Name for sake of name

What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
-William Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)

You can still smell a rose and appreciate its beauty even if you called a particular rose. It’s not the name that makes the man. It's what type of person he is that determines who he is. A name is simply a name and nothing more. Kind of like a flower is only a flower and if its name was beast, it wouldn't change how is smelled. A name is an artificial and meaningless convention.

Lord Krishna, one of the most respected Gods of Hindu religions is known by many names. I remembered the words of Aristotle “God has many names, though He is only one Being”. When I was in early days, I remember one episode of soap Lord Krishna; Lord Krishna saying to someone (not remembered whom) “I have different names. Some call me Krishna, Govinda, Giridhari, Gopala, Gopinatha, Radha Vallabha and many more. It does not matter in what name one is called for, what matters is the work one do. Name may change but I will be the same person. People will remember you for the good deeds rather than the name.  Even people named me makan chor. I am not at all negatively affected by it. I consider it is the love of people they call me in different names”.

Name is given to distinguish one person from another. Name is something very powerful to influence one’s life. The name is selected such that its meaning can inspire the child to follow the path of righteousness.  The first thing that you learn about a person is his name. It's also something that you usually remember.

My name is N.M.leepsa. The meaning of the name Leepsa is ‘Wish’.  Leepsa comes from the word which means "Love."  People with this name tend to be filled with the joy of life. They are quite imaginative and enthusiastic. People can me in different names. My nick name is puppy. My horoscope names are Sradhanjali, Sakuntala, Sailabala.  My friends and relatives call me Twinkle, Pinky, Fiza, Lipu, Lipi, Misti, Jema, Sweety, Puchki. My professor calls me mummy. Though I am called in different names, I am recognized with my good name N.M.Leepsa.

From the birth certificate to my educational qualification certificate I am identified with this name. The school attendance sheets to my PhD enrolment these nine alphabet name is found. Twenty five years I have stayed with this name. I am habituated by it and can emotionally attach by it. So many incidents of my life are tied with it. My name had caught the eye of many persons who once listens it. All use to pull my leg taking my name. And the more important thing even I get tired of making them understand meaning of N.M.  I loved my name and I loved such leg pulling. My friends used give the acronym for NM like NM for NM Tutorial in Bhubaneswar, Nelson Mandela ex President of South Africa, NM-Not Married, NM-Nimbu Mirchi , NM-Nancy Miller.  Friends are always meant for this leg pulling to make life spicy and sweet.

I am possessive about the persons I love, the things I love and all things closer to me. Same way, I was so possessive about my name.  I remember I used to get red when they wrongly identify my name. The below is the best incident how I get angry when one friend never call me in my name.

Friend4: hi beauty

Me: my name is N.M. Leepsa. You can call me in tat name

Friend4: I know it

Me: tumhe agar koi pagal bole acha lagega?

Friend4: hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. i dont mind

Me: muhje naam pasand hai so call me in that name. Mom dad ne kitne pyar se diye hain

Friend4: hmmmm

Friend4: me bhi to pyaar se hi bol raha hu. Hmm

Me: oh ho x-(

When in college the professor used to call my name he had to twice call that name and ask the meaning on the first day of college. In +2, we had a option to select Oriya or Alternative English as a subject, the staff without asking wrote Alternative English during my admission in college and later when I asked why he wrote without asking me, he said that I must be a non Oriya as the name indicates so. Of course I had taken Alternative English but not because I was a south Indian but because I was a English medium student from childhood. Some use to say in funny way why don’t I add the address in the name itself. When gone for trip to Hyderabad some teased saying to marry a Hyderabadi and your name will be more expanded and your children will have the same tradition. I remember another conversation with my name as below:

Friend1: I am from Nagpur settled in Coimbatore and now in Chennai. Basically I am a Maharashtrian. What about u? Are you from Orissa?

Me: yes.  Does my face resemble?  How can u guess?

Friend1: No I can’t guess with face but with your name.

Milan Kundera had said “We don't know when our name came into being or how some distant ancestor acquired it. We don't understand our name at all, we don't know its history and yet we bear it with exalted fidelity, we merge with it, we like it, we are ridiculously proud of it as if we had thought it up ourselves in a moment of brilliant inspiration”. Same way, I always used to feel proud of my name though some friends say in Bengali language its meaning is used in negative sense.

Me to Friend2: no need of thanks dear, its only because of u I felt to know the meaning of your name. Just going through my name meaning and found yours...NM hahaha.. Leepsa is better na?

I use to give the explanation of my name just check the below lines:

Friend3: oh what i think like your name NM tutorial

Me: No actually it begins with my father and mother’s name

Now why I gave these above incidents let me say. The story began like this... From so many days I was thinking to apply for passport. But due to my laziness and requirement for various documents for verification, I drag my feet to apply for it.   Then on 31^st July 2010 I thought I would apply it online through an agent. I filled an initial form and gave the form to the agent. Then the agent said to write my full name. I said that it was my full name. There is no extended name for N.M. and from childhood my name is like that only. The agent said that how come it can be, it must be having some extended name. I said it stands with the name of my parents but I never wrote that way anywhere. Then he said you can write that parents name in the place of surname space in the form. I tried to convince him that it was not my surname and my surname is added to my name. The Indian government rules broke my heart when I heard that my name needs to be changed to issue passport for me. I felt kind of down in the dumps throughout the day thinking that I have to change my name. I felt as if I will lose my own identity. I felt to drop them a line to the rule makers that why such names cannot be accepted. They do not understand that I have been known with name for ages.

I came back and I said to my friend, my parents, my teacher that "I'm feeling blue because I love my name and cannot stay with a new name." but their reactions were different. Some laughed; some teased some suggest new names. No one was as serious as me. I said “I am OK, but not good. It was a low blow for me to be called by different name." Then my sister said "Calm down. There's really nothing to worry about. You're making a mountain out of a molehill." I reacted by saying...is it so?  Even a little thing happens crazy people like me put it in Google status. Then I wrote on Google chat status - My love will be lost soon. jiske sath 25 years har pal raha, ushke bina kese rahun :(

Then came some responses which somehow making me feel little to accept the truth.

Friend6 - paheliya na bujha......kya hua bol............?

Me - as my passport documentation does not accept my sweet name ...N.M.LEEPSA .so i have to change my name :( :(

Friend6 - You've got to be kidding!  You can't be serious! This is the most horrible thing that can happen to any one...but how is it that passport office is not accepting it?

Me - initials not allowed in passport... N.M. so very upset.

Friend6- so what is your new name?

N.M. LEEPSA - not yet done dear...court pe affidavit,then local newspaper men publish and so many things like this :(

I had conversation with another friend below:

Friend5: kiya tumhe naam change karna padrega!!!!!!!!!

Me: HMM   :(

Friend5: ki baje bapar. ta ki naam thik korle?? nijer jonno

Me: khub hi baje bepar.  mann bhalo lagche na  :(

Friend5: aare ki r kora jabe...  vabo to nijer naam nije choose korar luck ko2 jon er hoy..

Me: amar guide tai bolo   :(

Friend5: from thar point of view u r among the few lucky people

Me: hahaha. namm thik karo  :( .  I love my name

Friend5: tumi ki rokon vebecho suni?

Me:   na  baba ke bole delo. khud ka baby name search karne ke baje khud ka naam. :( anek jhamela ache. bank e, iit main bulding sab jage change karte hobe

Friend5: ota to tamon prob na...akbar court e giye affidavit kore nilei hobe.

Me: :(. biye pore abar surname change karte hobe :(

Friend5: se tumi na chaile change koro na

Me: akuni biye korle kaz ta hoye jabe

When it came to my name I thought Hubert H. Humphrey who said “In real life, unlike in Shakespeare, the sweetness of the rose depends upon the name it bears. Things are not only what they are. They are, in very important respects, what they seem to be” if would have been here with me would have supported me.  Then I thought, although a different name for me is far- fetched, I have to change my mind and get a new name for myself. Although I will change my name people will call me Leepsa until hell freezes over.

Few days went like this with fighting’s with my two persons my heart and my mind. One making me weak for the love for my name and another saying to be very practical as there is the need the passport. The tussle was over when the good news came that there will be no need to change the name just in the form has the full name. However I accepted that, “A man has three names: the name he inherits, the name his parents give him, and the name he makes for himself”. After all we all have to make that name for our self through our deeds. Again it is nicely said by Vachel Lindsay that “To live in mankind is far more than to live in a name”

N.M.Leepsa

4^th August 2010

2.21 am