Hari Ram (Bhadani)

Hari Ram was born in a Mahuri Vaisya family on 30 August 1920 in the village of Pachamba, near Giridih, Jharkhand state, India. His family name was Bhadani, which he never used He was born into a family of very moderate means but of excellent ethics. His tenacity carried him to a very high echelon of administrative level of Bihar Finance Service, Government of Bihar, India.

The year 1938 was a historical year for Giridih High School – a Bengali boy from that school has topped the list of Matriculation Board Examination of the-then combined Matriculation Board of Bihar/Assam/Bengal/Orissa. In the same year, from the same school and in the same Board examination, one Mahuri Vaisya boy from a nearby village, Pachamba, has secured the 4th position. That mahuri boy was Hari Ram, and with the help of Government and private scholarships, he could enter Science College, Patna which was at that time one of the premiere educational destinations of Eastern India. There that Mahuri boy continued to secure First Class First in all University examinations: in 1940 in Intermediate Science, in 1942 in Bachelor of Science (Physics-Hons) and in 1944 in Masters of Science (Physics). As the Second World War (1939-1945) was at its peak and the entire Europe was burning, that young Mahuri boy was denied the permission by the British Government to reach his destination (a particular German University) for doing research in Atomic physics as the Germany had been declared an enemy state by the British Empire. It may be noted that at that time doing any higher studies in Physics was considered very prestigious and challenging like pursuing courses at IITs and IIMs. On account of financial constraints, he could not continue his research at the Indian Institue of Science, Banglore.  

Hari Ram was invited by an English Secretary of Government of Bihar, and was asked to take up employment as a Gazetted Officer and was posted as a Deputy Collector of Purulia distirct – that time a district of Bihar but now one of the districts the West Bengal, India. For simple economical reasons, he was forced to take up that job in 1944. Soon due to certain reasons, he changed his job and joined Bihar Financial Service as a Commercial Tax Officer. Ultimately, he reached the highest position possible in Bihar Finance Service, Government of Bihar, apart from having served as a member of Commercial Taxes Tribunal, Government of Bihar. On 31st August, 1978, he retired as a Joint Commissioner of Commercial Taxes, Government of Bihar.

All along, he remained a simple, pious and religious and an active and energetic person till the last moment of his life. Hariram breathed his last on 20th April, 1996, while reading The Economic Times and discussing matters of topical interests with his youngest brother, Shri Dhrub Narain Bhdani, since retired as an Income Tax Officer and now no more.  

© Haripanna Associates, Ranchi (Jharkhand, India)