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When Rajnish Kumar, a senior official of Tata Steel and chairman of Lions Club of Jamshedpur, recently received a letter of appreciation from the international president, it was not for the first time his role in the social sector had been acknowledged. Though it was a special occasion, no doubt.
Awarded the certificate for his relentless social activities in his area, Kumar has for long been known for his enthusiasm. “I have created a record by starting two new branches of Lions Club in the city in a record period of time and that is the reason why this appreciation has come my way,” said Kumar. While the first club trained school teachers in the city, with its SFA programme being a first in the city, the other was the Lions Couple Club. It’s not surprising that he’s also won awards like the president’s pin and a diamond pin for his role as the club president.
Last few months, too, Kumar has been busy with programmes which include the anaemia control project, Lions Quest Programme in schools, blood donation camps, poster making contests and spreading awareness on health issues.
One’s sure there’s lot more to come.
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Refusing to take the entire credit himself when his company was recently given a star certification from the Indian Oil Company, Sajjan Agarwal did what he thought he really should — throw a party for all his team members, who he says contributed towards the success of his company, S.K. Gas Services, Bariatu. It is they who so efficiently cater to the needs of his 15,000 or so customers, he said.
A commerce graduate from St Xavier’s College, Agarwal started the gas agency in 1984, barely a year after graduating. An executive member of FJCCI for nearly seven years, Agarwal is also a trustee and treasurer of Bihar Eye Bank.
Agarwal was also in the news during the Jharkhand Udyog Mela last year for keeping a 17 feet high gas flame burning non-stop for five days! Son of an oil mill owner, Agarwal hopes to diversify into new fields.
Behind the wheels, he’s on the go
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Those who have seen Kamaljit Singh Virdi behind the wheels are quite taken aback when told that he’s actually from the corporate world and spends a great deal of his time confined to office work.
The surprise is natural, for once he’s on the road, he is simply raring to go and it’s obvious that nothing gives Singh a greater high than taking off in his Gypsy. A former student of Bishop Westcott School in Ranchi and Karim City College in Jamshedpur, Singh is now all set to participate in the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) to be held at Chikamanglur in Karnataka from May 4.
“This is one of the most prestigious car rallies in India. It will kick off from Chikamanglur and then move to places like Chennai, Goa, Pune and then Calcutta,” said Virdi, who was on a short visit to Jamshedpur recently. For Singh, working as a relationship officer with Oswal Industries in Delhi, this is not his first experience with car rallies.
He has been part of several rallies in the past, including the prestigious Nasik Valley car rally and several other events organised by the Eastern Motor Club Association and the Madras Sports Club in 1998. So what’s keeping him busy these days? “Getting the gypsy ready for the forthcoming rally,” is the quick reply of the man on the go!
In love with the beauty of words
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The way words could be weaved to express one’s feelings fascinated Pratibha Prasad from very early years. With time, it grew into a passion that led her to many publications and awards as well. Recently conferred the Kavi Ratna award by the Vikramshila Vidyapeeth at the All-India Poetess conference held at Bhagalpur, Prasad has been an active member of the cultural scene in Jamshedpur.
Her poems apart, Prasad also has to her credit a collection of short stories, Akhir Ek Din, which was released at the international platform of the seventh Vishwa Hindi Sammelan, held in Surinam in the year 2004.
Her anthology of poetry, consisting of 250 poems, and another anthology of short stories, are ready for release, too. Her subjects are philosophical, with interesting anecdotes to add to their interest. Even those who have not read her, must have heard her, perhaps. For Prasad, a recognised member of the Akhil Bharatiya Kavitri Sammelan, also has had her stories broadcast by All India Radio.
One doesn’t know what the results of the Boogie Woogie show to be telecast on Sony entertainment channel on March 31 are going to be, but one’s sure Lata Jha of Silli will surely put in her best performance.
Lata danced her way into the show after her auditions held in Calcutta in August 2006. Competing against hundreds of performers from Calcutta, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Delhi, Lata managed to hold on to her own and impressed the judges by her grace and skill in both the western and eastern categories.
Lata, who is preparing for her medicals, gives full credit to her dance teacher Vipul Nayak, who runs dance classes at Deepanjali. Nayak says she’s a very hard working girl and is sure to go places in life. “Her perfect facial expressions and graceful movements set her apart from all the other contestants,” he said. Lata, when asked about her expectations, said: “I am aiming for the championship.” Aimed just right.
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He stresses that success has not come the easy way and that’s easy to believe, knowing what student politics in the state is like. It’s a tough battlefield to survive. Parwinder Singh, a common face on most college campuses in Jamshedpur, seems to have survived to tell the tale.
Parwinder, recently elected as the president of Jharkhand’s National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), should have a lot to say, for he has an experience of student politics spanning back to several years.
Having entered active politics way back in 1995, he claims to have started as a leader at the college-level, going on to be a leading figure in the city and district unit of NSUI, and eventually the vice-president.
Surely, after the experience of so many years, the new president must be bubbling with ideas? “A 75 per cent compulsory attendance in all colleges is what we would ensure happens, as soon as possible,” he said. Now, that’s something where success isn’t likely to come easy, either!
