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| Knowing is not the same as understanding him… | | | MY Taing
THE Vice Chancellor BGSB University, Masud Chaudhary has lived life at his own terms. He is silently doing as a matter of faith what others of his species may die to flaunt. All these years he has fattened the account of his achievements without making a fuss about the same. The act of switch-over from a super cop to an academician is no sudden metamorphosis of his personality but the logical blooming of what was already existing in him. Some glimpses of this legend of a person.
Writing a biographical account is the most difficult job. There are several challenges you have to see through, several pitfalls you have to prevent yourself from slipping into and of course you have to put aside your personal likes and dislikes if you do not want to be grossly misunderstood. Doing this kind of tightrope walk is a difficult feat to accomplish and if all goes well there may still be a section of readers who take delight in finding meaning below the meaning and the connotation above the connotation. In the observations below, such concerns have been quite central to this exercise.
The Man: Fuller understanding of a person comes from close encounters. It also requires association extending back in time that gives you a fair idea of the social background that the person has acquired through the principle of descendence, the barriers and handicaps he has succeeded in getting across and the signposts which s/he has conquered, retained, built upon and strengthened by the prowess of his/her character and person. Here the noteworthy observation is that this man who travelled forward with unwavering resolve, never looked back when he took the proverbial first step forward. His schooling happened in his native village- Kalaban- which lies in a remote pocket of Poonch district (J&K). One can have a fair idea of how resilient and progressive this man must have been in his childhood who refused to have his spirits dampened by negative influences like ages-old poverty and backwardness which made a lethal mix together with all-pervasive illiteracy and ignorance. He decided to pursue higher studies which tossed him from the lonely and forlorn setting of the village where he was born and schooled as a young boy to the covetous environs of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) where he pursued higher studies as Bachelor in Law and obtained his degree tagged with distinction.
That brought him to a point in his evolution where he had to take up a profession which would respond to his inner urge for helping and serving fellow human beings and would give him an opportunity to wage a war on injustice and inequalities which happened to be the main stumbling blocks in the way of progress and prosperity. Though he had immense greed for knowledge and learning, yet his abundant energy prompted him to join Jammu & Kashmir Police as Deputy Superintendent of Police. His own academic interests could wait but not the zeal for helping fellow human beings in distress and in need of relief and help. In fact so eventful and distinguished was his career as a police officer that he was almost literally handpicked for core postings like Superintendent of Police in almost every district of the state followed by an equally meaningful innings as DIG Jammu-Kathua Range followed by equally important postings a DIG in State Vigilance Organization. Next came his elevation to the rank of Inspector General of Police and he became the founder Director of Sher-i-Kashmir Police Academy, Udhampur. He brought innovation and ingenuity to this apex institution. This posting came at a time when Jammu & Kashmir was already aflame with militancy. Upon his shoulders rested the responsibility of training a police that could bare its teeth to bite deep into the scourge of militancy. One cannot omit the mention of the fact here that at the onset of militancy he was the Senior Superintendent of Police, Srinagar and this certainly gave him his cues as to what is required in police force by way of providing them an edge in counter-insurgency operations. Nothing outmatches his superb professionalism in this respect.
The Mission: We live life with some kind of mission to provide it substance and meaning. All well-meaning people have a core ideology which they cherish, propagate and popularize among the masses for improving the quality of life of their fellow human species. Some preach peace, others spread gospel of love and brotherhood whereas there are those who believe in action-oriented life, contributing unselfishly to the human society in fields as varied and diverse as education, healthcare or social welfare or by preparing an even turf for the preservation, protection and propagation of our ancient art, culture and literature in order to prevent it from slipping into obscurity. Slowly making his way to the top echelons of police hierarchy and superannuating as Additional Director General o0f Police- the only Gujjar tribal to achieve this distinction thus far- Shri Masud busied himself with social service way back in 1992 when he became one of the founder members of Gurjar Desh Charitable Trust (GDCT), Jammu.
This is Trust today represents the dreams, hopes and aspirations of nearly 15 million Gujjars living in different parts of Jammu & Kashmir. Himself belonging to this ethnic community, Shri Masud Choudhary infused new levels of confidence, kindled new hopes and provided new direction to their unexplored potential and energy. It is under his visionary and inspiring leadership that the whole of Gujjar community has been fired with the zeal of shedding the baggage of the past and taking substantial steps in the direction of fighting out poverty, illiteracy and backwardness which have traditionally kept this community neglected and marginalized. Through several programmes and projects launched by GDCT, Shri Masud has been instrumental in giving a sense of self-respect to the members of the community. The major plank of his fight against rampant backwardness in the community has been education. Himself an avid reader and a staunch believer in the all- powerfulness of education, he focused his primary attention on the education of this community. Presently the Founder Vice Chancellor of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU)- he got this assignment owing to his monumental contribution to the cause of popularization of education among tribals and other weaker sections of the society- he has the crowning distinction of having set up the said university in barely 08 months, a fact that sounds as incredible as it is real. One who is familiar with the terrain where BGSB University has come up, would certainly bite his tongue under his cheeks on seeing so much done in so little a span of time. Add to this the fact that the university had to be created from a shoestring budget amidst a difficult terrain where even link roads weren’t available, where there was no electricity and where drinking water facility still needs considerable augmentation. However, the will to deliver and to perform remained unwavering and resolute. Close on heels with these challenges was the more daunting job of arranging a competent faculty strong enough to cultivate the culture of excellence and competent enough to withstand and hold unto the pressures of globalization. Finally, making the campus enticingly tempting for the admission seekers which carried with it the need of quality maintenance which could lead to suitable placements of young professionals, was no easy job. It is again a big achievement for this university to have attained 100% mark in placements for its maiden batch and then keeping up this tradition till date with big corporates already evincing keen interest in our products.
Whether it was the setting up of BGSB University or the cultivation, grooming or strengthening of GDCT, the struggle that had to be undergone was heroic. For example BGSB has trundled its was ahead in the face of severe financial crunch which it has been able to squeeze through amidst great odds undeterred, unfettered and unfazed. It is quite natural to have a respectable financial base which alone can sustain globally competent institutions of higher education. Here in BGSB University what he had on his side was the clarity of vision, the will to perform and the determination to deliver. A sound financial position wasn’t perhaps on his side which is eloquently discernible from the fact that other sister universities in the state are getting a steady and uninterrupted inflow of finances which is at the back of the gusto and speed with which they are coming up, growing up and expanding. The wizardry this man has been able to do is that the relevance of finances has been relegated to the background without letting stagnation come anywhere near this fast growing and evolving university.
Almost identical has been the position at GDCT where funds didn’t trickle in natural course but had to be managed with considerable effort and self-help. Generous donations that have come in from time to time from individuals, institutions and government have proved unequal to the ever growing needs of this premier institution. This man however cruised through all kinds of rough weather with admirable poise, courage and grace. Untiring efforts and a great degree of determination coupled with the dynamic leadership of Shri Choudhary have resulted in GDCT raising an impressive Cultural Complex which is going to be a magnificent addition to the efforts that have so far been pioneered by GDCT in preserving, promoting and showcasing the rich cultural heritage of tribals of J&K in general and of Gujjars, in particular.
Looking Beyond: Finding solutions to problems at hand is not the same as imagining the future set of challenges and then putting into shape your defense systems. With rare penchant for looking into future and meticulously fine-tuning the requirements of the times ahead, Shri Masud Choudhary poured his days and nights trying to close in upon the best options BGSB University could exercise in order to attune it with the requirements of the present and the challenges of the future. There were some rickety attempts prior to his appointment as Vice Chancellor of this university, to sketch the roadmap of the development of this institution. This was a half-hearted exercise that need complete dismantling and obviously, overhauling. Making BGSB University a hub of knowledge and excellence was uppermost in his mind and that was possible to achieve only by making this university compatible with the present needs and requirements of higher education by making the right choices. It was a measure of far-sightedness that subjects like Biotechnology and Nanotechnology were short-listed for their early introduction in this premier institute of higher learning. It was strongly felt that as the 20th century was the century of physics, 21st century could well be the century of Bio- sciences. A big dream after all is the substratum of all big achievements. It is in adherence to this line of thinking that the university today has Centre for Biodiversity Studies (CBS) which is thick in R&D activity. This effort has quite deservedly attracted national attention with accolades pouring in from the Ministries of Science & Technology, HRD, GOI.
Prominent Attributes: Three things come out prominently in Shri Masud Choudhary that makes him what he is- a deep seated love for education, preparedness to sacrifice his comfort and convenience and ability to lock horns with even the most obdurate of the challenges. His vast administrative experience comes from his distinguished career as a police officer who never threw up his hands in despair even in the face of most daunting challenges. That after those tiring and turbulent years in police service spanning over nearly four decades, he still had the courage to raise a university from ground-zero only shows his academic interests which remained unfazed and undiminished even in spite of an exacting and draining work schedule as a police officer. Add to this the fact that he has contributed mightily towards making GDCT a powerful platform for addressing the most pressing concerns of Gujjar community, and you get the insight of a person who has numerous layers to his multi-dimensional personality than what actually meet the eye.
This will not be possible to draw the finishing line anywhere near this iconic figure. He is full of love and sympathy for fellow human beings, is soft-spoken, has highest levels of commitment, is a man with depth and incisive vision, is endowed with discreet decision-making and is imbued in the rich traditions of our social, cultural and religious pluralism He is open to well-meaning suggestions and opinions but when it comes to implementing something on the ground he is the one who wouldn’t show any signs of dithering. One reason why his decision-making is so flawless is that he believes in extensive homework and broadening the scope of the process as far as possible in order to incorporate all shades of opinion and to include the whole multiplicity of concerns. When it comes to the churning of all the inputs, his decisions naturally have the strength and infallibility that is above all doubts and misgivings. His decisions being the decisions most sagaciously taken always find popular backing and hence prompt implementation. He is not the one who would talk harsh to anyone but through unspoken gestures and some spoken nothings would convey his displeasure. He would prefer to laugh away an unintentional mistake of a junior rather than frown or squeak in anger. All these qualities add up to the depth and richness of his multidimensional personality.
The Profile: Profiling of this be-spectacled, short-statured, soft-spoken, sober, energetic giant of a person, would perhaps run into many more pages but that is not our purpose here. We aren’t endorsing through this paper someone who deserves to be eyed by some political party to lead the Gujjar community, nor is it our intention to portray this man all in the pink to make him a hot selling commodity. It is just a small tribute to a matchless person that Shri Masud Choudhary is. The boundaries of his outlook are difficult to delineate. However, one certainly can have glimpses of his personality from three different angles- Masud Choudhary, the Top Cop, Masud Choudhary, the Academician and Masud Choudhary the Socio-cultural activist. In all these areas his contribution is not only immense but exemplary and inspiring.
I had the very natural hesitation in trying to reduce into some paragraphs or pages the outstanding attributes of the rich and dynamic personality of Shri Masud A Choudhary. I know the limitations and pitfalls of my brief. But if I have been able to reproduce the facts as they are without allowing any imaginary content to creep in, I believe I have been able to do my job well. I intentionally omitted the mention of numerous awards and decorations which have come his way as a police officer, including Presidents award for meritorious services, for the simple reason that I didn’t want the readers to get burdened with such high-profile attributes which tend to downplay even more refreshing shades of his personality that will remain a huge gold-mine for me from where to have my peck as I need, when I need and for all the reasons and seasons I need.
Masud Choudhary has a God given gift of emerging as a leader of Men. This has enabled him to create a dedicated and devoted circle of comrades around him. What is remarkable is that this is an extension of his affable and inspiring persona. He has not used this gift for a personal or political gain but channelized it for Institution Building. This peculiar trait is reflected into the emergence and consolidation of world’s first and truly unique institution of Gurjar Desh Charitable Trust. There should be no doubt that it heralds the renaissance of this wonderful community which after losing its pre-eminent place because of illogical viscissitudes of history is again rising and asserting its dignity.
Mir Taqi Mir seems to be very relevant, while taking a quote to illustrate the accomplishment of Choudhary Sahib.
The Plaudits:
Masud Choudhary has been the very epitome of success, sacrifice and selfless service all these years of his eventful life and career. Head and shoulders above everything else, he has been a creative and innovative mind devoted to the well-being of fellow human beings. His contribution to the Gujjar community and their most outstanding concerns has simply been superb and brooks no comparison with any of his contemporaries. Here are some of the observations of the two former Chief Ministers of Jammu & Kashmir:
“GDCT has all along done a commendable job under the visionary leadership of Shri Masud A Choudhary during decade and a half of its meaningful contribution towards the cause of Gujjars in Jammu & Kashmir. Through his exemplary deftness in visualizing the existing as well as future needs of the community and by sweating out on several progressive programmes and policies of GDCT, he has symbolically been the most powerful ideological pillar of strength behind the achievements of this NGO”
_ Mufti Mohammad Sayeed
“I have known Shri Masud A. Choudhary for years now and his active role in the Trust has brought it where it is. One can hardly imagine miracles happening but he is the man who can perhaps make the impossible happen, barriers fall and road to progress smoothened by the sheer determination and unwillingness to give up under even the most unfavorable conditions”
_ Dr. Farooq Abdullah
Similarly the incumbent Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, Jenab Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is also the Chancellor of BGSB University, has showered accolades on Shri Masud Choudhary by extolling his contribution to the said university which he likened to making the impossible, possible.
“He is full of energy and courage. Endowed with vision and armed with untiring spirit to work selflessly for fellow human beings is his outstanding attribute. I wish him success and more success in all the ventures he undertakes”
_ Mehmud-ul-Rehman |
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