 Early Times Report
JAMMU, Aug 11: At a simple but impressive function, a philanthropic family of Jammu today launched a scholarship for divyang students of economically poor background. Named as Dulari Uppal Divyang Scholarship for Excellence, every year five hearing handicapped students will be selected as per agreed criterion and paid Rs 7400 each.
The Promoter Smt Dulari Uppal will be providing Rs 37000 for this scholarship annually. As per the arrangement, she will provide funds equivalent to 500 Singapore dollars for poverty-cum-merit scholarship for five students every year, initially for three years, extendable for another term. The family will also provide equal amount annually to the Samaj Kalyan Kendra for infrastructure development.
Dulari Uppal herself distributed the certificates and cheques to the five students. They are Arun Singh Manhas of 4th class, Kirti Angral of 5th class, Rahul Bhandral of 7th class, Ritish Kumar of 8th class and Sahil Kumar of 10th class. Two of them have lost their father and parents of other three hardly make both ends meet.
Her daughter, Gauri Uppal, the moving spirit for such charitable initiatives, shifted to Singapore in 1973. Wife of a former Foreign Service Officer of Singapore Govt. she has set up 'The Learning Farm', 21 years ago, and devoted her life to this free of charges residential agricultural school to help vulnerable youth to return to their villages for organic farming. Masters in Linguistics, she not only helped her son Nihal who was born deaf, with speech therapy after the cochlear implant, but also helped deaf population in Singapore, Indonesia, UK, Malaysia, Australia and USA. Nihal has made stupendous achievement after Cochlear implant and therapy, and completed Computer engineering from University of Melbourne. Currently, he is working as a Senior Engineer with DISNEY in London.
A hearing Handicapped in the family, they are motivated to help similar handicapped students in Jammu, their native place, and finally arrangement was tied up with the Samaj Kalyan Kendra which runs a school for Hearing Handicapped up to 12th class free of cost.
The Promoter, Dulari Kohli had schooling in Model Academy and studied classical music and married to Bal Krishan Uppal who after studying in Ranbir High School and Punjab University, joined Merchant Navy. He passed away only last month in Jammu. While the family first moved to Calcutta and then to Singapore, they keep visiting Jammu calling themselves as proud Dogra and always like to do something for Jammu. Early this year, Gauri instituted ten scholarships for the students of Ranbir Higher Secondary School in the name her father Bal Krishan Uppal.
Earlier, the President of SKK, K B Jandial welcomed Dulari and her daughter Gauri for instituting a scholarship for their students and hoped that this arrangement would continue. Commending the family's charitable initiatives in Jammu and abroad, he described both late Bal Krishan Uppal and Dulari as proud Dogra. He apprised Smt Uppal the history of the school set up by a philanthropist and visionary late Dr R R Khajuria 45 years ago in a rented room in a temple and now housed in Custodian property. He made a special mention of the benevolence of the Lt Governor Manoj Sihna and said that he is getting a new school building for Divyang students and in about 18 months, these students will be studying in a building with modern amenities and much better environment.
The General Secreatry, J K Vaid gave a detailed account the challenges the SKK and the School experienced in 45 years' long journey but these could not deter the NGO from the chosen path of welfare of these Divyang and successfully overcome all odds. He thanked Uppal family for their laudable initiative.
Vice Principal Neelam Sharma presented the formal vote of thanks.
Present on the occasion included Vice President Brig (Ret) Dr Rakesh Khajuira, Prem Gupta, B B Magotra, Nisar Ahmad, O P Sharma, V K Padha, Principal Roshan Bhan. |
