Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan comes from humble beginnings- he was born in Khutat-Tappa, Parasi Bazaar Sawatikar, on January 1, 1949 to Rudra Bahadur Pradhan who was a farmer and Jagat Kumari Pradhan.

वहाँको जन्म साधारण किसान परिवारमा भएको थियो । पिता रुद्र बहादुर प्रधान र माता जगत कुमारी प्रधानको सुपुत्रको रुपमा वहाँको जन्म सन् १९४९ जनवरी १ मा खुट्टा-टप्पा, परासी बजारमा भएको थियो।

Dhruba B. Pradhan comes from humble beginnings- he was born in Khutat-Tappa, Parasi Bazaar Sawatikar, on January 1, 1949 to Rudra Bahadur Pradhan who was a farmer and Jagat Kumari Pradhan.

वहाँको जन्म साधारण किसान परिवारमा भएको थियो । पिता रुद्र बहादुर प्रधान र माता जगत कुमारी प्रधानको सुपुत्रको रुपमा वहाँको जन्म सन् १९४९ जनवरी १ मा खुट्टा-टप्पा, परासी बजारमा भएको थियो।

Dhruba B. Pradhan Early Life

Dhruba B. Pradhan early years were spent in the village, where he only had access to informal education. Back then, gurus would come from India to Nepal, to teach children in the open fields, and he remembers learning how to write his first letter with his teacher, Sita Ram Upadhay. By the time a more formal school system was established, which was still studying under an open roof, but in a land provided by Shiva Prasad Yadav, he attended the first “school” set up in Kasiya Chour. Dhruba B. Pradhan remembers being in Grade 5 at the time, and learning the Nepali anthem for the first time, when some Nepal Army members came to the area. He completed much of his formative education years in Nawal Parasi, and had the good fortune to learn from his Uncle and cousin who were studying Benaras and Gorakhpur to further expand his learnings and understanding of the world.

वहाँको प्रारम्भिक बाल्यकाल गाउँमै बित्यो जहाँ वहाँले अनौपचारिक शिक्षा मात्र प्राप्त गर्नुभयो। त्यो समयमा खुला चौरमै पठन-पाठनको काम हुन्थ्यो र बाल-बालिकाहरुलाई पढाउनको लागि भारतबाट गुरुहरु ल्याइन्थ्यो। आफ्नो गुरु सिताराम उपाध्यायबाट पहिलो चोटि अक्षर/ पत्र/ चिट्ठी लेख्न सिकेको वहाँलाई अझै याद छ। खुला चौरमा नै औपचारिक शिक्षा लिने व्यवस्था आएपछि स्थानीय शिवप्रसाद यादवले उपलब्ध गराएको जग्गामा कासिया चौरमा स्थापना भएको विद्यालय नै वहाँको पहिलो विद्यालय थियो।त्यस समयमा वहाँ कक्षा ५ मा भर्ना हुनुभएको थियो । उक्त विद्यालयमा नेपाली सेनाका केही सदस्यहरु आएपछि पहिलो पटक राष्ट्रिय गीत सिकेको पनि वहाँलाई याद छ। वहाँले प्राथमिक शिक्षा नवलपरासीमै हासिल गर्नुभयो र बनारस र गोरखपुरमा अध्ययन गरिरहेका आफ्ना काका र दाईबाट अझै सिक्ने र संसारको बारेमा बुझ्ने अवसर प्राप्त गर्नुभयो ।

Education

Dhruba B. Pradhan moved to Kathmandu when he was starting Grade 10, and joined Banasthali Boarding High School from where he completed his School Leaving Certificate (SLC). After completing his SLC, he joined Trichandra College in 2021 BS.

After he completed his first year of his intermediate college, in 2022 BS, his mother passed away. A central figure who was supportive of his education and personal development, her loss at this time was a difficult period during his life. Regardless, Dhruba B. Pradhan didn’t lose hope and got his brother’s support to continue his second year of Intermediate College. While studying at Trichandra College, he experienced advocating for justice proactively for the first time. During the Trichandra College Anniversary, after the attendance of royal dignitaries, the students came to know that a DIG level officer had misbehaved with a female student. Once he found out the students led a large protest to make sure the guilty was charged. He remembers leading the strike and protest for the “western sector schools in Kantipath” during that time, and gathering students from Shanti Niketan, Juddhodaya and Paropkar- where they shut all schools until the guilty was punished.

कक्षा १० मा अध्ययनको लागि वहाँ काठमाडौँ आउनुभयो र बनस्थली बोर्डिङ हाईस्कुलमा भर्ना हुनुभयो जहाँबाट वहाँले स्कुल लिभिङ सर्टिफिकेट (एसएलसी) सम्मको अध्ययन पुरा गर्नुभयो । त्यसपछि वहाँ वि.स. २०२१ मा त्रिचन्द्र कलेजमा भर्ना हुनुभयो। २०२२ सालमा कलेजको पहिलो वर्ष पूरा गरेपछि वहाँको आमाको निधन भयो। आफ्नो शिक्षा र समग्र व्यक्तित्व विकासमा सदैव हौसला र प्रेरणा दिइरहने ममतामयी आमाको निधनबाट वहाँलाई अपुरणीय क्षति पुग्न गयो । त्यो समय वहाँको लागि अत्यन्तै कठिन समय थियो तर पनि वहाँले आफ्नो आत्मबल बलियो बनाएर दाईको सहयोगमा कलेजको दोश्रो वर्ष पनि पुरा गर्नुभयो । त्रिचन्द्र कलेजमै अध्ययन गर्दाको दौरान वहाँले न्यायको पक्षमा वकालत गर्न शुरु गर्नुभयो । एकपल्ट त्रिचन्द्र कलेजको वार्षिकोत्सवको अवसरमा राजपरिवारका विशिष्ट सदस्यहरुको उपस्थिति थियो।उक्त कार्यक्रममा डिआइजीले एक छात्रालाई दुर्व्यवहार गरेको विद्यार्थीहरुले थाहा पाए । उनले त्यो कुरा थाहा पाउनासाथ् दोषीलाई कारबाहीको माग गर्दै विद्यार्थीहरुले ठुलो प्रदर्शन गरे । त्यो समयमा कन्तिपथका पश्चिमी क्षेत्रका विद्यालयहरूको लागि विरोध प्रदर्शन गरेको हड्तालको नेतृत्व गरेको वहाँलाई याद छ। शान्ति निकेतन, जुद्धोदय र परोपकार स्कुलको विद्यार्थीहरू भेला गरेर दोषीलाई कारबाही नभएसम्म सबै विद्यालयहरू बन्द गरेको वहाँलाई राम्रोसँग सम्झना छ।

Now, looking back, Dhruba B. Pradhan fondly reminisces that this was one of the first large scale events in which he actively took leadership in fighting for justice. Many present day political leaders still remember him for this act he took during that time.

अहिले फर्केर हेर्दा वहाँलाई लाग्छ कि त्यो नै ठूलो स्तरको पहिलो घटनाहरू मध्ये एक थियो जसमा उहाँले न्यायको लागि लड्न सक्रिय रूपमा नेतृत्व लिनुभयो। त्यो समयमा वहाँले गर्नुभएको उक्त नेतृत्वको लागि अहिले पनि धेरै राजनीतिक नेताहरूले वहाँलाई सम्झन्छन्।

Mr. Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan with his wife Mrs. Nirmala Shrestha

Once he completed his ISc, his financial situation was still challenging. Dhruba B. Pradhan was decent in studies, so he decided to teach. He continued to study BSc and taught to make his ends meet, and complete his education. Once he completed his BSc, he started teaching science and mathematics at Durbar High School. It was during this time his life came to a crossroads: he applied for Electrical Engineering in Russia, he applied for an MSc in Chemistry, and he also applied for an opportunity to join the Nepal Police as an Inspector.

आइएस्सिको अध्ययन पश्चात वहाँको आर्थिक अवस्था झनै चुनौतीपूर्ण भयो । वहाँ पढाईमा अब्बल हुनुहुन्थ्यो। त्यसैले आफ्नो बिएस्सिको अध्ययन पुरा गर्न र आर्थिक आवश्यकता पुरा गर्न वहाँले पढाउन थाल्नुभयो। बिएस्सि सकाएपछि वहाँले दरबार हाइस्कुलमा गणित र विज्ञान अध्यापन गराउन शुरु गर्नुभयो ।

It took almost a year for him to hear back from Russia, or the Nepal Police- where he had given 2 Lok Sewa Papers, and 2 police exams; but he was hopeful as he was sound in education and good at physical fitness and sports. While waiting he continued to teach at Durbar School, continued to MSc degree, and stayed with brother Bam Bahadur Pradhan.

यसै समयमा वहाँको जीवनमा एउटा महत्त्वपूर्ण मोड आयो । वहाँले रसियामा इलेक्ट्रिकल इन्जिनियरिङको लागि आवेदन दिनुभयो। त्यसै समयमा वहाँले रसायन शास्त्रमा स्नातकोत्तरको लागि पनि आवेदन दिनुभएको थियो र नेपाल प्रहरीमा पनि इन्स्पेक्टर पदको लागि आवेदन दिनुभएको थियो ।रसियाबाट खबर पाउन र नेपाल प्रहरीको नतिजा आउन वहाँले करीब एक वर्ष नै कुर्नुपर्यो । त्यस समयमा वहाँले नेपाल प्रहरीको लागि २ वटा लोकसेवाको परिक्षा २ वटा प्रहरीको परिक्षा दिइसक्नु भएको थियो । शैक्षिक पृष्ठभुमि र शारिरीक सुगठन पनि राम्रो भएकोले वहाँ दुवैतिर बाट सकरात्मक नतिजा आउनेमा आशावादी हुनुहुन्थ्यो ।नतिजा कुर्दै गर्दा वहाँले आफ्नो शिक्षण पेशा पनि निरन्तर जारी नै राख्नुभएको थियो, सँग-सँगै अध्ययन पनि निरन्तर अगाडि बढाइरहनुभएको थियो । उक्त समयमा वहाँ आफ्नो दाई भाई बम बहादुर प्रधानको साथमा नै रहनुभयो।

When he finally heard back from Russia and the Police, he was accepted into both. It was in 2027 BS that he took the decision with a lot of deliberation and chose to enter the Nepal Police.

एक वर्षपछि वहाँलाई रुस र नेपाल प्रहरी दुवैबाट सकरात्मक नतिजा प्राप्त भयो । यो २०२७ सालको कुरा थियो। अन्तत धेरै सोचविचार पछि वहाँले नेपाल प्रहरीमा नै भर्ती हुने निर्णय लिनुभयो ।

Values

From a young age, Dhruba B. Pradhan, had a strong belief that he needed to help those less fortunate than him. He would collect wood that the flood water brought in, risking his life to collect wood so that elderly in his village could use the wood for fuel and fodder. He has fond memories of playing guleli, flying kites, and fishing with his friends, and playing with matyangrah (maato ko guccha) where they could make 100 with 1 paisa back in the day. From a young age, he would collect all the young children of his village and form a “battalion” and go to the forest, or play kabbadi and kusti in the village akhada. In a way, he was blessed with leadership qualities from a young age with the ability to mix with everyone in his village regardless of their caste, class or ethnic background.

ध्रुव बहादुर प्रधान सानैदेखि आफुभन्दा कमजोर मानिसहरुलाई सहयोग गर्नुपर्छ भन्ने कुरामा दृढ विश्वास राख्नुहुन्थ्यो । यतिसम्म कि आफ्नो ज्यान नै जोखिममा राखेर वहाँले बाढीले ल्याएको दाउराहरु जम्मा गरेर गाउँको अशक्त र वृद्ध-वृद्धाहरुलाई बाँडिदिनुहुन्थ्यो ताकि उनीहरुले खाना पकाउन र आगो ताप्न सकुन । साथीहरुसँग गुलेली खेलेको, चङ्गा उडाएको, माछा मार्न गएको अनि मट्याङ्रा (माटोको गुच्चा) खेलेर एकै दिनमा एक पैसाबाट एक रुपँया कमाएको क्षणहरु वहाँको स्मृतिमा आज पनि ताजै छन् । त्यो बेलादेखि नै वहाँ गाउँका केटा-केटीहरुलाई बटुलेर बटालियन बनाएर या त जङल जान्थे या त गाउँकै अखडामा कुस्ती र कबड्डी खेल्थे। एक किसिमले भन्नुपर्दा वहाँमा सानै उमेरदेखि नै जात, वर्ग वा जातीय पृष्ठभूमिको पर्वाह नगरी आफ्नो गाउँका सबैसँग घुलमिल हुने क्षमता भएको नेतृत्वशाली गुण थियो।