Shambhu Singh- A true story

I was sitting in my office sipping a cup of tea. A man with soiled clothes with grease on his hands came to my office and informed that there had been a leakage in a valve of Phenol tank. Since others were afraid of changing the valve due to the risk involved, he took this responsibility on himself. In the process, phenol spilled over his arms creating burns despite his having the hand gloves. This was Shambhu Singh.

Shambhu Singh was born in 1959 in a Rajput family in a village in Dist. Chapra, Bihar. His father was a marginal farmer with seven children. The family was very poor and it was very difficult for them to make both ends meet. He took his free primary education up to class V in a Govt. School in the village but could not get admission in Middle School as his father did not have Rs. 6 to pay for his admission fee.

The devil in his empty mind began conjuring wild ideas. Shambhu fled to Patna with 13 rupees in his pocket stolen from his mother who had accumulated these after selling a goat. He started working as a dish washer in a hotel at a monthly salary of Rs. 15 until one day when a person from his village saw him. Thereafter, his father immediately took him back to the village. Shambhu fled for a second time when a relative entrusted him with Rs. 30 to purchase a lamb. The TTE on the Howrah train caught him travelling without ticket but let him travel after extracting all his money. He went to his uncle’s home who, to his dismay sent him back to the village just after 3 days.

In 1975, his sister got married and he came to Duliajan, Assam with his brother-in-law and became a street hawker for selling Betel leaves and Betel nuts. After 6 months, he went to another relative in Phagwara, Punjab who arranged a job for him as a worker in an Atta Chakki. After 2 years, he came to Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh and worked in a Kirana Shop for 2 months.

One of his uncles who was a Foreman in Sharda Plywood, Naharkatia, Assam got him job of a worker but he was removed from the job after 15 days as he was a minor. He rejoined as a helper in a Kirana Shop at Duliajan, Assam for 2 years waiting to turn 18.

It was then that Shambhu’s actual tryst with the plywood industry began. He rejoined Sharda Plywood as a contract worker at Rs. 9.15/day.  In 1986, he joined National Plywood Margherita, Assam as a fitter and was transferred to Kolkata in 1988 as a supervisor. The company closed down in 2002. After being idle for a year, he joined Century Ply, Kolkata in 2003. His frequent change of jobs and cities finally came to an end in 2008 when he joined Century Ply’s Palasbari unit after a brief stint at Balaji Plywood Industries Kolkata, where he serves till date.

Amid all this hustle in his work life, the only thing that kept Shambhu going was his dreams for his children. Following his marriage in 1985, Shambhu was blessed with a daughter Chanda and a son Chandan. He was determined that while education escaped him, he would not let the same fate befell upon his children. He got them admitted to an English medium school in Kolkata but had to drop out his daughter from the school after class IX as he could not afford to pay fee for both. His daughter studied as a private student and passed class XII before getting married. His son continued in the school, passed class XII and enrolled himself in BBA. All this while, Shambhu dreamt to support him through MBA but the money an MBA course demands kept him up all night.

Unable to tide over the problem himself, he finally approached me. I assured him that our company would help him financially to fulfill his dream. During the 3 year period of his son’s BBA, every 3 months he would come to me to reaffirm the assurance given by me.  He was afraid that if I leave the organization what would happen to my assurances?  I reassured him that even if I leave the organization, I would ensure that his son completes his MBA. Finally, his son secured admission in EMPI, Chattarpur, Delhi for pursuing MBA where the total expenditure for the course was about Rs. 10 lakhs. Shambhu took loan from a bank, raised some funds from his daughter and made up for the shortfall from the company as advance which he repaid in due course of time. His dream for his son finally took shape. The ambitions that once looked vague and unachievable were unfolding in front of his very eyes.

At 60, Shambhu Singh is a contended man today. Ever since joining Century Ply at a meagre pay, his life has taken some drastic turns. His salary has grown more than 5 fold during the last 10 years catapulting him to the post of Maintenance Incharge at the factory. He had never in his wildest dreams imagined that he will attain the position at which he is now. His daughter is happily married in a well-to-do family in Kolkata. His son is working in a private company in Delhi. He takes pride in saying that his coming generations have changed because of education. A person who had no clothes to wear and walked barefoot is leading a comfortable life now. One thing which he has not forgotten is hard work and honesty.  He has no wish unfulfilled. His only wish now is to continue working as long as he can.