Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Sept 8: No one knows what is in store of fate for him and same came true for young Manoj Kumar Raina a Kashmiri Pandit youth who became first crorepati from J&K in the famous sine star Amitabh Bachan’s game show “Kaun Banega Crorepati 6’’ (KBC6) on August 23. Though participating in the show and coming out with flying colours was a distant dream for Manoj which came true due to his hard work and devotion.
Hailing from village Chowgam in South Kashmir district of Kulgam in Kashmir Valley Manoj left the Kashmir along with his parents during the mass exodus of Pandits after militancy broke in Valley in 1989 at that time he was in his twenties and reading in class 12th.
Though migration from the birth place came a bolt to bleu for entire family but it did not give in and continued struggle. Manoj along with his elder brother S K Raina and sister Veena Raina devoted his time to studies and trio qualified the B.Sc Degree with flying colours.
Both the brothers competed in the Central Government services examinations and Manoj got a job in Railway while his brother was selected in Income Tax Department.
But Manoj wanted to do some thing extraordinary even after getting a job in Railways.
The destruction and havoc created by terrorism in Kashmir had disturbed him lot after hundreds members of his community were killed by the militants supported by Pakistan.
“On the behest of Pakistan hundreds of innocent people of my community were done to death and this perturbed me a lot as no one was expecting that such a large scale violence will break out in Kashmir which otherwise was a crime free place’’, Manoj told Excelsior in a special interview today.
Manoj after becoming Crorepati took first decision to rebuilt a small house in his native village where he along with his parents Jia and Bansi Lal Raina also visited after emerging victorious in the game show CBC. The native villagers at Chowgam not only welcomed the family but prayed for return of their Hindu brethren to Valley without whom they feel incomplete.
Manoj who is putting up at Paloura Top here has all praise for Jammuites. “The love and affection given to us as a community by the people of Jammu when we took refuge here will be remembered by me always’’ he said.
Commenting on his achievement Manoj said “the money is not criteria but it was a moment of prestige for people of entire state as I was the first person from J&K to achieve this title’’.
Manoj wants to do some social work by creating self help groups to bring cheer on the faces of those community children who face some domestic problems and can’t compete along with others in life.
While briefing about the sequences of events how he took part in KBC, he said as the KBC series started in 2000 he tried to compete since then but eluded success till this year.
“I tried my level hard but success was far away from me. However I didn’t lose heart’’ said Manoj, adding “the turning point in my life came after my transfer to Konkan Railways on deputation in 2005 when his boss Vinod Kumar gave him a Hindi poem written by him for retagging in 2009. “I while going through the poem its theme was Koshish Karney Waloon Ki Kabi Haar Nahi Hoti Hain. (Those who struggle never lose) “This proved prophetic for me and I tried my luck again in crorepati and finally I made it on August 23’’, he added.
On my remarkable achievement Amitabh Bachan congratulated and hugged me. “His words were totally encouraging that I have made it and you are the first winner from J&K and have created history by becoming a crorepati in first episode as others have achieved this feat after 30 episodes’’Manoj said while quoting Amitabh.
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