PROFILE

 Yes, he is my mentor!

Prelud

First things first! Those of you who think this account is being written solely to provide some boost to the prospects of the personality depicted here in his election campaign are absolutely right! It would be quite pretentious to call it a mere coincidence. Nor majority of you would have believed that. Indeed, this was long overdue. Only timing was to be decided. And perhaps there could not have been a better opportunity to pay my tribute to the man, popularly known amongst his circle of friends and well wishers as Naveen Bhai! Admittedly, I was toying with the idea of featuring some outstanding personalities on the cover page who have made exceptional contribution in the field of child health but not yet have received the due recognition. This is just the beginning and many more will follow in future. If not ‘Pediascene’, which other publication would have given them this opportunity- bestowing a celebrity status and sprinkling few colors to a gray landscape!

The first encounter

Anyway, let’s explore the personality of this quarter. I first met him during a polio workshop held in Lucknow way back in 1999. The proceeding went so long that he could not deliver his talk but Swati Bhave then president-elect of IAP, introduced him to the audience and profusely acknowledged his deeds behind the scene. The person was responsible to convince her to give eradication related activities a top priority in IAP charter of events. His simplicity, modesty, and unassuming attitude touched me. This was my first exposure to the man with whom almost daily communication became a routine in subsequent years.

Though our interaction continued to grow, it was only during Hyderabad Pedicon where he literally forced me to join computer group and polio eradication committee of IAP. Indeed, he is the person responsible for my joining the central IAP. Whatever little I could contribute to child health welfare activities through IAP, it was mainly because of his insistence, his motivational skills, and his faith in rookies like me! All in all, it wouldn’t be too inapt to call him my mentor in IAP. At least, this is what I perceive.

Innate ability to lead

The 'other' family! His obsession for IAP led him to believe and treat the academy as his first and only family. This fascination resulted him bearing the ire of his own nears and dears more often than not! With wife Pushpa, and sons Deep and Sandeep.

So he had all the traits of a good leader in abundance right from his early days in the academy. At that time, I didn’t realize one day he would be a serious contender for the top post in the academy. But, as I said earlier, he has the making of a leader since beginning. His subsequent involvement with polio eradication program, which showcased his dedication, commitment, positive approach and a never-say-die attitude, made his progression in the academy a natural process.

Worker like approach!

Though he is at the helm of polio affairs in the academy for quite sometime and could have easily confined himself to the task of advocacy, planning policy matters and drafting proposals to polio partners, he preferred to don the mantle of a health worker- busy carrying out the recommendation and diktats of all these enforcing agencies at the grass root level with never ending optimism and without ever questioning their decisions and their prudence! With diminishing pool of wild poliovirus with every passing year in the country, it seems all the efforts put in by all of us in this campaign are now bearing fruits. This also vindicates his enormous faith in the policies adopted by the polio partners at national level. The time has come now to enthuse similar thrust to many more child health schemes and projects through IAP. I do not know whether he will be able to sustain similar urge, fire, gusto, zest and zeal after acquiring the top-post, but do earnestly pray the lure of market forces, so very rampant in different forms in every sphere will fail to deviate him from his chosen path. Of service to vast pool of underprivileged children of this nation.

Simplicity as USP

Apparently, he does not possess the charisma of Swati Bhave, wit of Dilip Mukharjee, stature of Jacob John, composure of Parthasarthy, academic brilliance of Amdekar, critical acumen of RNS, promptness of Nitin Shah, oratory of S.K. Mittal, clout of Bodhankar, subtlety of Bharat, amiability of YC Mathur, intricacy of Sachdev, sophistication of Raju Shah, and poise of MKC but quite surprisingly, the most remarkable asset of his persona is the absence of all these virtues! And, this makes him what he is- simply Naveen Bhai! A gutsy yet modest, down-to-earth person with whom a pediatrician practicing in a remote town of UP identifies as closely as his counterpart in a metro city! Such is the affability. There is no dearth of grit, determination and courage. During the Gujarat earth-quack, he had a very narrow escape on his life. Most of his recently built hospital was grounded and ruined completely before his eyes and he had to start once again from the scratch. It probably did change his attitude toward life and he became more inclined toward spirituality and social work. The incident also forced him to redefine his priorities and expectations from life. Though he is afflicted with a number of medical ailments and his physical health is far from perfect but he is in no mood to relent and slow down the pace. He has once again chosen a demanding job and willingly decided to prolong the ordeal. Of his family and of himself! Let’s pray the Almighty his crusade does not go in vain. And he succeeds in delivering what he has promised all along, amen!

-Vipin M Vashishtha
 

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