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LIFE WAS TOUGH for young Paan Singh, in Talasaalam village in Almora

district, which rests in the shadow of the Kumaon hills of the Himalaya

range.

Though there is now a bus that reaches the village in Uttaranchal

state, back in 1964 (when it was part of Uttar Pradesh) there was no road

to speak of and the only way to get there was on foot through rough and

rocky terrain.

No wonder the tourist brochure claims the inhabitants of the land are

'amazingly fit and strong with the ability to perform highly arduous

tasks'. Paan inherited strong, healthy genes–which he passed on to his

children.

Farming was a tough grind and unprofitable too and that is what

drove the young Paan–armed with very little education but loads of

determination–first to Lucknow in vain search of a job.

From there he crossed the country to Bokaro in Bihar where

Hindustan Steel Limited was building a new steel plant, then finally to

Ranchi where he landed a job with the Metallurgical and Engineering

Consultants Ltd (or Mecon). Initially he was taken on as an unskilled

worker on daily wages. He worked his way up and eventually retired as a

work supervisor.