"I am very much eager to work," said Pataabi Raman when asked why he continues to work at 74, an age where people usually prefer retirement and rest. His passion to remain self-sufficient has inspired many on the internet, and we reached out to him to know more about his life after going viral.
Hailing from Bangalore, Raman talks about how he had to move to Mumbai to look for a job. He worked as a lecturer in Mumbai for about 22 years before retiring. But for him, retirement was nothing more than a futile formality, since he kept working as an auto driver back home in Bangalore.
After helping out Nikita, a passenger in need, Raman started talking to her. Nikita was surprised to find an auto driver that could speak English and her curiosity was peaked. Through the course of their conversation, she learnt that not only could Raman speak fluent English, but he had an M.Ed. degree and was over-qualified to be an auto driver. Then why choose to do so? Why not take help from your children?
I don't accept that (help from children). Because as long as we are able to work, we have to. Until we become tired, till that time we have to run," said Raman, who refuses to depend on his two children.
Raman's story has inspired people even outside India, with ex-students reaching out to him from different parts of the world like Australia and Atlanta. "They don't even let me sleep at night," said Raman with a smile on his face. He has also developed a fan following of sorts, where a girl from Chennai, who Ramna said was "tired of the young generation", asked him to marry her.
At an age where he can easily choose to retire and spend the rest of his life by relaxing, he chooses to continue working. His strong-willed decision to stand on his own two feet is nothing short of inspirational.
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