The transformation from mere Shoolpani Singh into Dr. Shoolpani Singh is an inspiration for one and all!

Vivekanand Jha.

Dr Shoolpani Singh, I serendipitously stumbled upon in Shimla, during the course of an official meeting, appeared to me to be a suave gentleman. His gentlemanly bearing became eloquently obvious to me when, showing his palpable grace and dignity, he stretched his hand towards my recently penned book The People’s Leader, based on the life of a politician, Mr Saryu Roy. Incidentally, Sri Shoolpani Singh had a long acquaintance with Sri Saryu Roy, as the former too, traced his genesis from Jamshedpur, the constituency from which Sri Roy contested and won the election. A while later, as the scope and opportunity for a personal introduction ensued, a revelation was made to me that, I was privileged to be closeted with the former chairman of Indo- American Chamber of Commerce, besides his holding several other caps too, the prominent among which was his being a well known social worker. Small wonder then, Sri Shoolpani being a Maithil, showed a greater affinity towards me, even though we seldom spoke in Maithili with each other.

With the passage of time, as much as my familiarity with Sri Shoolpani grew by leaps and bounds, my degree of a fraternal intimacy with him too kept the corresponding pace. In the process, I unraveled a kind and compassionate man hiding behind the robust physical configuration. Significantly, the most conspicuous characteristic trait I deciphered of him was that of a cool temperament; seldom exhibiting even the remotest sign of agitation even at the purported sight of a deliberate provocation. Moreover, another unique trait of Shoolpanijee which invariably drew me towards him was the complete lack of hubris; the air of arrogance which is natural in today’s scenario, especially for the ones who wears the multiple caps, was conspicuous by its absence in case of Shoolpanijee These traits, the rarest of rare in today’s contemporary world, immeasurably endeared me towards him.

Hailing from Darbhanga, Mithila, Kharari estate, Sri Shoolpani Singh rose to the height through his own individual perseverance. In fact, his switchover to Delhi from Jamshedpur, added grist to the mill of shaping his destiny from that of a persona non grata into that of a man wearing several feathers today. Apart from having presided over the destiny of Indo-American Chamber of Commerce in the capacity of its chairman, he holds the pioneer membership of Delhi Library Board under the Ministry of Art and Culture, government of India, along with that of being the vice- chairman of Art and Cultural Trust, with his associations with scores of organisations in some way or the other. Interestingly, he is the Vice- President of Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasabha, since 1897, where the erstwhile descendants of kings are its coveted members. Little wonder then, in course of one such meetings with him, I had facilitated his conversation with Dr J.N. Singhjee, the longest serving chief secretary of Gujarat, hailing too from Kshatriya class. Evidently, his gestures and postures I found during my meetings with him, was delicately balanced, never giving even a little room for anyone to get agitated, far less alienated, from him. Significantly, almost more than a month ago, he had called on me to inform about the coveted doctrate degree being conferred upon him, on account of his decades of social service donning the role of a Samaritan.

With the benefits of hindsight, the people who are found to have done the highest level of social service are conferred upon the prestigious doctrate degree by the Socrates Social Research University. Especially this prestigious doctrate degree is awarded to those who are not holding the doctrate degrees. Hence against this backdrop, the coveted degree of doctrate, in fact, was long overdue to Sri Shoolpani Singh, especially in the context of the decades of the social service which stands to his credit. Further, his being a journalist –which was a revelation to me–adds value to the doctrate degree awarded to him in a very glossy function within the precinct of Delhi University. Moreover, the historicity of the occasion gained traction with the illustrious presence of His Lordship Justice Jain, former judge of the Supreme Court, along with the galaxy of dignitaries gracing the occasion, added to its lusture. Unequivocally, Dr Shoolpani Singh’s aspiration to qualify as a doctor, even though the providence might have denied during his youth, yet the accumulated social service rendered selflessly as a good Samaritan, devolves upon him the sobriquet and the honorific which his heart continued to aspire, and mind desperately longed, indeed is no less than a long nurtured dream developing wings and actualising in real life scenario. This is the bonanza which has come to Shoolpanijee, slogging not in the academics but, uninterruptedly crusading for the edification of humanity, in the hustle and bustle of the real life scenario. Small wonder then, Sri Shoolpani Singh is a hero for all of us, especially for the ones whom doctrate continues to elude, yet who profoundly aspires for the same, too can step into the illustrious shoes of Shoolpani Singh. I, on behalf of all such aspirants, wish Sri Shoolpani Singh all the best for his upcoming future. May he continue to achieve many more milestones in his life. Last but not the least, I can only say, ‘ Well done, Dr Shoolpani Singh. Indeed your journey from that of Shoolpani Singh into that of Dr Shoolpani Singh is an inspiration for one and all!

Writer Vivekanand Jha is a profound Author, Academician and a Public Intellectual, wishing Sri Shoolpani Singh, on the occasion of his obtaining the doctrate degree for decades of his social service.