Delhi has seen many success stories and many of them feature Punjabis, who came to the city as refugees, but left their indelible mark that would continue to inspire the future generations. The latest instance is of Narendra Kumar, one of the most prominent Indian publishers and T.K.Malhotra, whose obsession with safe driving and rules made him India’s virtual Ambassador to more than 160 countries he visited, to emphasize the need of having semblance on the roads. Both of them were legends in their life time and passed away in their favourite city in the last fortnight. Narendra Kumar, is regarded by many of his peers as a publisher who inspired hundreds of writers, and whose contribution to the profession is unparalleled. Although he was the Chairman of Har Anand Publications, he had made his mark very early in life and his contribution to the growth of Vikas, one of the largest publishing Houses was noteworthy. Kumar was looking after the operations, when Vikas brought out the Indian edition of “Freedom at Midnight’’ by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins. The book was an instant bestseller. Many veterans recall that 1975 was associated with two block busters. “Sholay’’ became one of the most memorable movies made in India and “Freedom at Midnight’’ is widely regarded as the first English book which broke all records in the same year. Narendra Kumar had arrived, and his name became a passport for pushing any book towards big times sales. Kuldeep Nayar’s `Judgment’ on the emergency was another bestseller from the Vikas stable and the credit for its success was shared by many, but Narendra Kumar was regarded as someone who actually prodded Nayar to beat the clock and pen the manuscript. Kumar later parted company with Vikas and started his own venture which has perhaps more titles than most publishing houses, thanks to his persuasive powers of making many retired civil servants to write their memoirs. He would even corner journalists to tell their stories. Many journos who became authors, did so solely because Narendra Kumar, encouraged them to write and come out with books. The late Vijay Dutt, Hindustan Times London Correspondent for many years, also chose him to publish his memoirs. Narendra Kumar later joined the Delhi Public School Society and also served as the Chairman for many years. It was during his leadership, that DPS expanded to many new regions, to provide quality education to children from middle class families. He was a regular at the India International Centre where he would sit with his prospective authors and discuss the manuscripts for hours. On other occasions, he would talk about current politics and always had his perspective on most things. If Narendra Kumar was loud and often crude while deliberating on matters, T.K.Malhotra, was soft and persuasive. Malhotra headed the Automobile Association of Upper India for more than 42 years and during this period, he took the organization to its peak. He ensured that the office was re-located from the middle circle of Connaught Place to the Qutab Institutional Area, where it has a full-fledged building. The AAUI imparts road safety education to wannabe drivers and also equips them on how to deal with various hazards they face while driving. The institution has imported simulators where drivers are given a reality check. In fact, it is only because of Malhotra that many DTC’s drivers, were trained at the facility and made aware of their responsibilities, since they carried hundreds of commuters in their buses on a daily basis. Malhotra knew virtually every administrator connected with traffic management or otherwise in the national capital and managed to make virtually all Lt. Governors as his patrons. Many Presidents, Ministers and distinguished bureaucrats were all a part of the AAUI set up, which was associated with international organisations and also had affiliation with AAA in America. In fact, it was because of him the AA members of India could take the benefits extended by sister organisations in other countries. Malhotra would travel every two months to a new destination where he would not only carry the message of India’s commitment to road safety, but also bring back new innovations for its members to see back home. The AAUI had the permission from the Union and Delhi governments to issue driving licenses to aspirants who fulfilled all the requirements. He was also instrumental in getting the clearance to issue international driving licenses, something which was of immense value to thousands of AAUI members. Malhotra was always particular about his objectives and did not mince words regarding his obsession while discussing matters with top functionaries of the government. Always well turned out, Malhotra involved the officialdom in his success story, only through his vision and dedication. He had many anecdotes to tell and these would include the close relationship his family had with the Kapoors since the Peshawar days. The late Prithviraj Kapoor had encouraged him to come to Bollywood to act, but his mother put her foot down. A devout Hanuman Bhakt, Malhotra would send a video of Bajrang Bali to his friends and associates every Tuesday. Both Narendra Kumar and Malhotra would be missed and their contributions in their respective fields shall stand out.
