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If Judge Lokesh Nagar ever charted a recipe for success, it would read something like this — add large portions of grit and determination to your morning and evening milk.
Nagar, who grew up in Imaliyaka village in Greater Noida, started life as a supplier of milk. His day began at 3 am, and till seven he ferried milk cans to halwais and sweet shops. Helping his father in the business, he followed the same routine between three and seven in the evening.
But it is what he did in between that made all the difference. Nagar juggled the long hours supplying milk with studying law. Today he sits in a court of Uttar Pradesh, taking decisions that touch lives.
It’s a dream come true for Nagar, who has achieved a childhood goal despite the odds. He said, “I prepared for my law exams and also practised between my morning and evening shifts. I played my role in supplementing the family income. Hard work and motivation made all the difference.”
Nagar’s family of eight includes his father, who studied only till Class VIII, his mother who never went to school, and a brother who quit studies to help in the family business. Nagar went to Universal Public School in Preet Vihar — “not very well-known, but one that strengthened my foundations”.
He cannot say the same for the government colleges. “It was difficult to motivate oneself because no one really cared if you attended classes,” Nagar said. Nagar went on to complete a degree in Commerce from Shambhu Dayal College and an LLB from MMH College, both in Ghaziabad.
He completed his LLM from Meerut College in 2005. After that, he began practice in Patiala House between 9 am to lunch. All the while, he continued to supply milk. On January 31 this year, he got a letter from the Uttar Pradesh government. He was to be a judge, at 32.
Nagar’s reality prepared him for the questions he faced at the Judicial Service Examinations, required to qualify as a judge. He was asked in the interview on November 22, 2008, “Why is the crime graph rising?” His reply was: “Unemployment and lack of opportunity”.
Nagar said real life is never too far from the answers. “It would be fair to say that neither the police nor the judiciary ever created amenable conditions for my family. No one has taken the school final in my family, or even the intermediate. I did not get the proper opportunity or infrastructure,” Nagar said.
Today, he is in a position of influence and the only thing that crosses his mind is ‘help’. “There is something called the Legal Aid Services Authority through which the government gives free legal aid to the poor. I want to take this to the people in villages as they too have rights,” Nagar said.
For his children — a five year old boy and two infant twins — Nagar has only one dream: education. He said, “I don’t know where I will be posted in Uttar Pradesh. But if my children have to go to a nondescript government school, I will make sure I am there to give them what the school might lack: motivation.”
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its a touchy story an also teach us that there is no shortcut fo success hats off for Mr nagar and as mr fernandes said our media should come up with such motivational stories so our youth look upto someone who set an example agains all odds. its really a great owner for me as well because i belong to same village.
A Very touching story of the Grit and Determination and hard work. The Story of Late Mr Rajesh Pilot was almost somewhat similar though not as touching as this.If I know well,his Father too was a Humble Milk Dealer and with his hard work,grit and determination qagain,not only that Late Mr Pilot made it big but succesfully laid down a similar kind of visions as the Judge Sahib is now looking for his children.The Movie "Slumdog Millionaire though not yet released in India has almost a similar tale of real life experiences turing into opportunities.MY Compliments to Judge Nagar and I wish he will be an example for many others.My only request to him is to be a Fearless and Honest Judge and God will take Care of him.Such kind of people are few but they are UNPUTDOWNABLE forsure.
From Milk Delivery to JudgeThank you to the writer of this article. As one more reader said that there will be many cases like this in our country. As the judge rightly said there is no substitute in life for education and motivation. This two things can make a huge difference in any person life. No one wants to be born poor but they are born not by choice but by destiny. If our media brings more stories like this rather than bringing stories of crime, youth in this country will be motivated and take education as their living and then the day will not be away when this country will be developed and millions will come out of poverty on their own.
Hats off, to Neha Sinha, for bringing up a Great Motivated story, like this one, there may be millions of people, who struggle and make it, and inspire others like me to wake up, and move towards the goal and achieve for what we have come to this universe.I have kept this article in my library, and will always refer to it, whenever, I am depressed in the world of materialistic and comfort.