By Sparkian Sulekha Chandra
Contributing Author for Spark Igniting Minds
“If a country has to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference they are the father, the mother and the teacher.” – Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
Spark has already set its standards high by launching its first book, “SOUL SOJOURN” (edited by Ms. Aparna Dedhia) by the self-realized master Sri Sri Ravi Shanker. And it takes another step ahead by launching the second book “DELETE, LOGOFF & SHUTDOWN CORRUPTION” by Honourable Governor of Pondicherry, Dr. Kiran Bedi who is the first woman IPS officer of India and the strongest face for the corruption-free nation.
The launch took place at Raj Niwas, Puducherry. Six Spark members including the founder Capt. Sahana Sundar attended the launch.
While waiting in the lounge, we could watch videos of Dr. Kiran Bedi and each one of us wondered if she looked the same in person. Though we all were waiting with our mobile phones to capture the event, for security reasons were asked to submit all the phones and other items at the reception. Soon we felt relieved to know that the official cameraman would do the needful. Though we were expecting it to be a very short period visit, Dr. Kiran Bedi just surprised us when we entered her official space. She was not in her chair but standing to greet us. Her warm smile and simplicity are awe-inspiring.
Capt. Sahana presented a bouquet to Dr. Kiran Bedi and later she herself directed us all for the steps to launch. We were directed to place our gifts on the nearby table and stand in a semi-circle with her. The moment Dr. Bedi held the wrapped set of books in her hands, our eyes sparkled in pure joy. Capt. Sahana showed the Editors page to her. Chief Editor, Rajat Soni had sent a message for her but we couldn’t read for we had to submit mobile phones. She appreciated the efforts of team Spark and delighted us all by giving her autograph on books and we all stood to clap and cherish the moment.
Later, it was time to present gifts. Manju Chandra, an outstanding artist presented her Mt. Kailash painting seeing which Dr. Kiran Bedi was mesmerized and she said, “I have been to Kailash and when I looked at it, it appeared the same as in this painting. Thank you for refreshing my memories of Kailash.”
It was an overwhelming moment for Manju to present her painting to an iconic dignitary like Dr. Kiran Bedi and give her a warm hug. Later, Sulekha Chandra presented a memento that featured Dr. Bedi, the book cover displaying her quote for the book with the Spark logo and Gyan Paradise logo, an organization founded by Sulekha for empowering youth with industry skills. It was a proud moment to convey briefly about her mission to reach one lakh students and how Spark has made a huge difference. She too gave her a warm hug which is a moment to cherish for a lifetime.
Capt. Sahana asked Dr. Kiran Bedi if the book could be placed in public libraries of India and she got a surprising reply, “Let me tweet it to the world and have it in international libraries.” It was a moment of “WOW” for all of us.
Each delightful moment was well captured by the official photographer and we were assured of the copies via contact.
The moment we came out of the office, we all collected our belongings and phones and enjoyed clicking on the premises of Raj Niwas. It was great to record a video message for all the team members and congratulate them for their outstanding contribution. We wished if all the authors could have attended it but for security reasons, only limited members could go.
Capt. Sahana with her democratic leadership not only exemplified herself and her relentless efforts but her power to delegate and apply free-will in her dealings with authors naturally earns her deep respect. We thank her and revere her for the person she has become.
It would be worth mentioning here that one of our team members Ms. Ritu Garg from Mumbai made it to the venue despite her injured arm. Also, Ms. Keerthana from Bangalore took the responsibility of booking the hotel ‘Executive Inn’ near Raj Niwas itself.
All of us had some delightful moments together on the morning of 4th July 2018. We visited Aurobindo Ashram which was quite nearby and then had a joyous time at Pondicherry beach. We shared our stories with each other and envisioned Spark as the largest worldwide community.
We would like to thank Reshmi for clicking wonderful pictures of the members.
Team Spark proudly congratulates Chief Editor Raja Soni for his selfless efforts and outstanding work. Last but not least, the following quote by Dr. Kiran Bedi for our book is the highlight of the book.
“Corruption is ‘Bad Character’. It is Greed of Worst Order as it exploits and cheats. It corrupts the system from its core. We all exercise a choice of being corrupt or not to be corrupt.”
The book is the voice of the people of India and we as authors, parents, and teachers are in the process of shaping our leaders of tomorrow. Let generations to come to be wise to make choices when it comes to lead or greed.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Raj Niwas Productions, Puducherry for the wonderful photographs and the video release on Dr. Kiran Bedi’s Facebook page which has crossed more than 37,000 views by now. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart, and Kindle.
About Sulekha Chandra
Founder of Gyan Paradise, Sulekha Chandra is a youth mentor, corporate trainer, content developer, training and development professional with experience in Corporate HR.
She is a motivational speaker, author, editor and reviewer at various national and international platforms.
For more information, visit Sulekha Chandra on her facebook page @