Savinder and Ravinder - Auroras, Part I

Savinder Aurora

​Today was a memorable and unexpected day. Ravinder Ji from Connecticut came to visit us, accompanied by his elder brother, Savinder Singh Ji. It was my first time meeting both of them together. From the moment I saw Savinder Ji, I was impressed by his calm demeanor, dignified personality, and natural charisma.

Ravinder Aurora

During the evening, there was little opportunity for a meaningful conversation. We exchanged only a few words. However, this afternoon, while Ravinder Ji had gone to meet a friend, I found myself alone with Savinder Ji. It was the perfect opportunity to learn about the remarkable journey that had shaped such an impressive individual.

I greeted him warmly.

“Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh. Sat Sri Akal, Savinder Ji. I am delighted to have this opportunity to speak with you. I would love to know about your family’s journey, beginning with the days before Partition.”

Savinder Ji began by recalling his father’s life.

Their family originally belonged to Jhelum, in pre-Partition Punjab. During the Partition of India in 1947, they were forced to leave everything behind and migrate to India. They first settled in Dehradun, where the family purchased a modest house and started rebuilding their lives from scratch.

In those early years, his father accepted whatever work he could find. He worked as a clerk, a typist, and in several other small jobs simply to support the family.

A turning point came through the encouragement of his maternal aunt (Masi Ji), who persuaded him to move to the coal-mining region of Madhya Pradesh. There, another relative recognized his potential and encouraged him to pursue higher education.

At around the age of twenty-one, he left for England to study Mining Engineering.

Life in England was anything but easy. During the day, he worked as a laborer deep inside the coal mines, shoveling coal and performing physically demanding work. In the evenings, he attended engineering classes. Balancing hard labor with higher education, he completed his Mining Engineering degree over the course of four years.

After returning to India, he began his professional career with Shaw Wallace and later joined the Thapar Group, which operated coal mines in the Dhanbad region.

Then came the nationalization of coal mines in 1971 during the government of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. With the coal industry being nationalized, the Thapar Group shifted its focus toward hydroelectric projects and assigned him to one of their most ambitious ventures, the Kali Nadi Hydroelectric Project at Dandeli in Karnataka.

As a civil and mining engineer, he became the Technical Director of this massive undertaking. The project included constructing an enormous tunnel nearly 10 kilometers long, along with a vast penstock system and other major engineering works. He spent nearly twelve years working in Karnataka.

Savinder Ji fondly remembered those years. Their family home stood atop a hill surrounded by dense forests. Today, that very location has become part of a protected forest reserve. Even during those days, the family occasionally witnessed tigers and leopards roaming nearby. Despite the isolation, he recalled it as one of the most beautiful and picturesque places they had ever lived.

Later, he also contributed to the famous Tehri Hydroelectric Project in Garhwal.

After leaving the Thapar Group, he joined Maker Construction, a Mumbai-based engineering company, which sent him to Iraq for another challenging assignment.

One of the most fascinating aspects of that project was the use of prefabricated housing technology. Entire concrete wall sections, including electrical conduits, switches, and fittings, were cast in factories. After curing for about two weeks, these massive wall panels were transported to the construction site and assembled like a giant Meccano set, enabling rapid construction of complete residential buildings.

At this point, we decided to pause our conversation.

The story had already become rich with history, engineering, and personal determination. We agreed to continue with the next chapter of his remarkable life in a later conversation.