Bharat Sahu: The Corporate Honcho of NALCO

Bharat Sahu is a who-is-who in the corporate circle of Bhubaneswar. He is the Deputy Company Secretary of National Aluminium Company Ltd. NALCO is one of the Nabaratna public sector company(PSU’s) of India. The Profit After Tax(PAT) for the year FY 2017-18 is INR 1,342 crores. Though NALCO is a PSU yet it is worth a note compare the magnitude of this company with the health budget of the state of Odisha which is a cool 1,796 crores.

Bharat was born to a mediocre family of Titilagarh in Balangir district. During childhood he was brought up under the dire circumstances of life. His father was operating a small grocery store to support his five siblings. At Titilagarh Bharat has attended government run Oriya schools virtually free of cost to learn the alpha numerics in Oriya vernacular. He was paying  an abysmal monthly fee of Rs.16(Sixteen Rupee only) to do his Graduation in Commerce from DAV College of Titilagarh.

The five siblings at home were brought up by his father on a hand to mouth basis. Bharat did not availed any luxury the way most of us might have brought up. They did not even used to have a television set at home. Each Sunday evening Bharat was going to their neighbour’s house to watch the Hindi movies that were telecast by Doordarshan. Like any other youngster Bharat was fond of watching movies. There was only one cinema theatre at Titilagarh i.e. Kailash Talkies. Bharat did not use to have money to buy even a ticket so as to watch movies.  When Bharat was accumulating Rs.2 he used to go theatre to watch a movie. He recalls those bygone era when there were no multiplexes and online booking of movie tickets the way it is done today in the metropolitan cities. Quite often his hand used to be scratched while buying a cinema ticket from the counter due to push and pull. To refresh his mouth during the intermission all that he could afford to buy was peanuts by sparing 50 Paise. With this little luxury of life Bharat spent his college life.

Bharat had an unforgettable event of his life while pursuing B.Com(Hons) at DAV College, Titilagarh. Those days people use to watch movies in the televisions by hiring a Video Cassette Player(VCP). The rental for one video show was Rs.20, whereas for entire night it was Rs.50/- for three movies. Bharat befriended with the caretaker of VCP and use to go along with that boy to watch the latest released movies free of cost. In the year 1988 the Hindi movie “Ram teri Ganga maili” was released. It was a R.K.Film production of Raj Kapoor. He got to know the Gujrati owner of Jayanti Hotel had hired a VCR to watch this particular movie. Bharat had the urge to watch particularly the scene when the heroin Mandakini would be bathing at a waterfall. Bharat watched the whole movie and from there went to have the Rajbhog at the Astaprahari. By the time he finished dinner at astaprahari it was late night.

At around 11.30PM while he was crossing the railway pedestal bridge his father was coming from the other side. On seeing Bharat his father asked, where the hell you have been, without informing mother? Is it the time to return home? He was furious. He lifted his shoe and started beating Bharat rampantly while shouting. His father dragged Bharat and took home while beating him with sticks that were laying on the road. Residents of Katkia Pada came out of their houses to check what the uproar is all about. It was an embarrassing situation for Bharat because girls of the street were watching from the windows of their homes all the proceedings of the court martial of this stoic young man. On reaching home his mother immediately embraced Bharat while crying. She hedged her son from getting anymore thrash from his father. She enquired Bharat if he had taken the dinner anywhere or not?

Since Bharat was a young man he too could have revolted, but controlled his senses. Next morning with a resentment Bharat abstained himself from taking breakfast. But at noon hours his caring mother made him partake a bowl of basi pakhal. It was such an embarrassing event for Bharat that he could not step out of his home for next three days.

Bharat was in a state of depression and went on to think of commiting suicide. That event made a deep impact in his life. Bharat tried to understand under what circumstances his father was earning money by doing a petty business to support them. Even though his father was not that literate yet he was knowing how to do upbringing of his children. Neither Bharat nor his brothers ever dare to speak a word with his dad. Whereas it’s an irony to watch the way today children are brought up in every home. As on this date in English medium schools they are not teaching the Indian social and cultural values. Due to rampant commercialisation the needs of children are getting skyrocketing. The things they ask need to be fulfilled instantly, otherwise they revolt against their parents. Either they would do hunger strike or fled from their home.

This particular event taught a big lesson to Bharat. There onwards he became calm and quite. He was vigilant on his senses, which were flattering here and there. He focused on the priorities of his life. At morning he use to attend college, at evening was roaming with friends on the narrow streets of Titilagarh, but at night religiously doing his studies.

In the year 1991 he went to New Delhi with just Rs.1,600/- to join the course of CS that is offered by Institute of Company Secretaries of India(ICSI). He was nervous to carry this little amount, fearing if it stolen in the train how will he manage at such a big metropolitan city. In the train every other hour he was checking his trouser pocket, if money purse is there intact. On reaching New Delhi for five months his elder brother sent Rs.800/- a month. With this meagre money Bharat use to manage his expenses.

Due to constraint of money while studying in the NIRC(North India Regional Council) of ICSI all that Bharat could afford was to have एक बटा दो (one by two) glass of tea. Which means he was sharing one glass of tea with any of his friend. The cost of a glass of tea was Rs.2 but all he had to pay Rs.1 instead. While doing so he was saving One Rupee. He focussed on the target, instead of the troubles in which his life was lingering in.  

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