This story is from March 19, 2019

This watchman from Bagalkot is set to become tahsildar

Today 28-year-old Laal Saab is studying at the government academy in Mysuru, in training to become a tahsildar with the Karnataka Administrative Service (KAS). But a few months ago, his life was different — his last job, which he quit in October last year, was as a security guard in Bengaluru.
This watchman from Bagalkot is set to become tahsildar
Laal Saab
BENGALURU: Today 28-year-old Laal Saab is studying at the government academy in Mysuru, in training to become a tahsildar with the Karnataka Administrative Service (KAS). But a few months ago, his life was different — his last job, which he quit in October last year, was as a security guard in Bengaluru.
Saab has been working from the time he turned 16 – as cook, caterer, security guard – to finance his studies.
Even when he was in class 10, he was delivering newspapers and milk, and breaking bricks as a construction worker. “I’ve always wanted to work in public service to improve the lives of common people like me. That’s why I am next attempting the IAS exams,” Saab told TOI.
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Laal Saab epitomises the can-do spirit that drives those with a passion to rise above the odds and do their bit for the society. It would have been the easiest thing in the world for him to curse the cards that fate had dealt him, rue his plight and continue working at whatever odd jobs he could find. But, he worked hard, never gave up and is now on the threshold of joining government service. It’s such stories which offer hope to all those struggling to do better in life and assure them that hard work is always rewarded.


His brother Salabeth Khan says Saab is a role model for his entire village.
Pravin Agarwala, CEO of blue-collar job aggregator BetterPlace, which recently awarded Saab for his achievements, says, “Saab’s story is inspirational. It’s not easy to study and do manual labour at the same time.”
Born in Kerur in Bagalkot to a construction worker, Saab early on realised the need to study. “In my village, the only people who had the ability to impact lives were teachers and government officials. So I was determined to be a teacher or be in public service,” he says.

Salabeth Khan, a soldier with the 54 Rashtriya Rifles in Jammu & Kashmir, used to initially help Saab pay for his studies. But once he got married and had kids, he had lots of commitments. So Saab had to finance all his studies.
Saab’s day as a teenager would begin with him delivering newspapers and milk at 4.30am, even on exam days. He would also work in the afternoons and evenings at construction sites with his father. He used the money earned to pay his school fees and stationery items at AR Hiremath High School, Kerur, where he finished SSLC with 67% marks in 2007.
In 2009, Saab finished his PUC from SGMK PU College, Badami, with 61% marks. His initial idea was to be a teacher, and worked towards a diploma in school education. But while doing his diploma, Saab felt that if he wanted to change policies in healthcare, education and other sectors of public welfare, he would have to work for the government. Towards that end, he pursued a BA in history, economics and political science from a college in Bagalkot. “I didn’t eat out like others and I didn’t date girls,” says Saab.
In May 2014, Saab got his first full-time job in the Hotel Nandini chain in Hyderabad for a salary of Rs 9,000 a month. But then his father fell ill, so he quit the job in four months and moved back to Bengaluru as a security guard. Between 2014 and 2017, Saab worked at a lot of firms, including Bosch, Toyota, Wipro, in housekeeping, cleaning, or as security guard.
In 2017, he passed the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) examination with 80% marks and cleared the interview. His nine-month probationary training at SRF Security was due to start on October 29, 2018, when he handed in his resignation.
“My supervisor wanted to know why I’m quitting. I was one of his best security guards, always polite, punctual and disciplined. When I told him I’d got a job offer from the government, he nearly fell out of his seat. He congratulated me and to my intense joy, on my last day, the SRF managing director himself gave me a farewell party, with all 120 security personnel present. I had tears in my eyes,” says Saab.
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About the Author
Rachel Chitra

Rachel Chitra writes for the business section of The Times of India. She has been tracking the banking and insurance sector for nearly five years.

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