Life was not easy for a young boy from the Sion Koliwada slums of Dharavi in Mumbai. But his resilience and indomitable spirit triumphed as he rose above the insurmountable odds to become Lieutenant Umesh Keelu. Lieutenant Keelu passed out of the Officers Training Academy in Chennai on Saturday, and begun his career as a commissioned officer of the Indian Army.
But the journey was filled with obstacles for the young lad from Mumbai. While most of us are fortunate enough to take most of our basic amenities for granted, such as timely meals and a roof over our head, Umesh’s family of four used to live in 10 feet by 5 feet house. Umesh’s father was the family’s lone breadwinner by working as a painter and ensured that his two children got the best education possible within their modest means.
Life continued its tradition of kicking those who were down as Umesh’s father suffered an acute stroke in 2013. This left him paralysed which put a stop to the family’s livelihood.
But while going through it all, Umesh pursued and earned a Bachelor’s of Science in IT and Master’s in Computer Science degrees. While balancing his academics, he also served in the NCC Air Wing and earned a ‘C’ certificate. But not shying away from responsibility, he also took up a part-time job at a cyber café while serving in the NCC and worked as a computer operator, with the hope of earning and contributing to his family.
He managed to get a job with TCS in the core IT services and began supporting his family with his regular income. However he soon realised that his salary was not enough to sustain his family and his father’s treatment, hence he took up a gig with the British Council during the weekends. He also started preparing for competitive exams, in order to fulfil his parents’ dream of seeing him don the Indian armed forces’ uniform.
Umesh has made a total of 12 attempts to clear the Services Selection Board and join the prestigious academy. However, tragedy struck as soon as he joined the academy as his father passed away. However his father passed away a proud man, as Umesh worked hard to fulfil his parents’ dream and has now become a commissioned officer in the Indian Army.