I was born on 23 July 1932 at Lohamandi Agra U.P. India. I started primary education at the age of 4 years in a municipal school close to my house in Agra. After two years, I shifted to Shri RatanMuni Jain School at Lohamandi in Agra. After my 5th grade, I again moved to the Government High School in Agra where I stayed till High School. I completed my class 10th from UP Board of Education in 1949. Thereafter, I passed my intermediate (12th grade) from Agra College, Agra in 1951 from UP Board of Education. Thereafter, I pursued my B.A. in 1953 from Agra College, Agra. I was then enrolled for the M.A. In History at the same University in 1956. I also joined the M.A. Policitial science and LL.B (combined course) at the Agra University 1957. Because I was involved in a multitude of activities – curricular and social – including holding a position of the secretary of law at the University, I was unable to devote enough time to complete my combined course in M.A. And LL.B. During my college days l took keen interest in all the social & religious activities. I was a member of the executive
committee of Shri Rattan Muni Jain High School Lohamandi Agra,and was also the manager of the school in the year 1958. I took keen interest in all the activities of Jain Samaaj and due to my Father-in-law’s inspiration formed a Club of the Jains of Agra known as ” Jain Milan Agra”. This “Jain Milan had members from the elite and educated class of Jain Community of Agra.This Jain Milan was formed in the year 1962-63 and Mr. Jai Prakash Jain, Executive Engg. Of PWD Agra was the President and I was the Founder Treasurer of this Jain Milan Agra. In the year 1957 on the 1st December I was married to a beautiful and charming girl, Suman Jain, d/o Dev Kumar Jain of Kanpur- In the beginning I got engaged,in my old house, and after that all members of the house used to notice A very bright mysterious light in our house’ s courtyard even on moonless nights. We believed that Suman was very lucky for our family and also for me.
I was a strong Hindutva and Jain follower and participated in regular religious discourses, became a member of RSS at a very young age. I have also served several nights at the jail while I was still in school- this was a result of my participation in Satyagraha, due to the murder of Mahatama Gandhi by a Hindu and the mayhem that followed, when the government tried to ban the RSS. as I grew older, I interacted with members of the Parliament- Seth Achal Singh and Member of LA- Devki Nandan Bihav, who influenced my thoughts and strengthened alliance towards RSS. I found myself inclining towards the Congress line of thought. This led to me becoming a convener of Youth Congress in Agra in 1959.
I also attempted to sit for the civil services examinations at UP, but could not succeed. At that time, my life was at multiple crossroads. I was proposed as a suiter for my now wife- who’s picture (see below) was sent to me. Suman’s father – Mr D.K Jain was a renowned person in Kanpur, famous and influential and Suman was a beautiful and charming 19 year old girl. I considered myself lucky to be married to Suman and build ties with the family.
As fate would have it, I joined the iron and steel family business and was settled with my wife. Suman also pursued her studies- M.A. In Hindi from Agra Univerrsity in the year 1958-59. In the year 1960, we were blessed with a baby girl- my eldest daughter Dolly (Arti). As most girl do she proved to be a lucky charm to our family. At that time, I was inspired by my father in law to diversify my business to Calcutta and commence operations in other cities as well. I also started a new line of business of railway iron/steel scrap trading. After Dolly, we were blessed with a second daughter, whom we named Pinki (Kavita) in 1962. In 1964, we had a baby boy – Vikram. And my youngest daughter Gauri was born in 1971 when I was settled in Kanpur. Life continued…
In 1965, we moved base to Jhansi where I continued with my old iron railway scrap business. My business trips were more frequent than ever to places like Dhaulpur, Bharatpur, Jaipur, Calcutta and Bombay. I also visited places like Lucknow, Gorakpur etc. to buy/auction scrap for my business. In another 5 years, my younger brother got married and settled in Jhansi. At this point, I shifted to Lucknow where I stayed for one year before finally moving to Kanpur in 1970.
While I was settled in Kanpur – closer to Suman’s family, my business trips were still as frequent. This gave Suman an opportunity to spend more time with her family. My kids were going to pre school. In 1975, I built my office in Coopergunj in Kanpur. Moving to Kanpur also gave me an opportunity to join lions club international in the city. I joined Lions Club International Kanpur in 1970.My father- in-law inspired me and also sponsored my name for the membership.In the begging I had least interest in the Clubs activities due to my busy schedule of my Iron & Steel business.From the beginning till upto Ten years,I did not have interest in the Club activities.After 1980 I took keen interest in every activities of the Lions Club of Kanpur Ganges.I had always been in a good and respected position in my club.In the year 1985-86 I was elected Treasurer and in the year 1989-90 President of the club.In the year 1990-91,our District Governor Lion Vikram Khotari had nominated my name for the Zone- Chairman of the District Committee of the Lions Clubs of International.Thus I had also took active and keen part in every District activities of the Lions Club International. At last we succeeded in winning our best Lion member for District Governorship
Lion Annand Shanker Gupta is also a respected citizen of Kanpur.He also selected me for the District Cabinet Treasure on 1999-2000.I had always been participating in all the District level Clubs activities upto 2005-2006.After that there was a development of a dirty party politics in lion clubs International,so with our best friends of the clubs,we had resigned from the Lions Club international in the same year.Now with the sincere efforts of our Past District Governior Lion Annand Shanker Gupta,we had able to form a Lions Sewa Shansthan and purchased a Land at Kaka Dev Kanpur and than made a constitution of the Shansthan where I am one of the trustees.
My eldest daughter Arti got married in April 1985 to Mr. Shashi Kant Gupta who is now a sitting Judge at the high court of Allahabad. My second daughter Kavita got married in December 1985 to Mr. Anil Agarwal who is a reputed business man in Allahabad. Then my son got married in November 1992 to Seema Singhal followed by my youngest daughter Gauri who got married in May 1997 to Mr. Vivek Agarwal who is of a brilliant mind and was working in the USA at the time of the wedding and belongs to a reputed family in Allahabad. My youngest daughter Gauri who is now settled in the USA kept insisting that I along with her mother should visit her and stay with her for a few months. Gradually I started winding up my business here in India. In 2001 my wife and I visited the USA for the first time and stayed with my daughter Gauri for 2 months and 10 days. The second time we went in 2003 and stayed for 3 months and 23 days. The third time I went to the USA in 2005 and stayed there for 6 months. The forth time I visited in 2006/2007 and stayed for 5 months. The fifth time we visited in 2011 and stayed there for 6 months. The sixth time was in 2015 where i stayed for 4 and a half months. During these visits I travelled from east coast to the west coast. I saw the entire state of California from San Diego to San Francisco amongst others.
I am very lucky to have been blessed with a loving and caring family. My love for travel is still alive within me and I wish to see as much of this world as I can. Thanks to my children I have far away places which would not be possible otherwise. I thank god for giving me a beautiful family and a beautiful life.
Jharokha 