Anjali Mahajan
People don’t need to go to Rome, Germany, Japan, Vienna or any other far-off place to find wonderful architectures or amazing gems. Surprisingly, some gems can be found hidden in ordinary places round small hamlets.
So is the case of C.P.Gupta, a 90 year ordinary, minimalist, lean and thin bony frame work but housing there in, an incredible noble soul. He has been an iconic figure and a model of inspiration.
Family background
Born at Mirpur (now in POK) in 1932, C.P.Gupta belongs to a highly religious and pious lineages. Due to this, the Mirpur community conferred on them the surname ‘Bhagat .’ Accordingly, his grandfather, father and uncle were called as Bhagat Sohan Lal, Bhagat Madan Lal and Bhagat Chhotte Lal respectively. His father Bhagat Madan Lal and mother Vidya Wanti served the people as teachers in the private community schools and thereafter in Govt. schools also, wherein they both earned good social reputation.
Soon after the birth of the child, the said Bhagat family consulted Pandit Ganpati Sharma a very renowned Pujari of Mirpur Community who on the basis of Horoscope of the child, suggested that the newly born baby be named as Chander Prakash (Moon Light). Subsequently, he was popularly known as C.P.Gupta . Born in such family was indeed a privilege but little did he know, what was in store for his family in the days to come.
A terrible and dreadful event which occurred in November 1947.The deep wounds which he got during the said upheaval , are still bleeding and refuse to heal.
As known to all , the city of Mirpur fell to the cruel hands of Pakistani raiders on 25th November 1947 when out of its total population of about 25,000, more than 18000 citizens were brutely killed, about 3500 were made prisoners and the remaining about 3500 could escape miraculously from the clutches of the raiders and after walking bare footed for 3 days and nights in a terrified situation without getting food and water, reached Indian Army Camp stationed at that time at Jhangahar a place on Mirpur- Jammu road, as half-dead persons. The Indian Army brought them to Jammu in Army trucks. C.P.Gupta was one of them who restarted his life at Jammu from Zero level. His father was killed by the raiders and the rest of the family members were made prisoners by the Pakistan Government.
Professional Journey
His professional Journey began in 1959, when he got meritorious position in J&K Public Service Commission Competitive Examination on the basis of which he got appointment direct as Head Assistant in the Finance Department of the Secretariat. His professional graph steadily rose with the maturity, sensibility, wisdom and without doubt hard work and got promotions from one rank to another rapidly and finally retired as Deputy Secretary to Government from the Ladakh Affairs, Hospitality and Protocol Department. During Secretariat service C.P. Gupta compiled/prepared a book titled as “Guide Manual of Ladakh Administration” which was highly appreciated by the Government and in recognition of his commendable work he was given Cash Award by the J&K Government and also the letters of appreciation by the concerned Government Authorities, in 1986. Even otherwise, C.P. Gupta during his Secretariat service got many Certificates for undergoing successfully various Secretariat job connected to Training programs organized from time to time by the Government of India at Delhi, Thereafter, his services were also utilized for giving Secretariat training to the Government employees deputed for the purpose in the Secretariat Training Institute Jammu.
Post retirement life
C .P. Gupta was retired from Government service on 31st March, 1990 . Even his post retirement period is more meritorious, glorious and charitable. Immediately after retirement he worked as Secretary in the prestigious J&K Dharmarth Trust which was established by Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1826 and has now been functioning remarkably under the Chairman Trustee Dr Karan Singh former Sadre- Riyast, Jammu and Kashmir State and a former Member Parliament. During his service tenure in the Dharmarth Trust C.P.Gupta made foolproof elaborate arrangements and took the Annual Mubarak Chharri to Swami Amar Nath Ji Cave thrice under the religious performance of Mahant Dependra Giri and similar Annual Chharri from Kishtwar to Sarthal on appropriate occasions, very successfully. Thereafter, his dedicated services were also utilized suitably by Dr Karan Singh in Ghulab Bhawan Trust Jammu. In the year 2006 C.P.Gupta joined Model Institute of Education and Research, B.C.Road Jammu as Administrative Officer and thereafter promoted as Secretary to Director and made appreciable improvements in the functioning of the said Educational Institute.
Side by side, C.P.Gupta also worked as General Secretary for many years and thereafter as President of Mirpur Mahajan Sabha Jammu wherein he put his untired efforts to take the Sabha at higher heights as a result of which, the Sabha became a registered body. During the tenure of his Presidentship due to his strenuous efforts Mirpur Shaheedi Samarak was got constructed by the Government through the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) at a conspicuous place Maheshpura Chowk in front of the main Gate of Government Medical College Bakshinagar, Jammu. The said Shaheedi Samarak is now the focus point for all the organisations of Displaced persons from Pakistan occupied Territory (POK ) to pay their tributes to the martyrs of Mirpur, Kotli, Rajouri and Muzaffabad on appropriate occasions .
Another most important achievement of C.P.Gupta during that period was that he compiled an exemplary Directory of Mirpur Mahajan families settled in Jammu city and adjoining colonies in the jurisdiction of Jammu Development Authority ,which has no parallel social document in any other social organization in the J&K Union Territory. That Directory is the permanent social record to keep alive the memory of the ancestors who strengthened the unity of the Mirpur Mahajan families. That Directory is being treated as Bible in each Mirpur house-hold. Even the Jammu Central Mahajan Sabha under the then Presidentship of Romesh Chander Gupta had congratulated C.P.Gupta for doing the noble work of the said Directory.
C.P.Gupta who by now, has crossed the age of 90 years of his life, has been working actively in the Jammu Central Mahajan Sabha for the last many years and now he is the Vice President (In- charge Press). At various occasions of Annual Functions of the Sabha, he got honoured with mementoes
(The author is Principal in St. Kabir Indian International School Vadodra)
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