAS officer is an incredible story. A story that surprises and inspires at the same time.
DIFFICULT CHILDHOOD
Mohammad Ali Shihab was born into a poor family of Edavanappara village in Mallapuram district of Kerala. His father Korot Ali somehow managed to make the family’s ends meet by selling bamboo baskets. Little Shihab also helped him. However, fate snatched away his father when he was just 11 years old. After the loss, the whole family’s responsibility fell on his mother Fatima. Unable to cope with the challenges, she sent Shihab and his two younger sisters to an orphanage in Kozhikode so that they could, at least, get food and a roof over their head.
LIFE IN THE ORPHANAGE
In the orphanage, Shihab quickly grew accustomed to the strict discipline and devoted all his time to studies. Talking about his struggles, he said, “I used to study in the dim light of a torch under the bedsheet, so that the sleep of other inmates did not get disturbed”. It was the hardships that he learned to endure that kept him alive and lit a spark within him to move ahead with hope.
WORKING FOR A LIVING
That hope and hard work led him to pass a total of twenty one examinations, one after the other. Be it exam for a job in the Forest Department or Jail or the Railways, he passed them all, and tried his hands at various jobs, like that of a ticket examiner, jail warden, and peon. He also worked as a teacher in a government school for some time.
CRACKING UPSC
After clearing the state public service examination with good marks, he started dreaming of UPSC, and cracked it in his third attempt. In the first two attempts, he faced difficulty in speaking English during the interview round. So, the next time, he took the help of a translator and scored 201 marks out of 300, and got All India Rank 226.
Today, Mr Mohammad Ali Shihab is an IAS officer of Nagaland cadre and has served as District Collector in Kohima, Tuensang and Kiphire. He drew a comparison: “I was an orphan, and the district which I am tending to, is like an orphanage, too. My life was cut off at 11 after my father’s death, and my district is cut off from the rest of the world. But despite the limited opportunities and resources, the locals here have taught me how every moment is an opportunity to celebrate.”
Indeed, people there celebrate life. There are so many life lessons to learn from them, and from the young-orphan-boy-turned-IAS-officer who has made Nagaland his home now.
