“Base humans do not undertake work fearing obstacles. The mediocre embark on adventures but give up in the face of problems. Persons of excellence, once they start a venture, do not give up whatever the impediments”.Shri Radheshyam Agarwalla (Goenka) and Shri Devi Prasad Bagrodia of Dibrugarh the two is a supreme combination of human excellence and humanism. Since I am very much addicted to online culture I am familiar to one more person Mr Brahmananda Patiri who is a senior executive in Assam Forest Department, very active with positive enthusiasm in Face Book with his own style, whom I regard as my Dada.
Our culture is just waking up to issues that have existed for years. The more people are aware of the issues the more likely they are to make decisions that will be constructive, as the three persons I have admired, started personally to work quietly on their own way for the betterment of the society. Environmental activism is believed to be the combined political force of people who take action to protect the environment. Not content with passive empathy for environmental problems, the green movement is inspired by proactive opportunities to bring about its vision for a better world.
Radheshyam Agarwalla is a passionate self environmentalist, social entrepreneur and cool inspirational speaker and a very low profile down to earth person, who believes in our own ability to wake up and save the day
Although the climate changes naturally on its own, humans contribute heavily to pollution of the environment. More and more people are wondering how they can do their part to help reduce the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. One such person I know is Shri Radheyshyam Agarwalla Goenka
On a casual visit to Bangalore by Radheshyamji in the mid nineties he was fascinated and touched by the government drive of planting Gulmohar (Krishnachura) trees in the residential areas of the city, and later on subsequent visit he found that the Gulmohar drive was a great success.
After coming back to Dibrugarh, Radheshyamji’s holistic mind was passionate about making a positive difference in the world for people and our planet, and empowering others to do the same, Radheshyamji’s cosmic mind suddenly having learned that negative messages about the fate of the planet can be counter-productive, so he embarked quietly on his own mission of planting Gulmohar (Krishnachura) saplings around Dibrugarh Town, not only that, he was very much passionate about the plants so he made a monthly budget of Rs 5000 from his own earnings to spend on the plantation and for constant monitoring. After planting he nurtures the plant for at least 5 years with sufficient fencing, timely manuring and uprooting of weeds, he was mindful of planting different trees where the water seems to be scarce, but all these without any fanfare and publicity, even today when people starts entering Dibrugarh Town through AT Road, Seujpur, Jyotinagar,Graham Bazar, Shantipara, to name a few the lush green plants giving fresh air is planted none other but by Radheysham Agarwalla even though 99% of Dibrugarh’s population do not about it, and Radheshyamji is also nonchalant about it as he is only passionate about his work which he follows religiously as his daily rituals . He is so much passionate in making the Dibrugarh green that he has completely handed over his Tea business to his sons, and now fully devoted himself towards plantation of trees. So far he has planted more than 16,600 trees and his zeal and enthusiasm has doubled and now he has started his own nursery in his kitchen garden, and experimenting with fruit bearing trees and vegetables with organic methods. I have no words to express my feelings for such a magnanimous person working for the mother planet earth, tirelessly without any help from any NGO, Govt, but to make the earth a better place to live. Once again Radheshyamji I salute you and my respectful obeisance for the great selfless cosmic, global and humanistic work you are rendering towards the society and for the betterment of the whole world.
DEVI PRASAD BAGRODIA-
There is a beautiful scientific definition of 'person' and 'personality' given by the late British biologist and humanist Sir Julian Huxley, which aptly applies to Shri Devi Prasad Bagrodia Ji.
"Persons are individuals who transcend their organic individuality in conscious social participation.'
There are two constituents, one is love of knowledge, and the other is love of national service. Mere service will not do, love of knowledge is essential. A teacher who does not love knowledge cannot inspire love of knowledge in children. The teacher must keep one's mind fresh by study of new books; he or she must constantly renew one's stock of knowledge. In something like a highly inspiring Convocation Address in our ancient Taittiriya Upanisad, which is relevant for all students of all times, there is this beautiful exhortation to students:
Svadhyaya-pravacanabhyam na pramaditavyam-
'Do not forsake learning and teaching.'
Comparing the above line, I would regard Shri Devi Prasad Bagrodia ji as person who is always for conscious social participation; he was born in a Tea-Planters family in Tengakhat, of undivided Dibrugarh district in Nov 8 1939, despite that he completed his education in Assamese, and graduated from DHSK college Dibrugarh. He is a very successful businessman having name and fame in Tea Plantation in the entire country, but his amazing quality is his creativity and translation of various Assamese books in Hindi and English, and that to because of his passion, not for commercial purpose. In my previous blog “Love the World” I have written about X & Y generation many of this generation is not very much aware of Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla, but due to the passion and serious effort of Shri Devi Prasad Bagrodiaj i today many of his books are translated in Hindi and English, to name a few “Jyoti Sudha, Jyoti Prabha first and second edition released by the late President Shankar Dayal Sharma,” beside that Devi ji translated “Mit-Bhash” of Dr Nagen Saikia and children book translated from English to Assamese “Sukhor Prithvi” and many more. The latest book which Devi Prasad Ji translated is a masterpiece and stands apart, which I regard is also a first steps towards showing the great depth of Mahapurush Sri Sri Sankardev to the whole world,,,,the translation of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev’s “Gunamala”, along with the hindi translation is a melodious CD where the verse is beautifully sung along with all traditional instruments “Khol” “Taal” “Bahi” “Doba” beside that the Gunamala is printed in Bngalore in glossy paper with traditional touch of “Guruasan” “satriya Dance form” “Traditional Instruments” and all this through his own effort without any contribution from any source.
In Assam of today Shri Devi Prasad ji is well known not only for his expertise in tea plantation or for his ownership of tea gardens, but for his contributions to the socio-cultural and literary life of Assam. He is active life member of Assam Sahitya Sabha, he was also nominated as Honorary Treasury of the Jatiya Nyas Puzi for his sincere integrity. His greatness can be proved from the fact that he is committed like Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla for the cause of Assam so much that he has been bearing the responsibility of the publication of not only his own books, but also of a few valuable books written by some other writers. At last to sum up about this great versatile personality I can say that Shri Devi Prasad Ji is the one trying to connect the great Assamese literary and cultural works to the other parts of the country. Once again my standing ovation and respectful obeisance to Uncle Shri Devi Prasad Bagrodia.
Brahmananda Patiri…… You are, as an individual, only a genetically limited man or woman. You transcend that genetic limitation by conscious social participation, and thus grow into a person. You develop the capacity to love and to be loved. By this, you expand beyond your organic limitation. Brahmananda Patiri da, this name is familiar to most of Face Book users of Assam, although I have not met him personally, I always follow his status in FB, but keen observers of FB might see that he is a pure environmentalist and his style of FB status is different from others, his status always conveys a message towards the society through his status pictures he posts everyday, and the new breed of Y generation can learn a lot trough his pictures, recently he posted a picture of traditional fish catching device, it was nice, and beautiful to learn a subject through a picture.
Action is verily a signature of life. Life manifests most vividly in the form of actions. If the very life principle is said to be the eternal divinity then its manifestation in the form of action is indeed its divine fragrance. To be able to act is indeed a blessing, and anyone who acts in a dynamic, creative way out of the feeling of well being for all becomes a blessing for all those around him, and paves the path for his total fulfillment too. Any philosophy of life which gives due importance to action alone facilitates people to make the best of their lives and vice versa any philosophy which professes an inactive life becomes responsible for the fall of that person, society or the nation. For me Brahmananda Patirida is such a person who through FB in his own style works for the betterment of the FB community. Once again I am very happy to have you in my FB friend list, and at last Happy Birthday to You 13th August.
At last Let people call their acts in what ever way they like, they live spontaneously, exuding the divine fragrance of divinity & love all around them without any barriers of caste, creed, sex, nationality or even religions. They truly become a world citizen.
