Mary Kom

तद्रक्ष कल्याणपरंपराणां भोक्तारमूर्जस्वलमात्मदेहम्। महीतलस्पर्शनमात्रभिन्नमृद्धं हि राज्यं पदमैन्द्रमाहुः।। (Raghuvamsham II.50)

Hence protect your strong body – in order to enjoy upholding the tradition of welfare (of the people); a prosperous kingdom is regarded, as being equal to the status of Indra, except that it is on this earth (unlike Indra’s kingdom)!

The most eminent poet Pandit Kalidas declares a very important lesson for the Leader, in this masterful compendium of illustrious past Kings of the Raghu dynasty. The physical strength of the Leader, and his/ her energy, is for the purpose of preserving the honour of that Nation – and to bring it glory. Such Leadership is considered superlative, says Kalidas.

Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom or Magnificent Mary, is the only female boxer (in the world) to win the World Amateur Boxing Championship six times and the only boxer (male or female) to win eight World Championship medals, seven of them consecutively. With Gold medals at Asian Games and Commonwealth games, and Bronze in the Olympics, she has brought boundless glory to India – and the best part is that she is still going strong at the age of 39. Neither lack of initial support for women in boxing, nor the challenges of motherhood (with three children) could drag her down – instead she revolutionized the sport in India. She has a road named after her and has won myriad awards including the prestigious Padma Vibhushan, but she is most down to earth and the twin passions which drive her, are : winning for the Nation and activism to protect animals. Exemplary Leadership!

How are you devoting yourself to the service of the Nation and the planet?