Arpan honours groundsman

AUGUST 15: For nearly three decades life had been a drudgery for Jagdish Jaiswal. Forced to step in his father’s shoes as a groundsman at the Dadar Parsee Colony ground after the latter died, Jagdish hated to tell his friends back home in Uttar Pradesh about his profession. But on Sunday, he was a proud man flaunting his trade with pride. The 49-year-old resident of the club had every reason to do so after being honoured for his services by former Indian swing bowler Balwinder Singh Sandhu.All these years, Jagdish was confined to the sidelines even as the cricketers honed their skills on surfaces which he nursed with great care. Today, it was an occasion he felt was a “just reward for hard work.” For one who values self-respect the most, Jagdish says more than the award of Rs 35,000, it is “samaaj mein samman” (respect in society) that matters the most. “To be honoured before all big people is which I cherish the most. It wouldn’t have mattered even if the amount had been Rs 5,000,” remarks Jagdish, whohad to cut short his education and land in Mumbai in 1971. “I never failed till Standard XII and was keen to continue studies but could not do so.

Back home all my friends are working for various State departments and awkward situations do arise when they ask me about my job,” he reminisces.Penury may have snuffed out his academic ambition, but Jagdish is determined to educate his children Jaiprakash, Vijay and Shivprakash. “The money I received today will be for the education for the kids,” he says.While it was a moment to treasure for Jagdish, it was a dream come true for Sandhu. The former Test player had been nursing the ambition for such a project since the past eight years. The seeds were sown last year during his benefit match when he formed a trust to extend financial support to the groundsmen. Probably, the only cricketer in the country to come to the aid of the impoverished groudsmen, Sandhu named the scheme Arpan and dedicated it to the memory of his late father, Harnam Singh Naz, who was aPunjabi poet and writer of short stories.

Lloyd Capital Management Ltd are the scheme’s financial advisor for children’s education and other needs of the beneficiary’s family.“They deserve more than the contribution I’ve made,” said Sandhu while speaking at the presentation ceremony which included his coach Ramakant Achrekar.

Terming his scheme as “a movement”, Sandhu hoped that other Test cricketers and more sponsors would join him in helping the maalis and groundsmen. That the unprecedented scheme was launched on Independence Day and Sandhu can be excused for his wishful thinking.