Rajinder Kalsi: Perseverance in India After Facing Tragedy

Despite this, we are still able to learn about the incredible story of Rajinder Kalsi, an 84-year old woman who was born in Chikmagalur in the Indian state of Punjab. Born in 1940 during World War II, she lived with her parents, two sisters and brother. Her family was one of the millions of families in India at the time with little access to electricity. Even though her family didn’t have much, Rajinder still found comfort in reading books and playing card games with her friends and family. She described one of her friends named Gusharan who she spent hours with in the library studying for exams together and reading books.

However, tragedy struck shortly after Rajinder enrolled in college. Her father, who had encouraged her dream of becoming a scientist, passed away unexpectedly. This loss devastated Rajinder and her family, as she and her siblings were still young and had yet to establish their own lives. As the oldest of her siblings, Rajinder had to make a choice between fulfilling her dream and taking care of her family. She had a job in college, but had to quit to return home to her family.

When her father died, Rajinder’s uncle took custody of her and her siblings. He criticized Rajinder for becoming a scientist and believed she would never have a job, which pressured her to abandon her dream of pursuing science and she instead returned to school and became a teacher. She earned her masters degree in two different subjects, but still regrets her choice to drop out of science. Years later, she moved to America with her husband Joginder and three children, eventually retiring after having years of success in the business industry.

When asked, this was Rajinder’s biggest piece of advice for younger generations and the most important lesson she learned in life:

“You should study, work hard and always try to do something in their life. You should be true in every aspect and follow your passion, otherwise someone will decide your future. Don’t be affected or carried away by what others want you to be. Whatever you think is correct is the most important, and is what you should be.”