Soumyashri Debasish, a post graduate in Physics & then Computer Science, has a long career of 33 years as an aviation professional in Indian Airlines and after that in Air India. After Hanging up his aviation shoes he ventured into entrepreneurship & presently running a café in Kolkata. On the literary front, he already has two books to his credit in the genre of fiction. Those are Love Pride Paradox & Prophecy, Illusion in Air- A new definition of Love. He lives in Kolkata with his wife, Mitali & two daughters, Priyanka & Padmaja.
The Literature Times: What motivated you to write Am… The Motivator (ATM), and how did the idea of targeting the younger generation and inspiring a shift in societal mindset come to you?
Soumyashri Debasish: In the last couple of decades India has made a huge stride to become an economic as well as a political superpower in the global arena. But when it comes to the quality of life we lag behind considerably in terms of global standard. It is because we somehow failed to create a strong national character we rightfully deserve. Therefore, I always had a lingering desire to be part of a campaign to bring in sustainable change in our thoughts and actions which can facilitate this kind of paradigm shift in our national culture.
So, to start a campaign of this nature we need people with flexible mindsets. Our family, society & work environment are responsible for the way we conduct ourselves or the way we approach towards our life. So, we accept many things without application of mind and those become the part of our conducts, sometimes, in the form of superstitions, wrong habits or dogmas. That is the reason my target populace is the younger generation between the age group of 20 to 25, who have just come out from the direct supervision of their parents and not yet joined their professional environment.
The Literature Times: Am… The Motivator (ATM) aims to bring about a paradigm shift in society. Can you explain in more detail what specific changes you hope to see in the national character, and how do you believe this book can contribute to those changes?
Soumyashri Debasish: Nation building is not a process which can be achieved overnight. It is a continuous process with sustainable efforts. So, by grooming a more receptive age group of young people, you are not only creating a generation of citizens with very progressive national characters, but also influencers for the next generation. If this campaign continues, then there will be a discernible change in our overall value system. This book talks about four types of influencers. Those are:
- Social Influencers
- Emotional Influencers
- Intellectual Influencers
- Spiritual Influencers.
Once a youngster aligns his thought process to the issues highlighted in this chapters and makes self-assessments to evaluate where he stands through issue matrix mentioned in the book then there will be a definite change in his approach towards society.
The Literature Times: In your previous works, such as Love Pride Paradox and Prophecy, Illusion in Air, you explored themes of love and personal growth. How does Am… The Motivator (ATM) differ in terms of its message and target audience, especially since it seems to have a more societal and collective focus?
Soumyashri Debasish: My previous works are fictions which belong to a different genre. Those are for casual reading hence meant for mass audience. But ATM belongs to a genre which has a completely different segment of readers who have yearning for societal change; a change for good. They are serious readers & natural influencers. So, my target audiences for this book are all the Indians, who have burning desire for cleaner habitats, ethical political environment, spiritual awakening, societal etiquettes & discipline for coexistence and last but not the least empathy for fellow human as well as nature. But as I told earlier since the younger generation are easier to be influenced because of their flexible mind set my campaign is primarily targeting them which eventually percolate down to the larger section of society.
The Literature Times: In Am… The Motivator (ATM), you emphasize the importance of building the conscience of a generation. How do you define conscience in this context, and what role do you think it plays in transforming the future of society?
Soumyashri Debasish: Conscience of a generation is a collective conscience of all the individuals of that generation. So, it is imperative to trigger the thought process of the youngsters by introducing them to the just value systems devoid of dogmas, superstitions and deliberate defiance of societal civic norms. The purpose of ATM is to prick the conscience of the readers with actual life experiences and force them to ponder over the issues highlighted in every influencer. So, this book doesn’t profess any abstract regimented theory to change your mind set. Rather it encourages to create your own theory for personal, social & cultural reforms.
The Literature Times: You speak of a movement that encourages readers, particularly young people, to become influencers of change. What practical steps do you believe this generation can take to make a tangible difference in society, and how can they use the concepts in your book to guide their actions?
Soumyashri Debasish: First of all, they should have an open mind for everything. Secondly, they must develop the habit of asking questions & satisfy themselves before accepting anything they come across even if it is being preached and advised by their parents, mentors or friends. Most of us as child does or practices what our parents or elders tell or do without applying our mind. Here, it reminds me the words of Swami Vivekananda, never accept anything without having scientific backings. That’s why he used to tell, religion is not a faith but science. Many societal or religious practices have scientific validation and many are simply superstitions or regressive practices. So, we have to understands those so that we can segregate good practices from bad ones.
So, this generation needs to be pragmatic and develop their own set of value system to create an environment for better national character. In this regard, the concept of individual issue matrix will help greatly.
The Literature Times: The ‘Issue Matrix’ is a central tool in your book. Could you describe its purpose in greater detail, and how do you recommend readers approach it to derive the most benefit from your book’s teachings?
Soumyashri Debasish: The ‘Issue Matrix’ is a concept which gives the flexibility to the readers to create self-assessment sheets which are exclusive to them. In the book, there are many issues highlighted & discussed under each influencer. It is for the readers to assess where they stand on each issue. In the book stress has been given not to use this book just for casual reading. One can get best result out of this if he prepares Issue Matrix chart after completion of each chapter and try to make changes as per his own assessments.
The Literature Times: With your educational background in physics and computer science, how do you see these disciplines influencing your perspective on human behavior and society, and do they have any bearing on the themes explored in Am… The Motivator (ATM)?
Soumyashri Debasish: Being a student of science there has been a tendency not to accept anything without scientific validation. That helped me to be more rational in my approach towards everything in life. We all should be aware of the fact that just having knowledge through education doesn’t guarantee to be logical in your approach. It is the application of your knowledge to develop that wisdom which makes you the person our society wants. This mindset has a great influence when I penned down this book.
The Literature Times: In your opinion, what is the broader role of literature in effecting societal change, and how do you see Am… The Motivator (ATM) contributing to this larger purpose beyond just being a motivational book?
Soumyashri Debasish: Literature has always been a great instrument in galvanizing any social, political or cultural movements. Pen is mightier than the sword is not an understatement. ATM is not a proverbial motivational book. It is conceptualized keeping a much bigger picture in mind. Efforts will be made to take this book to the students through seminars by collaborating with colleges & universities. Preferably, introduction of ATM to the student should be a continuous and permanent feature for educational institutions so that a sustainable campaign can be started for a better India.
The Literature Times: Having had a career in aviation and entrepreneurship, how have your personal experiences in these fields shaped the way you view the challenges and opportunities facing the younger generation today, and how does this perspective influence the messages you convey in your book?
Soumyashri Debasish: Aviation is a very interesting sector to work in. It has got blend of very complex skilled & non-skilled manpower. So, dealing and motivate to get best out of them had been a challenging effort for me. So, my long tenure in this environment had given me an opportunity to understand the psyche of diverse cross section of people. Some of the personal experiences of this industry are part of this book. Similarly, entrepreneurship challenged me to carry out the business staying within the realm of ethical practices as well as preserving social responsibilities. These aspects are the corner stones of my book and I can proudly say that I preach what I practice.
The Literature Times: What do you ultimately hope readers will take away from Am… The Motivator (ATM)? Is there a specific action or mindset you hope to inspire in them after finishing the book?
Soumyashri Debasish: This book should change the perspective of every Indian about the idea of a new India. It should prepare to challenge them to be a better version of themselves & strive for a much-improved quality of life. The only requirement is to go through the book with an open mind & carry out critical analysis of every aspect of our life which needs a review and probably a change. Secondly, it is not only to bring in changes for self but also to be a change agent for others. Then only we can expect the real effect of the efforts.
The Literature Times: Looking ahead, do you have any new projects or ideas that you’re exploring for your next book, and how might they continue to build on the themes you’ve explored in Am… The Motivator (ATM)?
Soumyashri Debasish: There are many ideas but at present I would like to concentrate on this campaign. Based on the feedbacks from the reader I can work on my next book on the theme of ATM. Also, I intend to work on a fiction but it will take some time to take off.
