A true friend of Nepal -Prof Dr Krishna Murari Garg. Over
the past few decades, many Nepali's have left their country to find better
opportunities and live abroad, and not many have returned home. But there are
some people from other countries who have loved this Himalayan nation as much
as their homeland.
photo: google image
Prof. Dr. Krishna Murari Garg (1932-2022) was one such
individual who spent his life helping and supporting people in Nepal. While he
may not be known much to ordinary people in the country, those close to Dr Garg
regard him as a true friend of Nepal.
Born in Lucknow, India
on August 5, 1932, Dr Garg lived most of his life in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He worked at the Department
of Mathematics of the University
of Alberta for 28 years
starting in 1966 and retiring in 1994 with the honorific title of Professor
Emeritus of Mathematics. His book published in 1998, Theory of Differentiation,
is regarded as one of the best monographs in mathematics by the academic world.
He
moved to Paris
after a year of teaching at the University of Calgary, Canada. He was invited
by a French mathematician for research in mathematics. While living in Paris, he met Urmila Upadhyaya, a renowned artist and
textile designer and a Gandhian from Kathmandu,
Nepal. The
India-born mathematician and the Nepali artist tied nuptial knots and moved
permanently to Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada and Dr. Garg began
working at the University
of Alberta as the
Professor of Mathematics.
From
here began their life journey together harbouring a noble mission of empowering
underprivileged rural communities and supporting the youths of rural Nepal to become
self-reliant in achieving an honourable living. Their dedication to this
mission has been a supreme measure of an extraordinary human endeavour and
personal sacrifice. Both husband and wife firmly bound themselves with a vow to
give up having children of their own to share their full affection and parental
love with others.
They
shared their dream with some close and like-minded friends. This team of
friends subsequently became the Friends of Nepal, resulting in the formation of
a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Canada as The Society of Friends of
Nepal (SOFON) in 1986. With the establishment of the organization, their
personal mission turned into the mission of SOFON. Since then, the couple remained
the founding members and major sponsors of all the projects and programs
undertaken by SOFON.
To
execute its charitable programs, SOFON is linked with the Nepal Srijanatmak
Kala Guthi (Kalaguthi), a Nepali NGO established through the generous contribution
of Urmila’s parents. Today, Kalaguthi has succeeded in establishing
full-fledged Textile and Sericulture programs and in establishing a community
of weavers and women-run production centers in Nepal. Several students trained at
Kalaguthi are now operating their own businesses and they also volunteer to
train other people.
While
working at the University of Alberta, Dr. Garg spent nearly three decades
traveling between Canada and
Nepal.
His wife Urmila stayed in Nepal
and Dr. Garg used to come here for four months during the summer. After
retiring in 1994, Dr. Garg moved to Nepal permanently and donated all
his life earnings, including his pension, to Kalaguthi through SOFON. Moreover,
he also donated a chunk of his share of his ancestral property given to him by
his brothers to Kalaguthi.
Dr.
Garg, despite his intense professorial commitment, stood along with Urmila in
moving their mission forward. Dr. Garg was gifted with a calm disposition, and
sharp and analytical intellect. Besides being a successful mathematician, Dr.
Garg was a humanitarian at heart and led a simple life.
He
remained fully committed to the cause of empowerment of those left behind, and
used all his wealth for the cause. A true friend of Nepal, Dr Garg passed away on
February 3, 2022, after years-long battle with illness. But his love and
contributions to Nepali society will be embedded in our memories forever.
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