"Everything can be achieved if you really want it. Hard work will not get you anywhere, if you do not possess the presence of mind, to decide where to  put those efforts. Education will cultivate that and strong willpower and good heart, that will get you to the top of the mountain, across the seas and amongst the noble few."

Spoken with a zest, Chandreshbhai J Thakkar, wants to make the younger generation realize that though they have been given all sorts of facilities by the modern age, they shouldn't forget where they come from. Also, hard work and good education will always help them.

Chandreshbhai was born in an average family in the Rethal, Sanand Gujarat. His early days were full of struggle.  With just a pair of clothes to wear (and footwear unheard of) this young child had great determination to study. His poor and kind father, tried his level best to provide for his children. 

Borrowing Rs. 97, towards the fees of 6 months of education, Chandresh was sent to the Dholka Lohana Chatralaya to study, where he so impressed his teachers, that it was an unsaid rule to who was to occupy the first place in the class. When the S.S.C.E papers were too hard and students were sure that they would fail (the results proving that) One Math teacher was sure that his student Chandresh would have had full marks and yeah, it was true. So willed he was on educating himself, Chandresh never looked back since. He graduated as an Engineer from the Morbi Engineering College.

Then came the hardest period of his life. There were no jobs around for engineers, and he went to Bombay and started a job at Rs.250 a month. A couple of years later, in 1972 November, a famine was declared in Gujarat, and many engineers were called back, Chandresh was one of them. 
Others looked for easier jobs, not Chandresh, he volunteered for the hardest and remotest of all regions, a part called Khadir, in Kutch. A one man show, he faced so many obstacles like heat, corruption and non-cooperation. Still he completed all the projects, got water in the area, and left a mark in the hearts of the common people.

This was the starting of his fight for the common man, his heart set to help them in all and any way he could. He continued to volunteer for such jobs that most colleagues shunned, and always came out a hero. One of the same kinds was in 1975, in Jamnagar and Rajkot, where he was assigned as a junior engineer.

His hard work and presence of mind came into the eyes of several top-notch persons, in August 79, when The Machhu Dam, created havoc in Morbi. It was flooded and left unapproachable. Immersed in 32 ft of water, Morbi needed help desperately. His unit was asked to escort the Agricultural Minister, Mr. Keshubhai Patel, to the site. Others failed, but it took only 5 hours for the witty and hardworking Chandreshbhai, to clear the derbies and get the minister through.

When Shri BabuJashbhai Patel, the Chief Minister asked to visit the Waterworks site, the army that had taken charge of Morbi, refused point-blank to take the risk, but using the 3 bulldozers available, and with Chandresh, his supervisor and his colleague at the wheels, they cleared the roads, and took the CM to the waterworks.

Here he was noticed for the presence of mind and his ability to troubleshoot. Office politics took over and he was transferred immediately, following which he went on leave and started giving voluntary services to the relief activities in Morbi.
 
Later he was transferred to the Gandhinagar Sachivalaya. He was known for his boldness, for daring to speak the truth, his loyalty and his nature to have the good of the common man close to his heart. He was equally respected amongst fellow engineers, and his department for his engineering capabilities, his knowledge, (many 1200 ft. tube wells, boast the fact, where if not for him, the projects would have rotted).

In 1981,though being a junior engineer, he was directly given the AC charge  Within four years of outstanding work he managed the completion of many projects. In 1985 when famine stuck again in Jamnagar, he was the first one to volunteer and later on till 1991, was stationed in Jamnagar. During his tenure in Jamnagar, he developed the first self supported Water Supply Scheme. Jamnagar Municipal Corporation was the first in Asia, to have this kind of facility. He increased the revenue from 40 lacs per year to 3.6 crores, not by more taxes and harassing the common man but by concentrating on curbing the leaky and corrupt ways. We may say that he succeeded at most. 

Many a projects which he took over were laughed at first, but the realization of each successive dream kept him going, and his hard work ultimately has him boasting of many a remote villages today blessing him for the water they get everyday. 

He was transferred to the World Bank Cell, by the government on a direct order, where he represented India for  four years, and W H O appreciated his hard work by awarding him a Fellowship in Leicester. In 1995 he was appointed as the Chief Secretary to Keshubhai Patel, whom he has been with since.  

Loyalty, Hard work and Willpower will get a man to his heights. His wife Shrimati Ranjanben Thakkar, who's working with the United India Insurance, says ever since they got married in 1974 says, "I have not seen my husband rest peacefully". His country was always on his mind first, and now she and her children are proud of him. Chandreshbhai admits, that without the strong support of his family, he wouldn't have achieved what he has. A mental peace of having done a lifetime of good, and still going strong.....

Lohanaonline.com has been blessed by him. And we wish him and his family all the best. 

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