Pravin Kumar, Managing Trustee talks of why I am here at ASJ . . .
I find it very difficult to introduce myself on a public platform – what is there I can say which would be of some intrinsic value and importance to those whom it addresses without seeming to reflect negative attitudes. I have wilfully cut it short to ensure that I am restricted to the truth.
My roots are deeply entrenched in a family of traditional farmers – my father and mother both nearing 80, still live on a farm in rural Bihar village – and responsibly manage the affairs relating to their farming activities. I am the eldest of four brothers all of whom are educated – competent professionally in their areas of work. One of my brothers is a senior doctor in AIIMS – Hardwar.
I find it very difficult to talk about myself since I am privileged to have received the best education which my parents could afford. After basic school in my village I was shifted to St Columba,s College, Hazaribag from where I graduated with pass course and later on completed the graduation with honours at Delhi University in the year 1990.
From school I found myself in IIT – Roorkee (Discipline – Applied Geology) and cleared M.Tech.
After IIT Rookee I cleared GATE and was offered a Scholarship from Ministry of Human Resource Department, Govt of India.
On the basis of GATE score I was offered another prestigious institute Indian School of Mines (Dhanbad). I joined there in the programme M. Tech – Petroleum Exploration as an entrance topper.
After ISM Dhanbad, I successfully landed a job in Singapore and very enthusiastically put my heart and soul into my area of work in a foreign land and a top level fancied job. Once again I learnt at my cost that all that glitters is not gold – salaries in dollars have a compromising catch one learns a bit late.
During my stay abroad I learnt a new lesson in business and commerce – not taught in academics ‘Style is above of substance – an ounce of profile is more than a ton of performance’. Once again I returned to India and continued to search for my roots.
India was taking bold strides in the field of successfully developing infrastructure – roads, hospitals, computer technology, space, rocket launches and software. India was the nation most successful in its launch of space vehicles, rockets and satellites. Schools mushroomed and more than schools, non-governmental organisations were established in every street corner.
The last 25 years was consolidated and found me in the position of Secretary General of The Indo Latin American Chamber of Commerce. I moved forward proudly with the new India and a new vision and continue to this day – with a very small fault which irks – unmitigated hunger, poverty and the widening of the gap between the haves and the have not’s, whether it is food, education, medicine or housing. Students are the most dissatisfied group, student dissidence and employment is at an all-time high – undying. Why?
80 million families on government rations, continued rising NPAs, blanket write-off of these NPAs without justification does not make any nation great.
Boasting of our individual achievements holds no water – we need to put our minds to where are mouths are working overtime.
Pravin