PAPAJI

by witnessing his evening interactions, with union
leaders of teachers associations. The role of game
changer requires sacrifice, but the gain always
supersedes the losses.

I also tried my level best to help all those, who were
working with me. They were given outstanding
promotions, recommendation of awards was made, and
sometimes out-of-turn favor is also displayed. This
made them, my ardent supporters. On one side, helping
them gave a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction
to me and on the other; it resulted in increasing my
influence as a game-changer. My collective nouns were
always propagating my virtues and were making others
envy of me. I transformed myself into the role of game-
changer without any concentrated or focused effort. It
came to me automatically through my Papaji.

I continued to help my subordinates and my juniors
have been my secret assets. The role of game changer is
not acquired for self, but for the organization and
mainly to safeguard self from any adverse unwanted
crooked intensions. Slowly helping subordinates
became my habit and it gave me fruits also. It has been
encouragement of subordinates, their love and
affection, their good wishes for me, which is making me
stand against all odds. Now, I do not have any senior to
protect, as I have risen on the ladders of organization to
higher position. But the subordinates have made me

Dr Himanshu Shekhar - PAPAJI a game-changer - 51

erect straight, all the time. They helped in time of
distress. I was undergoing a very rough time
psychologically, but my subordinates have kept my spirit
alive and kept me cheerful and happy with their
participation in my life. I am not sure whether
subordinates are benefitted by me or not, but they have
definitely helped me in my life. I am not sure whether I
have been a game changer for them or not, but they
have been game-changers in my life. The entire exercise
of game-changer has been interwoven in my life by my
PAPAJI. I owe all my behaviour and temperament to my
PAPAJI. To become a game changer, or to conduct daily
evening meetings, to which I was so averse, has become
my way of life also. I gained the confidence of my
subordinates and have tried my level best to repay
them back, with words, deeds and work. I am still ready
to help anyone, who is seeking my support. My PAPAJI
acquired role of game-changer, but I have used that
trait for helping subordinates, to get a mutually
beneficial concerns. PAPAJI has never wanted me to act
the way I am, but what I acquired from my PAPAJI as a
trait has helped me in streamlining my life. Help others
to help self. Help those in need to help yourselves. This
is what my PAPAJI also acquired as a game-changer.

It is not in official capacity alone, where role of game-
changer is important. My PAPAJI became a game-
changer for the social activities, also. Being a professor,
he has many students and after some years, his

52 - PAPAJI a game-changer – Dr Himanshu Shekhar

students became corporators, directors, MLCs and
heads of establishments. They were obliged to him and
were ready to listen to my PAPAJI for issues related to
their domain. As a young person, once he was denied
Prasad-offering at the religious function of Darbhanga
Chitragupta Sabha. The devotional rituals of
worshipping God Chitragupta are conducted 2 days
after Deepawali celebrations and for the Kayastha
community, this day is considered very auspicious. My
PAPAJI vowed to become a game-changer in this event
of Common nouns and king-maker of the organizing
committee. And during 70s, 80s and 90s, of 20th
century, my PAPAJI remained an active member of the
organization. He participated in all meetings and many a
times, I also accompanied him. I rarely understood the
selection, nomination or election of members of
organizing committee, but the members of organizing
committee were always loyal to my PAPAJI and they
used to visit us, separately, paying their respect and
rededicating their commitment to work as per my
PAPAJI’s desire in the organization. Despite many
influential doctors, lawyers, professors, government
officials, vendors, present in the organization, my
PAPAJI enjoyed the power of a game changer in the
organization. When Akhil Bhartiya Kayastha Mahasabha
was created, then he was made president of District
unit, anonymously. My PAPAJI influenced politicians
through this caste based support and has helped many

Dr Himanshu Shekhar - PAPAJI a game-changer - 53

from the community with gains like position, post,
finance and social prestige. This was another aspect,
different from professional excellence. Social, religious
and communal acceptance for a person has an
altogether different route and position in organization
may not be suitable to attain or achieve it.

This type of influence, independent of position, post
and financial status is possible through an altogether
different selfless service approach. In the present world,
it is not excellence alone, which matters. Every act of
excellence generates heart-burns, jealousy, bickering,
back-stabbing, bitching, blabbering, negative publicity
and unintentional but solid harm. So, each excellence
must be accompanied with a parallel act of support
brigade. This requires social acceptability, human touch
and sense of social well- being. The ill-effects of
excellence are countered by such positive vibes from
people. No doubt, the survival of the fittest is a result of
hard and dedicated work, but the role of social favor
cannot be overlooked. Excellence in absence of a large
gamut of positive speaking and feeling people is also
needed. Such abstract requirements cannot be
quantified or visualized, but their effects are seen
amongst the successful people. People do not praise for
your excellence but for the anticipated benefits that can
be derived from your work. Such sense of expected
support may be useful in creating an impenetrable

54 - PAPAJI a game-changer – Dr Himanshu Shekhar

shield around excellence, which makes excellence
visible at wider platforms.

Praising people around you for their good work,
rewarding people for their support, unconditional help
in unexpected areas of work, moving with the people in
their own journey of excellence may be considered apt
and specific activities to become a game changer for the
society. My PAPAJI made me feel these tacit
requirements of life through practical demonstration
and I was only to follow the path shown by him.
Whatever you feel about your surroundings, you will get
similar environment. If a hostile environment is
conceived or contemplated, the same becomes a
reality. If we feel a person bad, we are bound to see the
worst part of his behaviour, nature and deeds. This is a
natural occurrence and to offset it, it is must to feel
good about people, surrounding and interactions. My
PAPAJI used to quote a line:

-|

It is in this endeavor of bring best from all the people
around; the role of game-changer is automatically
acquired by an individual. My PAPAJI never established
himself as a game-changer but the people around,
made him did so. This type of behaviour has benefits for

Dr Himanshu Shekhar - PAPAJI a game-changer - 55

self as well as for the people around. It counters
probable negative vibes, emanating from competitors,
due to rising stature of excellence. Each rise is criticized
and the counter-criticism requires contented and game-
changer approach, together.

56 - PAPAJI a game-changer – Dr Himanshu Shekhar

PAPAJI: Source of Ideas

Catherine Pulsifer – “Father, Dad, Papa, no matter
what you call them, they influence our lives and they
are the person we look up to”.

My Papaji has been a source of many original, new and

innovative ideas to me. He has been considered an

acclaimed critic in the area of Hindi literature and has

proficiency in modern Hindi poetry. He has been a

constant source of alternate explanations to the various

known pre-historical, religious, literary and historic

stories and narratives. He has been a promoter of Hindi

Language and has been promoting other regional

languages of the area like Maithili, Vajjika etc. However,

while discussing with students of post-graduation in

Hindi, my Papaji used to explain “Gan” the method of

counting syllables or “Matra” in a poetry. In English

literature, this is known as PROSODY, indicating poetic

and rhythemic aspects of a prose. In poetry, each verse

or line has “matras” in a particular sequence to maintain

the rhythemic values. My Papaji used to explain it with a

phrase or formula . Each letter of this

phrase is followed by “Gan” to denote the name and

nature of the verse. For example Yagan has first letter

half-tone ( ) and next two letters full-tone ( ). The

Dr Himanshu Shekhar - PAPAJI: Source of Ideas - 57

second one is Magan, which has all three letters full-
tone ( ). The third one is Tagan has first two letters
full-tone ( ) and third letter is half-tone ( ). Each
type of prose in Hindi like Doha, Rola, Chhapaya,
Kundali etc follow some known sequence of these
“Gan”. I was inadvertently introduced to such type of
formula creation and it was learnt by overhearing
explanations of my Papaji to his students. As school
student, it was a new concept of remembering facts
through such word or phrase creation. I inculcated the
habit of creating such phrases and this has helped me in
keeping many such explanations on finger-tips. For
example, four hormones responsible for happiness have
acronym “DOES” meaning Dopamine, Oxytocin,
Endorphins and Serotonin.

My PAPAJI explained me history of Hindi literature and I
was fascinated by the concept of Shadowism and
Modernism. In addition to their explanation, the more
interesting part is that there existed a period an era,
during which poetries were written based on these
concepts. It indirectly indicates that during that period,
the people thought in similar manner and their socio-
cultural status has influenced their writings, collectively.
It is really surprising to note that there existed a period,
when all Hindi poetry were written with similar central
concept or theme. While explaining showdism, my
Papaji explained that when an inanimate object is

58 - PAPAJI: Source of Ideas – Dr Himanshu Shekhar

forced to become alive or when characteristics of living
beings are forced on non-living, it is called shadowism.
This concept explained the fact that in poetry, lovers
talk to clouds, river is treated as a naughty girl; a moon
is taken as playing hide and seeks in cloud and so on.
Such incidents are plenty in poetry. Some great poets of
Hindi Literature have mastered this fact and have
produced much poetry in a given era or period of 20th
century. JaiShankar Prasad, Sumitra Nandan Pant, Surya
Kant Tripathi Nirala, Mahadevi Varma, etc were great
poets of that era and their poems were really worth
exploration to understand the beauty of such living
aspects of natural objects.

Famous Hindi Poet JaiShankar Prasad wrote: Please get

up as night is over, and lady of ,
morning sun is sinking star-pot in the

sky-pond. The treatment of morning

sun as lady, sky as pond and stars as |

big pot, is a great way to explain the disappearance of

stars in the sky at the advent of

sun in the morning. Similarly

Surya Kant Tripathi Nirala has

assumed evening as a beautiful - -|

fairy-lady, which is coming down slowly at the end of

the day. Similarly, Mahadevi Varma has personified

mind and has - ,- ,
loaded it with , |
contradictory

Dr Himanshu Shekhar - PAPAJI: Source of Ideas - 59

instances. In the poem, mind is asked to be on fire due
to global pain. It is also said to have shackles in freedom
and to become with smell from odorless.

Such concepts are easy to digest for a literature student,
but for science, it becomes pleasant to have such
examples. And if Newton’s third law of motion is
explained as (i) if we are lifting weight, weight is also
lifting us or (ii) punch of words are replied by physical
punches. Similarly, exceptions to the law are expressed
as (i) for homework not done (no action), teachers
punish (acts) or (ii) Relatively weak man never reacts to
the punches of a bodybuilder. In fact, I saw a child,
thrashing his manual three-wheeler, because his three-
wheeler was stopping the moment an automobile
comes. Actual, the child used to stop paddling, on
seeing a, automobile. The child was expecting his three-
wheeler to respond to the approaching automobiles by
going at the side of the roads, automatically, ignoring
the fact that any motion of the three-wheeler was
dependent on the effort of the child, to drive the vehicle
towards side of the road. Such examples of Newton’s
third law of motion makes good example for an
audience to respond and get connected with the
speakers. This concept of shadoism has helped me in
getting connected with my audience, during speeches.
My PAPAJI was source of inculcating this concept.

60 - PAPAJI: Source of Ideas – Dr Himanshu Shekhar

Once, while talking to my PAPAJI, I came across his
Ph.D. thesis, which was on the topic “Knowledge of
Modern-era and its incarnation in Poetry”. I just asked
him about the meaning of modernism, which is
generally considered to be a time dependent concept.
Anything, which is taking place today, becomes modern
with respect to the happenings of the past or yesterday.
However, my PAPAJI explained it in a somewhat
different way. He told that being modern does not
mean wearing modern dresses. The attire, appearance
etc have nothing to do with the concept of modernism.
Modernism should be an abstract feature, reflected
through deeds, words, thoughts and expressions.

Modernism is the direction in which, society is moving,
general thought process is progressing, and public
influence is culminating. Overall, it is a function of
social, religious, political, cultural and ethical changes,
which affects human being in general. Modernism is a
hypothesis or a process, is a debatable issue, but it has
certain basic features, which make people aware of
current status of time and geographical location. It is a
process of coming out of the net of social evils, like
untouchability, black-magic, blind-faith etc. It is process
of gaining knowledge and become wiser. It is also a
process to know religion, correctly. It is a process of
leniency in moral values. The developing culture has
many elements, which changes dynamically and the
process of adopting these changes is modernism.

Dr Himanshu Shekhar - PAPAJI: Source of Ideas - 61

Overall, modernism encompasses knowledge, moral,
religious progressivity and historical advancements. It is
clear that time may not be able to define modernism,
completely and role of convention, opinion and culture
is predominant in the system of modern thought.

One concept explained by my PAPAJI was that it is not
mandatory that Modern means latest. We may have a
situation where latest process is not modern. So, giving
historical tag or vintage tag to modernism is not correct
all the time. Modern-era means an era of more
thoughtfulness, more analytical explanations and more
diverse understanding of already known facts. Such
thought process is independent of time. There may be
circumstances, when old civilization is more modern in
terms of scientific development, analytical thinking and
social stature. So, being a son is not a guarantee to be
more modern as compared to father. This process of
becoming modern becomes a reversible process and
unlike time, it does not move in one direction only.
Overall, it became clear to me that the so-called
modern tag to anything latest may not be correct.

The way feel-good factor work, it can be thought that
feel-modern has similar implications. But modernism
has social, cultural, political and religious acceptability.
Any concept becomes modern, if it establishes a new
system. In this direction, abolition of sati-pratha, non-
cooperation movement, civil disobedience, chakbandi,

62 - PAPAJI: Source of Ideas – Dr Himanshu Shekhar

etc are all seeds of modernism, which influenced later
generation to a larger extent. Everybody considers
himself to be a torch-bearer of modern thinking, but the
reality is revealed after he is devoid of torch.

I met with several chair-grabbers, who consider
themselves a leader, brining modernism to the
organization. Director of a company was thinking that
he was taking the company to greater heights and he
was getting feedback regularly from his subordinates,
who were continuously feeding him with favorable
biased information. He compiled a list of innovation,
which was implemented under his able guidance in the
company and always used to boast of his achievements.
However, the moment, he left the chair; the truth
became obvious to him, that he failed to implement
anything worth a modern thought. Modernism in this
sense can be thought as a revolutionary change.

I came across another CEO of an organization, who
assumed foul-mouth as an essential requirement for
bringing modernism to the organization. The CEO
resorted to public humiliation of everyone to establish
his approach to modernism. He assumed that a
successful CEO need not be popular and he left no stone
unturned to gain unpopularity. He made many U-turns
from his own decisions to create a chaos in the
organization and proved the existence of second law of
thermodynamics, which states that entropy or chaos of

Dr Himanshu Shekhar - PAPAJI: Source of Ideas - 63

an isolated system always increases. Such Chair-
grabbers were vintage wise from later genre but of
recent origin. They may be considered as people of old
thought in modern era.

Contrary to this, an old timer was remembered by
subordinates for many implemented schemes and
creating congenial atmosphere. In this context, it is clear
that helping others, doing public welfare, implementing
acceptable schemes and above all act as per the nerves
of current society is key to modernism. While listening
to the explanation of Modernism from my PAPAJI, I was
not aware of the examples, given above. However, as I
progressed further in life, the things became clearer as
many around me became live examples of what was
explained to me, long back, by my PAPAJI.

This concept of modernism strengthened my
commitment to become modern by helping
subordinates, as discussed in previous chapter. My
PAPAJI was clear and consistent in his preaching and his
all explanations molded me towards same concepts.
The thought of modernism is also leading to a concept
summarized in Sanskrit verse, below:

,

:|

64 - PAPAJI: Source of Ideas – Dr Himanshu Shekhar

My PAPAJI is an acclaimed critic or reviewer in the field
of Hindi literature. In each book, story or article, he
finds many different, new and mind-catching
interpretations and explanations. He told me several
times about the origin of writing. He says that first level
of writing or literature is for food. A child speaks, utters,
cries, all for the sake of getting food. The moment, he
gets food, the words disappear. Next words will come
out only when, he is hungry or thirsty again. This level of
word or literature has different interpretation and this is
primitive form of literature. One step above this lays the
words or literature for Surrounding or environment. We
are surrounded by many natural objects, including air,
water, hills, soil, mountain, river etc. This level is
description of these objects through literature. This may
include their description and praises. One level above
this may be abstract thoughts, where feelings, anger,
love, affection, etc are taught or expressed. Further
above lies language for scientific explanations and my
PAPAJI has seen that I am given adequate exposure of
language till one-step before scientific knowledge.

Food Environ Feeling Science Silence
ment

Once these levels are acquired, the knowledge of
science is explored by me ab-initio in somewhat

Dr Himanshu Shekhar - PAPAJI: Source of Ideas - 65

different way, so as to excel in that field. The level of
saturation, required for scientific study by a son, was
known by my PAPAJI and he imparted the same to me.
My PAPAJI has not stopped here. He explained me that
ultimate aim is to attain the language of pleasure and
happiness and after acquiring that, all other languages
become insignificant. Then probably silence becomes
the best language and this state is acquired by saints
and sages. Clearly, he wanted to say that science must
be perused but the ultimate aim must be to do that
work, which gives happiness. This level is above science.
The acquisition of language and knowledge of silence
for ultimate pleasure is the main objective of life and
such revelations were available to me, in quite early
age. My PAPAJI has never left me without guidance.
Even after attain certain physical age; I am mentally still
the same child, who is looking at his PAPAJI for further
direction.

My PAPAJI interpreted the story depicted in RAMAYANA
in different ways. He asked me to get rid of divine,
supernatural and incarnation aspects and explanations
in the story. He asked me to go through ‘RAM-KATHA”
by Narendra Kohli and thus made me think of RAM, as a
great planner, thinker, strategist and fighter. He
explained me that King JANAK is called VIDEHA, because
he is saint, in spite of being in a marital set-up. The
person is named so because he behaved to have lived as
if his body is non-existent. Indirectly, it means that he

66 - PAPAJI: Source of Ideas – Dr Himanshu Shekhar

was not moved by the worldly feelings despite being a
family person. I loved the character and tried to become
VIDEHA to explore, a really interesting part of life.

My PAPAJI once told me to assume that at the house of
DEMON VIBHISHAN, RAM was written everywhere.
Suppose DEMON KING RAVAN asked him what was
meaning of this writings, then what can be a
diplomatically correct answer? My PAPAJI told me that
VIBHISHAN can tell that basically, he was a big admirer
of his elder brother RAVAN and wife of his elder brother
MANDODARI. The word RAM is created from the first
few letter of both the names. So by writing this, he
might be remembering RAVAN and MANDODARI. Such
descriptions were really impossible to comprehend and
express, the way my PAPAJI told me.

Once, my PAPAJI explained me the reason for having an
army of monkeys and bears by Lord RAM to fight
against RAVAN in Lanka. My PAPAJI asked me to
understand the fact that RAM was obeying his father’s
promise to be in forest. SITA and LAKSHAMAN just
followed him. Once SITA was kidnapped, RAM would
have very well asked BHARAT to send the invincible
army of AYODHYA to fight against RAVAN. The promise
to remain in forest was in normal circumstances, but in
case of kidnapping of a family member; the promise of
not using the army seems improbable. There was a
crisis, the army of AYODHYA was invincible, BHARAT

Dr Himanshu Shekhar - PAPAJI: Source of Ideas - 67

would have readily sent the army. However, when
HANUMAN explained that LANKA is surrounded by
water bodies and the fort has high walls with trench all
around, it can be thought that the army of AYODHYA
might be invincible for land warfare in battlefields, but
attacking a fort requires different type of skill-sets. If
RAM is considered a management expert, he made an
army of monkeys, who have natural talent of climbing
walls and no formal training is required for them.
Additionally, the travel time from AYODHYA is much
higher than that from KISHKINDHA. Overall, the
employment of MONKEY-ARMY by RAM can be treated
as a strategy, considering the fortification data available
from the enemy at LANKA. This type of explanation and
justification for having MONKEY-ARMY was an eye-
opener for me. I used it during one of my speeches in a
management college and was happy to find that the
students were equally amazed with these explanations.
My PAPAJI has several such innovative explanations for
simple events.

My PAPAJI has never expressed openly, but he wanted
me to excel in Hindi writing and he promoted me to
participate in competitions at school, colony and
society. This gave me power to express myself and
indirectly gave me power to influence people through
words. My PAPAJI promoted my Hindi writings and I
slowly started writing essay and poetry in Hindi. The
writings helped me to express my feelings and release

68 - PAPAJI: Source of Ideas – Dr Himanshu Shekhar

my stress to become tension free. Such benefits of
writings are not understood, unless someone actually
writes. My PAPAJI made me competent enough in
writing Hindi that it acted as a self-help, as a therapy
and as a medicine for my mental blockages, aberrations
and abnormalities. Currently, I have 11 books in Hindi
out of which 4 are containing my own poetries, 2 are
Hindi to English dictionary, and 5 are books on technical
topics (Rockets, Explosives, Armaments, Military
Bridges, Scientists).

My PAPAJI wanted me to work for the progress of HINDI
and I continued to do so in my personal and official
capacities. In fact beauty of this language was explained
by my PAPAJI and he explained the grammar, the
translation (from English), the origin of words, the use
of words and the concept of word-power. He explained
that by writing “my house is in the GANGA”, it is no way
related to drowning of my house. He explained that it
can be interpreted as existence of the house in close
vicinity of the GANGA or it can also be treated as
comparison of the piousness or purity of the house with
that of the GANGA. These explanations always lead to
surprises and multiple meanings of single sentence.

My PAPAJI also explained me that synonyms cannot
replace each other in Hindi. Regarding common use of
Hindi, my father told that Hindi is used to lure public
English is used to lure elites. When election campaign is

Dr Himanshu Shekhar - PAPAJI: Source of Ideas - 69

initiated, when advertisement is made and above all
when name of government project or product is made,
Hindi or Sanskrit words are generally taken. ISRO, DRDO
and BARC does most of the research and activities in
English, but when it comes to giving name to a product
or project Hindi names are abundantly used – Aryabhat,
Bhaskar, Rohini, Chandryaan, Mangalyaan, AGNI,
PRITHVI, ARJUN, SHAKTI, TEJAS, LAKSHYA, NISHANT,
Apsara, etc. So, Hindi has better commercial or mass-
movement strength. Suggestion to a scientist for writing
in Hindi in current India is like telling him to curtail his
thought and research temperament. But I abide by
suggestions of my PAPAJI and it has given me fruits.
My PAPAJI has myriads of ideas for implementation and
it is for me to identify and implement it for my benefit
and betterment. The ideas are overflowing from my
PAPAJI like common sentences and people around him
have to understand and adopt the ideas in correct way,
correct sense and correct spirit.

70 - PAPAJI: Source of Ideas – Dr Himanshu Shekhar

PAPAJI the Perfectionist

Myles Munroe – “A Father should present the
fundamental qualities of leadership, responsibility,
accountability as well as the capabilities of planning,
disciplining and loving”.

My PAPAJI handled with perfection all sorts of ups and
downs of the life. He managed his predecessors (better
to call them ancestors), relatives, acquainted and son,
so nicely, and flawlessly, that I sometimes think of him
to be a patient saint, fulfilling the needs of all, who
come in his contact.

He has supported his unemployed father throughout his
life. He has looked after his mother, despite several
denied job-opportunities by her. Everyone is judged and
my PAPAJI was definitely a better and compassionate
human being as compared to his parents. After getting
job, my PAPAJI executed the family responsibility or
burden of his parents, called marriage of his sister. It
was a love-marriage to be formalized as arranged
marriage with all demands of dowry in place. A strange
system, where work is assigned to those who share, still
exists in so called modern India.

Dr Himanshu Shekhar - PAPAJI the Perfectionist -
71

The unemployed parents and love-stricken sister is a
deadly combination and it seems that my PAPAJI was an
odd man out in the family. He wanted to study and this
urge is not transpired through hereditary channel, as he
was born in a family of merry-making, jugglers. He has
people, who believed that if mouth is given by GOD,
food also will be given by him and there is no need to
work. The system in family was that of eat, drink and be
merry and my PAPAJI became an exception right from
beginning. Contrary to aged members of family, who
used to drink as a daily ritual in the evening, my PAPAJI
never touched liquor. My PAPAJI was a non-smoker and
this was again against the family norms at that time. My
PAPAJI was interested in studies, while other was averse
to study. I still wonder, what was pushing my PAPAJI
to study.

Definitely, he must be a great soul in previous births and
I feel that the non-obliged father, mother and sister
were destined to be his blood-suckers in early part of
life. Despite all this negativity, my PAPAJI emerged
victorious in this tussle and managed his so-called
immediate blood relations adequately. Although, I may
not have tackled hardship and poverty, the way, they
are negotiated and overcome by my PAPAJI, I am
fortunate that my PAPAJI made me free from poverty as
well as from such family-tantrums. My PAPAJI
championed this cause, adequately.

72 - PAPAJI the Perfectionist – Dr Himanshu Shekhar

As far as distant relatives are concerned, in younger
days, my PAPAJI had an elder uncle, who was a
renowned advocate. He was so renowned that he
usurped our land through legal means. I remember
knowing his house popularly known as “house with big
doors”. He was influential and rich. After marriage of my
PAPAJI, he is said to have given Rs 300 to my PAPAJI, as
loan, to be returned on convenience. When my PAPAJI
started electrification of house, and procured a table
fan, the so called elder uncle felt an urge to have his Rs
300/- returned on priority. The money was returned by
my PAPAJI in 2 monthly instalments, after stopping the
electrification work of my house. My PAPAJI always
obeyed to him but with a sense of helplessness.
Anyway, advocate was not a very productive profession,
at later phase and rise of my PAPAJI surpassed his
stature. Later on, my PAPAJI helped his son acquire a
decent job as teacher in a Public School, through
recommendation and own influence. Such falls are
eminent, if pace of social progress is not felt and
matched. In other words, he failed to remain modern.
My PAPAJI has clearly mastered the same. My PAPAJI
stated again and again that try to rise high always, as
there is no process to remain at top for ever and there
is no end to rise. If someone is not rising, he is bound
to fall, as stagnation is non-existent.

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Another uncle in the vicinity, owned a big house and
plenty of money, earned through bribe, but he has
never shared a penny with my PAPAJI, in his difficult
days. Other relatives were fascinated by the multi-
storeyed building created by him and even sisters of my
grand-father used to visit them first, before coming to
our house, on occasional visits. Initially, I was thinking
that they were closer relatives to that uncle, but much
later, I recognized that they were nearer to me.
Anyway, whatever may be the case, that uncle was
elder brother of my PAPAJI and my PAPAJI always
respected him. My PAPAJI never lacked in showing
respect to his elder relatives, whether they are rich or
poor. I found that respect in this world, is not given to
individual but to the post, position and money available
with the person. My PAPAJI demonstrated me the rule
of society to respect relatives, irrespective of their
financial or profession status.

My PAPAJI maintained good relations with his teachers
and I have visited his teachers, along with him several
times. His teachers respected my PAPAJI for his
knowledge and intellect and my PAPAJI reciprocated for
the help rendered by them during the hard time, when
my PAPAJI was a student. My PAPAJI helped sons of his
teachers adequately to repay the debt.

Other domain of interaction in society is acquaintances.
All of us, interact with professional colleagues,

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schoolmates, neighbours, followers, and leaders. My
PAPAJI maintained a good rapport in the society and
gave freedom of speech to all but reserve the decision
to him. This made him a strong personality and many a
time, the conclusions were very different from what
people expected. He has been a source of constant
inspiration, support and innovative thinking to all. I have
failed to understand his mind and thus am not able to
follow this imitable trait. Overall, my PAPAJI
championed all walks of life and all levels of societal
commitments.

In fact, once my PAPAJI explained that he has already
repaid all the loans, stated to be existing in life,
mythological. First is God’s Loan, which is repaid by
paying alms and keeping good character. My PAPAJI
fulfilled both the requirements and thus repaid the loan.
He asked me to maintain the same. I also followed these
to the extent possible. The second loan is repaid by
sharing knowledge and wisdom. Being teacher, my
PAPAJI met this requirement completely on professional
as well as personal front. Third type of loan is called
ancestors loan’. This encompasses a wide gamut of
activities including, deeds, soul, father, brother, sister,
mother, relatives etc. Through my eyes, my PAPAJI
repaid each one of them, their due share.

As far as worldly desires are there, my PAPAJI acquired
properties in phased manner. He purchased a two-

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75

wheeler and we were very proud at that time to have
one in our house. He knew the value for money and
maintained his two-wheeler nicely for long. He then
changed it, as spare parts became scarce and the model
became out-dated. Later he procured a four-wheeler
also, which is still there with him. It is fortunate that the
registration number of his two-wheel and four-wheeler
has same last four digits 3042. It may be luck, but luck
favours those who act and my PAPAJI is personification
of action.

As our ancestral property shrank to very small piece of
land, my PAPAJI purchased a land and constructed a
lavish bungalow on that plot. During that period,
cement procurement was rationed and construction
progressed in modular fashion at a very slow pace. But
after procuring land in 1975, we started living in our
new house in 1982. It was his desire to leave a good
amount of asset for me to cherish and if he desired
something so intensely, even God cannot forbid him
from achieving the same. A go-getter attitude and
resilience in desire was taught to me in acquisition of
properties.

My PAPAJI is main source behind my progress and is the
root cause of my scientific and technical
accomplishments. My PAPAJI is a literature expert, but
he has seen that I acquire the characteristic of a good
human being. He also inculcated analytical

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inquisitiveness in me, so that my skills are honed. He
has never expressed any desire from me to excel in the
field of Hindi writing, but he created an environment
where I could continue writing in Hindi, in addition to
my scientific endeavours. I have written my first book of
Hindi Poetry called “Tathya Tarang”, containing my 25
poems. The book got published with the efforts of my
PAPAJI and it was awarded with Dr Ram Naresh Tripathi
Shikhar Sahitya Samman – 2004 from Sahityakar
Sansad. I achieved this because of guidance, from the
front, by my PAPAJI. I continued my writing in both
Hindi and English on technical and other subjects. My
PAPAJI motivated me to write a book on ROCKETS in
Hindi. I wrote the technical part and my PAPAJI added
the much needed mythological touch through the first
chapter “Concepts of Space and Forms of Rockets in
Ancient India”. This chapter made the readers think
about the versatility of the book and I dedicated this
book to my PAPAJI. The book received “Rajbhasha
Pustak Puraskar 2010” from DRDO and my PAPAJI was
always bringing my boat of Hindi Literature from roaring
waves to the even platform. In fact, the support that he
rendered me has far exceeded my expectations and
sometimes he acted as shield and has countered all
negativity, projected towards me to make me safe and
healthy. As son, I am proud to have him as my PAPAJI,
and more proud after having a son, who does not have
same feeling for me as I have for my PAPAJI. Despite

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77

having such an adorable PAPAJI, I failed miserably in
acquiring the characteristics of a father to become an
equally good father for my son.
It is rightly said that having a gun cannot make you a
gunner. On similar lines, having a son may not make you
a father, unless you have courage to make your son feel
your worth for the society, family, relatives and above
all for your son. Being a scientist, I would like to quote
Newton’s third law of motion as “Every good father has
a good son”. I tried my level best to be a good son, but it
is for the society, family, relatives and above all my
PAPAJI to decide the ultimate outcome. Similarly,
whether I am a good Father or not is again a doubtful
perception, which is beyond the scope of the current
narrative.

Jim Valvano – “My Father gave me the greatest gift
anyone could give another person, he believed in me”.

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Dr Himanshu Shekhar - PAPAJI the Perfectionist -
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80 - PAPAJI the Perfectionist – Dr Himanshu Shekhar

Dr Himanshu Shekhar - PAPAJI the Perfectionist -
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PAPAJI is a narrative on my father
PAPAJI is my encounter with life
PAPAJI is crux of my achievement
PAPAJI is reason for my nature

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