Shri O P Jindal - A Tribute
Shri Om Prakash Jindal more popularly
known as O.P. Jindal was born on August 7, 1930 to a farmer Late Netram
Jindal of village Nalwa of district Hisar in Haryana. Since his childhood
the young Jindal had interested in technical work. He started his industrial
career with a small bucket-manufacturing unit in Hisar. In 1964, he
commissioned a Pipe Unit Jindal India Limited, followed by a large factory
in 1969 under the name Jindal Strips Limited.
Sh. Jindal always had the conviction that India should be self-reliant in
every sector of industry. He visited several foreign countries to elicit
latest industrial technical development and know-how. He acquired a great
deal of knowledge, which he aptly applied to enhance production of his
industrial establishments. At present, there are twenty factories under the
flagship of the Jindal Organization, which are worth over Rs.17,500 crores,
under whose umbrella thousands of families directly or indirectly benefit
themselves.

Sh. O.P. Jindal was the Chairman of the
Jindal Organization. In November 2004, Sh. Jindal was conferred the
prestigious "Life Time Achievement Award" for his outstanding
contribution to the Indian Steel Industry by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce
& Industry. According to the latest Forbes' List, Sh. O.P. Jindal has
been ranked 13th amongst the richest Indians of the country and placed 548th
amongst the richest persons of the world.
His life's mission was to help others
particularly the common man in every possible way. The list of his
philanthropic activities is rather long. He was the Chairman of N.C. Jindal
Charitable Trust, under whose auspices a 300 Bed N.C. Jindal Institute of
Medical Care functions in Hisar Haryana. A 10+2 Girls Residential School in
the name of Vidya Devi Jindal School is also run at Hisar. The girls school
spreads over 40 acres of land. Another 10+2 school by the name of N.C.
Jindal Public School for 4000 students is being run in Delhi. For his
selfless social services and philanthropic contributions, he was unanimously
nominated as the Chairman of the Maharaja Agarsen Medical Education &
Scientific Research Society. He was also the custodian trustee of the Agroha
Vikas Trust. Sh. Jindal was known for his unassuming generosity and donates
crores of rupees annually not only to known but also to needy strangers.
Numerous social and religious institution of India also received liberal
donations from Sh. Jindal for noble causes.

He was a successful industry visionary and
would remain as a role model for others. On account of his dedicated
services to various sections of society particularly, of the poor and
backward classes, he was revered by all. In the recent years, he was
dedicating his maximum time for alleviating poverty of the economically
backward people. Sh. Jindal always advocated for granting a rightful place
for weaker sections in politics. He was above caste politics and wanted all
to come up regardless of their caste, colour and creed. For these qualities
he commanded great respect amongst the masses. He firmly held the view that
all differences in life that exist today can be amicably resolved with
meaningful meetings and dialogues.
Sh. Jindal's philosophy was that without
the upliftment of weaker and backward sections of society our nation's dream
of being a leading nation of the world shall remain unfulfilled. To realize
his this conviction he was motivated into politics. Like industry even in
politics he had a successful story to tell. He received tremendous support
and cooperation of people in the political arena and resultantly became a
Member of the Haryana Legislative Assembly in 1991. Soon after in 1996, he
was elected as a Member of Parliament in the 11th Lok Sabha from the
Kurukshetra Parliamentary Constituency of Haryana with a landslide victory.
Infact, he was the first industrialist of India to be elected as a Member of
Parliament in Lok Sabha.
As a Member of Parliament, he proved
himself as a matured, seasoned and an honest parliamentarian who came up to
the expectation of people, who had consigned faith in him. He liberally
funded various welfare projects not only from the Government but also from
his personal resources. Sh. Jindal was a sitting Congress MLA from the Hisar
Legislative Assembly and was appointed Minister of Power, Govt. of Haryana.
Sh. Jindal won the Hisar Legislative Assembly seat of Haryana consecutively
thrice.
Sh. Jindal's mantra was where others saw walls he saw doors.
Then whether it was opening doors or breaking down walls he always led the
way.
The life journey of Sh. Jindal from a farmer's son to a successful
industrialist, a philanthropist, a politician and a leader would serve as a
great source of inspiration for generations to come.