Sunday Special

Helping Hands: Prakash Shah

A biographical article by Shri Ishwar Prajapati (Gujarati)

Translator:  Pallavi Gupta

“Leaving the luxurious life of Rajbhavan, I stole money from my home and fled to America. I have been feeling guilty for lying to my father. I wish my father, wherever he might be, could forgive me for my misdeed.”: Prakash Shah

Prakash Shah is a name that elicits respect right from Aravalli to America. May it be the former President of America Mr. Obama or the current President Mr. Biden, they get benefited from Mr. Prakash Shah. Be it India or America, the ruling party or the opposition party of both countries, who feels honoured in respecting his words, and such a rare and virtuous personality is a native of Gabat village in Aravalli district. Gabat, a small village in the Aravalli district is not lesser than a gems’ mine. Mr. Prakash Shah is one of the precious gems the land has gifted to the world.

His name is enough to make hundreds of needy, poor and helpless people smile. As he has given the prior importance to work rather than earning the fame, there may be few people unknown with this modern Saint. Even while living in America, he has been keeping brainstorming and pondering in his heart for the development of the motherland. Although he has been settled in America for four and a half decades, the consumerist lifestyle has not been able to touch his family’s sacramental values. At the core of his heart, Indian culture and traditions are deeply rooted. Mr. Prakash Shah is the son of Mr. K. K. Shah the Advisor to erstwhile Maharaja of Vadodara, a former Cabinet Minister and former Governor of Tamil Nadu. His Leadership gave a new direction to the country. He stood steady fast with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in the merger of the former Princely States in India. It has been decades since Mr. K. K. Shah has passed away, but his services are still intact. The growth and development of Vatrak Hospital is an example of Mr. K. K. Shah’s foresightedness.

Following his father, he has been doing yeomen’s service to the motherland even while staying in America. He has preserved in his heart the love for his motherland as an inheritance from his father. He frequently visits to India. He understands their requirements and tries to fulfil them wholeheartedly with all the resources at his command. Mr. K K Shah Charitable Trust on the banks of Vatrak River is working in the service of poor and needy people. simultaneously, this ashram is vibrant with many service-oriented activities. Jankiben, his wife also works side by side.

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HIs father was a Union Minister, Governor in those time and a distinguished lawyer. His lawyer's practice was worth five lacs a month. He was brought up with royal pomp amidst the splendor of prosperity. There were four members in his family and hundreds of servants were always ready to serve him. Even living one of the most luxurious lives, he decided to make his own path. For that, he stole money from home and fled to America, where he had been through several struggles and built his own empire with hard work. The struggle story of his life is not at all inferior to any of the film script.

Reciting his memoirs, he states that:

“At that time, I was twenty-one years old. I had completed B.Com. There was youthful exuberance. At that time, I asked my father whether he had any feelings for me. This is how I advocated speaking against my father for the first time. Speechlessly father kept staring at me and then asked why I had said that. I then angrily told him that I was twenty-one and had completed college. I questioned him would he set me somewhere, for which he replied with a question what I take myself as. He firmly stated that all Indian youth was his children. And added that he educated and gave sacraments to me so it was I who should make my own path. He warned me not to dare talk to him like that. Angrily he ordered me to leave the place at once.

“His words made me staggered. He felt more like an enemy than a father to me. Besides being on this position I didn’t get any privilege. I told this to my mother. But even she remained silent. My father’s words were echoing inside my mind.  The next day I approached my father and clearly stated that he had given his elder son one of the high positions at the court of Maharaja of Vadodara and asked him whether he would set my career or not. Father scolded me again and suggested me to use all my senses to do by my own. He added, besides his loyal services for 45 years, he hadn’t helped his elder son but his son befriended Maharaja and that was reason of the position he had got without any of father’s helps.

“When I protested, he turned red with anger and again ordered me to leave the place.

“If I had stayed there a moment longer, father would probably have slapped me. I went to my mother and told her if father would tell me once more, I would immediately leave the house.

“I used to go for a walk with my father regularly. Two or three days later, when we were walking together in the garden, I suddenly brought up the same issue again. I asked him what if I didn’t do anything for my career. I added that as being my father wasn’t it his duty to proceed about it. My words brought his anger at the highest peach. He threatened to slap me and ordered to leave the house immediately.

“I wanted to leave home immediately but had no money. When I was born in the year of 1954, Maharaja Pratap Singh Rao of Vadodara had created a trust named P.K. Shah and had gifted fifty thousand rupees to my father. Fifty thousand was worth a lot in those days. Father had kept that amount as a savings certificate. I was aware of that. So, I stole it and went to the post office with the certificate for the amount. Father was the Governor at that time. The postmaster objected to give the money without father’s signature. I was confused again. While I was arguing about my age of completing 21 years and had the right to cross the certificate, one of the employees interfered with us,

 'Sir, this is the son of the Governor. The Governor must have sent him. Will the governor of the state come to the post office for such a certificate?'

“Hearing this, the postmaster immediately collected the certificate and put the amount in my hand.

“Having gained such a heavy amount, my happiness was beyond the sky. One of my friends named Girish Vyas had gone to America. I talked to him about coming to America. He comforted me about arranging my tourist visa. Soon it was ready. When father came to know that my visa to go to America it was the year 1975. He immediately made them check the resource from where I got the US visa. The officials suggested him to get the answer from me. My father asked me,

'Where did you get the money from? Take my oath and say that you have not done anything wrong, have you?'

“I had to lie at that time. If I had spoken the truth, I would have had to bear the wrath of my father. I still feel the pain of that lie.

“My Father came to drop me at the airport. Later I got the news that my strict father had burst into tears after turning me over. My Father was stern on the outside but his heart was sincere. He knew that I would get spoiled under his parasol and I will be able to prove myself worthy of doing something extraordinary only after being away from my family.

“Being the son of a governor, I lived like a prince in India. My real struggle started after reaching America. There was no stability about my residence and meal. I started with a small job there and worked as a waiter in a restaurant. Food and place to sleep were available there. I would be happy if someone gave a tip. That would cover my other expenses. Therefore, even today I don't miss to tip a large amount if I go to a hotel. I used to work during day and continued my study during night. I was a failure in the chartered account. After thirteen years of hard work, I passed the Chartered Accounts exam in 1988 and obtained a CPA license. ‘If one works hard, fortune also helps.’ After getting the license, it was as if the door of my destiny had opened. Steven, Sloan and Shah had founded CPA Group. They had provided services for decades due to which they got both the name and the wealth.

“Here, in India the situation is quite different. The reason of sorrow in India is far from reality. Even if there is no money, people use to borrow and spend on an occasion. You will be surprised to know that the total cost of my son's wedding was only one hundred dollars.

“I have learned from my life experiences that there is prosperity in poverty. The one who has not suffered in his life is a very unfortunate person. Struggle brings out one's inner strength and let it flourish.  Apart from God, there is no God Father.  Work hard diligently and God will reward you. Stay away from addiction and never torture the women in your home. Serving the needy is the mantra of success.”

He often visits Vatrak to meet the needy people to understand and provide all possible helps. He formed Sakhi-Mandal and caused an economic revolution in the lives of hundreds of rural women. As the motive of his life is the core development of India, he is always ready to pour donations, may it be the matter of modernizing a school or equipping a hospital with the latest facilities.

He inherited Gandhian thoughts from his father. He strictly insists truth and cleanliness. He picks up the piece of garbage by himself whenever he comes to see it in any public place. He doesn’t hesitate to clean the toilet at Punitvan, Gandhinagar if it’s dirty. One should learn to be down to earth even after reaching the Everest of Success from the life of Mr. Prakash Shah.

Mr. Prakash Shah is a modern Sage. It is a very precious moment to meet and talk with him.

To read this article in Gujarati pl. click here

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