A Special Journey that Illuminated Thousand’s Of Lives

Author Rekha Gupta

This is a true story of a very unique person . His deeds made him extraordinary and hence special. Read on to be captivated & inspired.

A small boy from a well to do business family of Padhana, a village in Haryana went to high school in Samalkha which was little away from his home. The boy has big bright eyes and even bigger dreams than his tiny eyes could contain. Dreams of studying & learning relentlessly & tirelessly, as he was convinced that life had a lot to offer and there was no end to learning and achieving and education was the strongest tool. And so he was spending all his hours studying, absorbing, filling himself with knowledge and more knowledge. The boy’s father would paddle his way each morning on his bicycle for an hour just to see his son before school and to feed him a scrumptious breakfast of milk and jalebi with his own hands. It would break the boys heart, realising that his father would paddle for another hour back home – each day they would have the same conversation- the boy requesting his father not to come the next day thinking of the pain in his fathers legs and the father telling him the exact opposite that, if he didn’t come, he would be restless and aching the whole day without seeing his son. Such was their pure bond and intensity of love. C@Rg

His parents Shri S R Aggarwal and Shrimati Darba Devi had undying belief in their son’s potential and told him the world was his to be claimed . Empowered by his parents love and belief & and his own insatiable thirst for knowledge & learnings , the boy soon finished his school and moved to Delhi for further studies and make himself a new life. With no guidance and no reference in Delhi , the boy’s innate silent confidence & happy nature made him feel as if he always belonged to Delhi. He completed his graduation from Delhi University and later post graduation MBA from Faculty of Management Studies FMS. His command and eloquence over English made him an orator par excellence and a brilliance that could enthrall and charm an assembly full of intellectuals & dignitaries.

He started his career with ”Ministry of Petroleum”. His work took him to different foreign shores which was a rarity & much of a dream in those days. Such was his level of intellect that he shone amongst many and climbed the ladder of success one after the other at an accelerated pace. With success such as this, he soon became well known in a circle of influential politicians and CEO’s of big companies. However the thing to note is that there was not an iota of change in his attitude. He knew just exactly how to handle his success as well. He remained grounded, humbled, focused and continued doing his work. These very qualities unknown to him, were his pillars of strength throughout his successful life.C@Rg

In addition to that he is a true disciplinarian. He believed self discipline to be the tool to abstain from temptations in life and thereby accomplish epic feats.

His splendid photographic memory is one of a kind. Once seen, read or heard something , it would be permanently embedded in his mind.

During this entire time his name spread far and wide and of course, people started approaching him for their personal favours. Now the normal way to this is – a) When someone does a favour for you, it is a silent rule, you owe someone back. B) One obviously does favours for people of a certain qualification or stature, so that they could return the favour back, and thus this cycle continues as both parties stand to gain from each other . This however was never the case with him. He believed in not obliging or seeing it as favours done but an opportunity to help people, wherever and in whatever way he could- and that’s what made it unconditional & unique. He never expected anything back!! He helped all , yes literally all people unconditionally, with no expectations whatsoever, driven by a desire of solely helping .

Despite having every minute of the day accounted for, the surprising thing was that he was always accessible & available 24*7 for relatives ,extended relatives, friends and their extended families, neighbours ,acquaintances & total strangers – all alike . His residential address soon became famous as a one stop solution for all and true to its repute – at any given point of time someone would definitely be there .C@Rg

People approaching him for personal favours to get a job in his company was also not easy, which is also very difficult to carry out as he would not be the only person on the interview board but there is a board of four to five members so he had to convince all on board.

People’s expectations from him were inconceivable which was that he could get anyone a placement in any company anywhere in India and it was like he had a magical wand that he kept doing the virtually impossible each time whatever anyone requested him to because his intentions were so pure and selfless .The larger networking process is- when he asked a friend in another company to do a certain favour for ‘someone’,then they expected him to return their favour back in near future . So for one favour to ‘that someone’ , he had to do multiple in return, its getting caught in a web of a vicious cycle and almost impossible for anyone. Now why would any person do this ? You are right no one will do it as it consumes much energy, time, effort and much beyond our understanding. But this is what makes him extraordinary thus so very uniquely special as he changed the lives of thousands of people for the better..

During the early 1960’s, Public Sector suddenly mushroomed and he joined one of the leading Oil companies- INDIAN OIL . His stature kept growing and he became a very well known powerful figure in the field of Human Resource.C@Rg

The year 1965 was a major turning point when the Government of India decided to form a consultancy company named ”Engineers India Ltd”. in the field of Oil Sector. The Govt. selected three people to form this company:1.) Mr. M S Pathak from Caltex. 2) Mr. R D Gupta from Indian Oil . 3) Mr. Paulous from Railways .

These three members started the company E I L from a modest office and with their vision & sheer determination, in no time they moved office to prime locations in Connaught Place. E I L soon became one of the largest Engineering Consultancy Company of the world with offices all over India and became the first dream choice of almost every engineer .

In fact, aspiring to achieve the goals he had set for himself, yet CONTENT and being in a state of GRATITUDE as he achieved success ,were the qualities that defined him.

A look in his personal life will reveal how well they brought up their 3 children. He was a man of few words, but his actions spoke much louder. He never gave opinions, but set examples. In times where families would attach importance only to sons, he silently showcased equality amongst his 3 children ,a daughter and two sons. So much so, that he gave his daughter the freedom to choose her name at a young tender age of 3,thereby silently teaching them to independently make choices for themselves with the assurance of complete acceptance by the parents .

His day starts as early as 4 am as he is an avid Golfer and would devote a good 2-3 hours to the game at Delhi Golf club. After returning by 7am and spending breakfast time with family, he leaves for office by 8 am. He was equally passionate about lawn tennis and cricket but for time constraints these could not be pursued as regularly as he would want . His favourite line, spoken exasperatedly a number of times daily ”how he wished there were a few more hours packed in a day”. Back from office by 7pm , he would attend to the waiting visitors, and finally enjoy leisure time with family. There were times when his wife would get annoyed with him on some reason, he would then surprise her and all of us by cooking the yummiest veggies as he put his heart and soul in everything that he did. Driving was another of his passions and long weekends were reserved for our favourite holiday destinations such as Mussoorie / Kulu/ Manali . The unthinkable was when he announced that we are going to Jammu, Srinagar, Pehlgam, Gulmarg and Sonmarg for a month by car that obviously would be steered by him.

We are living in times when we are carrying big egos and little endurance , people struggle to hold on to immediate relations. He on the other hand held on to his siblings, his wife’s siblings as well as their extended relatives and friends alike with ease, rather than saying superficial things, he conveyed his affection and care by his acts that went beyond his means and capacity.

He has seven elder sisters , a younger brother+ he has two sworn in sisters, and his wife’s two brothers +one sworn in brother, (never differentiating between any of them) and their spouses . They have 50 nieces and nephews + their spouses . Both he and his wife believe ”sisters and daughters to be a blessing” and this line is spoken daily like a ritual by both. One of the sisters would always be visiting them as they received love and pampering in abundance. They were always so hospitable and warm that even if the sister visited with the intention of staying a few days ,it had to turn into a month or more at their insistence. They would extend the same warmth and hospitality to their relatives extended relatives and friends as well. They would never tire !!!C@Rg

Their home was always bustling with relatives , so much so that neighbors would always feel that some festivity or celebration was always ON. He and his wife welcomed and tended untiringly to all their relations alike. How they both revel in the presence of family and friends was to be seen to be believed . His wife’s world revolved around her family ,relatives and her home. How much they truly loved and epitomized relationships is evident from the fact that they both solemnized four marriages – three were of his nieces ( his sisters :3 daughters ) and fourth was of his wife’s younger brother -all the 4 marriage’s in full splendour happened from their home .

In mid seventies from the field of HR he switched over to General Management and joined IBP- Indo Burma Petroleum-Balmer Lawrie Group of companies as General Manager.

In 1981 there was a buzz in the Public Sectors that Mr R D Gupta is going to take over as Chairman E I L , though he was the first choice but the rule book said only an Engineer could be the Chairman.C@Rg

In 1982 he joined NTPC -National Thermal Power Corporation as Director on board.The first thing that he did was to make NTPC five days a week ,to the unparalleled joy of thousands of employees as its a Govt. Undertaking where its not easy to bring about changes .

A major issue the employees of NTPC used to face, was during transfers to another city, maintaining the standard of their children’s education + a smooth transition to another school was something that used to a be huge challenge. This was one issue that use to give shivers to people on transfers. He decided to tackle the issue once and for all so met the DPS ( yes Delhi public School ) principal & trustees and got the branches of DPS to open at all the five plants of NTPC across the country at that time. The biggest impediment in transfers was sorted and he ended up creating a WIN-WIN situation for all. The employees and the company both!!

So while he continued growing at the professional front he steadily became more famous for his goodness, humility and ever ready to help nature.C@Rg

HIS CONTRIBUTION IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION : Earlier in the post I mentioned how his hunger for education got him to Delhi. Such was his dedication that alongside his busy professional life he took out sufficient time to be involved in education in some way or the other. He was visiting faculty at XLRI Jamshedpur, IIM Ahmadabad, IMI Qutab Institutional, and many other management institutes.

An organisation FORE – FORE School of Management ”Foundation for Organisational Research and Education” was established by Govt in 1981 and the three founder members were 1.) Mr Billimoria. 2) Mr R D Gupta . 3) Mr N K Singh .

All India Management Association : AIMA is National apex body of the Management Profession in India. Since its formation in 1957,the post of President was monopolised by the top brass of private Ltd. Companies . He from a Public sector became the President of All India Management Association in 1982 , winning against a powerful lobby of private companies.C@Rg

He was a member on board of All India Council Of Technical Education- AICTE for three years.

AT a personal level, education stuck to him throughout his life. HE would be reading and absorbing news and knowledge in some form or the other, throughout the day. So morning breakfast was reserved for National dailies that included 3 papers on finance. Besides during those times he had subscribed to magazines and journals like TIME, Forbes, Harvad Business Review and books. To mention a few of his passions- books ,sports ,riding a Bullet ,Cars and driving , and travelling all over India and the world .………

As his roles in different fields kept on increasing by the day, the number of people approaching him for various helps also increased. Just to give you an idea on how powerful he was, he got four people the position of CEO’s in public sectors, such was his clout of contacts. Even after his retirement too, he got one person the position of CEO in one of the top Public sectors . He continued relentlessly on the path of helping people. C@Rg

I once asked him as to why and how can he do all of this all the time ,does it not tire you, don’t you get disappointed with people changing their behaviour thereafter, isn’t this energy depleting? this and many questions I asked him- constantly – and his answer always the same with the same smiling & content look , ‘If God has placed me in such a powerful position , by helping as many people as possible , is my way of expressing Gratitude to God ‘.

We all know that these are the times of give and take,convenient mutual arrangements, but here is one unique, special person who did it without expecting anything .

Please note the emphasis here is not on the personal favours that were done by him but rather on his extraordinary deeds as he would just help everyone in anything and everything. Things that did not come in his purview or his periphery ; So from Medical helps, to Stuck Pensions , to job placements all over India, to Promotions ,to Transfers , to School and College admissions, to solemnising marriages etc.. to one and all….. that was the singular motto of his life. He was so evolved and god gifted as he knew how to best use his strong position, which was for others, selflessly.C@Rg

The beauty of all this was the silence and effortlessness of it. No one ever knew about it as he would not talk about it ever. It is, Me , his proud and blessed daughter , who today feels this burst of joy in sharing all this with you. And the unique & special person I talk about is my daddy Mr. R D Gupta, who became a Godfather to thousands of people across the country. He is a divine Person with extra ordinary deeds ,whose values taught him to help, to give all of himself and even beyond . All of it was made possible with the unwavering support of his wife Mrs.Krishna Gupta (daughter of Shri Ram Sarup & Shrimati Indira Devi ). We are their blessed children.

He never pursued personal interests for self or his own children. None ever, so CONTENT he was with life . And if its hard for you to believe then , then he and his children would have owned plush huge sprawling bungalows at premium addresses all over Delhi. So much so that he even relinquished all his ancestral inheritance. He was so confident of making it on his own, and so content with however much or little it was.

They had their first child after ten years of their marriage . After a long wait and much prayers & never giving up hope, when they finally had a child, the bond and the love that they feel and have for their child is inexplicable and beyond anyones imagination. Such was their immense love for their three kids. The three children with their three spouses and their five grand children , now married so their five spouses and a great grand child were all doted upon. C@Rg

These days on the smallest pretext we use the word stress and tension. Well I haven’t seen a calmer person in my life as him. Juggling, like literally with so many things at hand, he never showed the slightest trace of the word stress. Such was his calm demure and we would derive our semblance from him- just looking at him was enough.

You would understand now, why 24 hours in a day was not sufficient for him as he was Indefatigable. C@Rg

He was not a politically correct person as he was indomitable and unafraid, and would not think twice before saying the truth; which always is bitter and difficult for the weak people to accept. And Truth can do more harm than good in these times as people are used to false, fake flattery which satiates their ego. His ethics, moral values and being righteous were innate and of utmost importance to him, which were a hindrance in his personal growth for otherwise he would have reached much higher and would have illuminated many more thousands of lives . He is a Real, Complete, Self made man . No god father, not even a reference to begin with in this big world, which he did claim successfully with his willpower, diligence, tenacity and by remaining resolute with his values and the empowerment of his parents love.

Known and unknown alike, people say they havent come across someone ”as Selfless as Mr.R D Gupta” such was his divine aura.

Known and unknown alike , people say ”Mr. R D Gupta is an institution in himself” .

We are Mr.R D Gupta’s and Mrs Krishna Gupta’s blessed children and today 23rd September is our DADDY’S HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

We miss their physical presence, their hugs all the time and much more , that is inexplicable.We still feel their presence all around us constantly as we remain connected in dreams and via silent conversations.Their blessings keep us protected at all times .

HE LIVES FOREVER IN OUR HEART AND I AM SURE HE LIVES FOREVER IN THE HEARTS OF ALL THOSE, WHOSE LIVES HE CHANGED.

HIS LIFE JOURNEY CONVEYS : that one doesn’t need a lot to make it big in life. He was empowered by his parents love ,his willpower ; added with humanity , love, generosity, compassion and kindness to it, then went on to make a difference to the life of thousands around him and that is the truest way of living a complete divine life. C@Rg

🎊🎉 Dearest Daddy wishing you a very happy, joyous , healthy and a blessed, love filled Birthday🎁today and always. 💝 Love you so much .❤️

SHORT ‘PROSE POEM’ ON DADDY WITH LOTS AND LOTS OF LOVE

No one could light a crowded room , like he did!

No one could walk with that style and infectious smile, like he did!

No one was as invigorated and ebullient as him!

No one could be as Calm and as Indefatigable as him!

No one could radiate positivity at all times to even complete strangers ,like he did!

No one could walk the path of cooperation the way he did, as he became a Godfather to thousands of people !

No one could be as altruistic as he was!

No one could open his heart and home for relatives,friends and complete strangers ,like he did!

No one could hold onto relations,extended relatives,friends and their friends, like he did!

No one could carry his own and other peoples problems with such ease and elan,without ever a complain,like he did!

No one could promise,reassure and live upto everyones need ,like he did!

No one had a solution for eveyones problems and a cure for their pain,like he did!

No one could illuminate as many lives as he did!

No one will live in as many hearts as he does!!

No one could epitomize love,care and warmth like he did!.

No one could be an icon and a living legend like he is ,truly divine ,as is my Daddy!

Feelings that are beyond I can express and love that is beyond I feel!

No words can suffice to express our love and Gratitude!

His presence, care and love are still always felt .

Truly blessed I am to be your daughter Daddy , Rekha Gupta

Author Rekha Gupta

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