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Dhruba Nath Joshi

Name: Shri Dhruba Nath Joshi Date of Birth: 14th November, 1922 Place of Birth: Lamavilla, Shillong, India Father’s Name: Hem Lal Joshi Mother’s Name: Bhuvaneshwari Joshi Studied at: Gorkha Pathshala, Government High School

Son of Shri. (L) Hemlal Joshi and Smt. (L) Bhuwaneshwari Devi (Joshi) was born on 14th November 1922 at a small house at present day Lama Villa in Shillong of the erstwhile province of Assam under the British India.

Shri. Dhruba Nath Joshi displayed extraordinary talent and courage from the outset of his youth despite coming from a humble background. During his young days he showed leadership among his friends and encouraged the youths to unite and found various socio-cultural groups as well as sports forum. An active member of the Gorkha league, who later went on to become the president of the Meghalaya sector.

Shri. Dhruba Nath Joshi was an exceptional student studying from the Government Boy’s School at Jaiaw where he excelled at various fronts and competitions. During the year 1941 he served his matriculation conducted by Calcutta University and subsequently ranked seventh in it’s year examination securing distinction in three subjects. He was and till date is a voracious reader.

Tragedy struck right after admitting himself in Pre University as the sole bread earner of the family his father Shri. (L) Hemlal Joshi passed away due to tuberculosis. Burdened with the proceedings and the responsibility of the mother and his younger sisters and brothers, he had to undertake a Junior position as a teacher under the leadership of Shri. Mani Singh Gurung at the newly developing Gorkha Pathshala School. During the period of teaching and subsequent years, he proved to be a successful teacher receiving President’s awards as well as a good administrator. Many elders in Shillong still revere him as their teacher and still beckon him as Sir or Dhruba Sir. Shri Dhruba Nath Joshi started his political career in the first election conducted by the independent India where he lost by thread bare margins to the heavyweights of the then day like Maham Sing and Rev Nichols Roy. Again in 1972, after the formation of Meghalaya as a separate state and from the call of the masses, Shri. Dhruba Nath Joshi successfully led the people to victory and represented the Gorkha, Bengali, Bihari, Muslim minorities of the newly formed state to the Assembly. He successfully represented the people for six straight terms and secured many victories for the people.

At the age of 81 he lost the election but continued to be among the various roles that had been bestowed on him as the Chairperson of various school committees, trusts as well as the President of Gorkha Pathshala and Buddha Bhanu Saraswati College. He also held Deputy Chairmanship of various organisations until 2008 after which the slow degradation due to alzheimer's disease of the great intellectual brains of this humble but beautiful society in Shillong. Sometimes during interactions we still see the flames and sparks of the massive repose of knowledge that he mastered and commanded in self. During his tenure as a teacher in Gorkha Pathshala Shillong, his marriage was held at Banaras to Smt. Vijaya Joshi grand-daughter of Subba Devi Prasad Sapkota another titan in the politics of Nepal.

Smt. Vijaya Joshi and Shri. Druba Nath Joshi endeared the people and helped immensely for the cause of upliftment of the society. They ran student hostels which in later years provided stalwarts of our societies. Shri. Dhruba Nath Joshi is a devout follower of Shri Shri Thakur Anukul Chandra one of the greatest masters of the Ancient knowledge of India. Under the guidance of Satsang ideals he developed various activities and organisations which benefitted the society immensely.