The Man who knew infinity...
Journey of Pran Kurup
This dates back to 2013, when I was one among those, who had been a part of Anna’s anti-corruption movement and had finally joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after its formation on 26th November, 2012. Like many others, I used to eagerly follow news from India on TV, newspapers etc. On 2nd Feb, 2013, I got an email from my friend Akshay, which mentioned ‘National Conference in Chicago’. That was a time, when there were supporters of AAP in USA but they were all scattered. The National Convention in Chicago was organized by Dr Munish Raizada, Chitra, Anand and others. Yogendra Yadav was the Chief Guest for this conference.
Though I could not go to Chicago because of some work reasons, I watched the recorded video of the conference. I felt so good to know that so many NRI youth wanted to get associated with the party. Yogendra Yadav’s speech instilled a new energy in me.
Pran Kurup
Chicago Conference 2013
I put forth the idea to make an informal friendly group of people, who were volunteers for AAP. Everyone agreed. I asked Dr Raizada to send me contact details of people from Silicon Valley. He sent me a list of people in an email on 5th May, 2013. Thus I got email of Pran Kurup. I emailed everyone for a meeting. On July 17, Pran emailed saying all the supporters of AAP should meet face to face. Everyone lived nearby so some day we should plan to meet. A few people replied. During those days, an AAP worker Santosh Koli was brutally attacked. Later, she succumbed to her injuries. This incident brought all of us together. We all met in Starbucks in Milpitas. Pran Kurup, Kaviraj, Kailash Ahir and a few others. Before I had met Pran, I used to think that like most of us, he must be a 25 to 30 years old young guy who passionately got involved with AAP after being associated with Anna’s movement. However, when I met him, he seemed calm, friendly, experienced and mature. We were told that some people such as Abhay Bhushan, Shail Kumar, Hari Menon and Shana Sood were already working for AAP. We all finally met in ICC Milpitas. I was overjoyed!
First meeting with Pran Kurup in Milpitas
We made an email list of people and started bringing together more likeminded people. It was a Sunday when all of us met Abhay, Hari, Shail Kumar and Shana Sood. On 23rd August 2013, Anna Hazare came to ICC Milpitas. A lot of people were expected to come there. We created banners, posters etc, and started our first campaign. Many people met Anna Hazare that day but did not agree with his views. They wanted to join AAP. After this event, we felt very encouraged and more people began joining AAP.
Prabhat Sharma was also present in this event. Later he joined AAP Bay area chapter. With more people, we needed to find a bigger place for our meetings. Finally, we started meeting every Sunday 3 pm to 5 pm in Milpitas library. During these meetings Pran and Abhay showed us the way forward since they both knew Arvind since his college days. They had also been working with Arvind for a long time for Arvind’s NGO named Parivartan. Gradually, more people joined us and we started forming various groups of people to represent us at Indian events in the area. We also organized two panel discussions. First was on 21st September 2013 at UC Berkeley (UC Berkeley Video Link). It was organized by Shail Kumar. Both Gursharan Das and Pran participated in the discussion. It was amazing how Pran answered all the questions during this discussion. With a cheerful demeanor, he quoted various examples to explain his views. The panel discussion was very successful and the next meeting focused on how to get more people associated with AAP.
Volunteers at the meeting at UC Berkeley
Our second panel discussion took place after one month on 27th October 2013 at Stanford University (Stanford University Video Link). Abhay gathered everyone for the discussion. It was moderated by Roshan Shankar and Raghu Mahajan. This discussion was also hugely successful and attendees participated on various issues. The head of Lok Satta in Bay Area, Kalyan Raman also participated in this. This was a time when Lok Satta head, Jai Prakash Narayan had talked about supporting AAP. Many more people came into the fold of AAP after this discussion and we started preparing to go to Delhi.
Stanford University Panel Discussion
The biggest task in front of us was to bring more and more people in the fold of the newly formed party. Our hard work bore fruit and people started associating with AAP.
Pran’s presence in each meeting gave us a new energy. He carefully listened to every issue and had solution for every problem. Our preparations for Delhi were at peak. Pran was the only one, who could take every new idea directly to Arvind. It was in November 2013 that AAP contested elections for the first time and won 28 seats. We all were very happy and encouraged by this victory. Many volunteers now started working full time for the party.
After Delhi elections in 2013, I went to India again to volunteer for AAP. I used to give regular updates of ground activity to Pran. I sent a few inspiring stories to him which were later incorporated into articles. When I got a ticket to contest for Lok Sabha elections, Pran took the responsibility of media support for me. No one other than Pran could write to express my ideas in a better way. Perhaps Pran was the behind the curtains hero, who never came to limelight but was deeply appreciated by everyone who worked with him.
I stayed in MP for around one month. I used to interact with Pran over emails. After sometime I received an invitation for a Google Hangout (AAP Google Hangout ) where Pran, Akshay and Raj Parihar wanted to have all the women candidates together. It was to be a platform to know the experiences of these women, their struggles and solutions. Women candidates from all parts of India; Maya Vishwakarma (M.P.) Shefali Mishra (UP), Mamta Kundo (Delhi) Jinti Gogi (Assam) and Chhabi Mahali (Orissa) participated in this google hangout. This hangout was very successful. Further, there were many such hangouts for which no one can forget Pran.
Google Hangout with AAP Lok Sabha Candidate 2014
After 2014, I spent most of my time in India. I used to interact with Pran on phone or emails. After Delhi elections in 2015, there was a split in the party and Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan separated from AAP. California volunteers were very unhappy with this split. A few left AAP while a few vented their anger on Pran. I remember during our meeting in Milpitas library, a lot of volunteers were very angry. They asked Pran, why could he not make the leadership understand that they all should work together. In his characteristic calm demeanor, Pran explained to them that when a new company is formed, people may join or leave the company. CEOs also join and leave but the company continues because of the good people in it. AAP was also like a startup and that’s how we should look at it. After this Pran also wrote a blog on AAP based on this thought.
In the beginning of 2016, I told Pran about my work in India which I had started after the elections. It included the documentary Swaraj Mumkin Hai !. Pran really liked this idea because Arvind had also written a book on Swaraj and Arvind also wanted to bring Swaraj in villages. In May 2016, I again happened to meet Pran in MacDonalds Milpitas. Kaviraj was also with me. We talked a lot about daily routine and health. Pran told Kaviraj how important it is to have a balance in life and how to handle mental stress. He said, it is good to watch a comedy before going to bed. It helps to get a good sleep. Pran further added that one should not dwell on anything negative. One should roam about in a park and see how beautiful life is. He said, this is what he always did. Kaviraj enjoyed this meeting with Pran at leisure. Pran asked for a copy of my documentary and book. After hearing the whole story, he said that we should organize a program in Stanford University. He said that mine was an excellent work which should reach everywhere. I told him that I will give him a copy when we meet next. He then talked about his plan to go to India and we decided to meet again before he left for India.
After one week, on 17th May 2016, Pran called to say that he was in Fremont along with another volunteer from Mumbai. He told me to come and said that he had a flight for India the next day. I picked up a copy of my book and met him in a chaat cafe in Fremont. Pran was fond of eating chaat. He placed an order for me for chaat and chai as well while we waited for Akshay. During this time, we discussed Pran’s forthcoming book. He told me that he was going to India for his book launch, AAP work and family visit. He asked me if I had shown my book to Arvind yet? I said no because I could not go to Delhi. Pran told me that he will give Arvind a copy of the book and will show him the documentary as well. He said, Arvind will like it a lot. After that we talked to Akshay. I told Pran that I will drop Akshay in Fremont so Pran could leave for home. We bid him farewell with a smile and wished him a happy journey. This was the LAST time that I met Pran.
Later I spoke to him online about his book launch and other updates. I used to ask him over and over again, when will he return from India. He always replied ‘next month’. When he wasn’t seen online for a few days, my friend Valli asked me to check why he was not responding to any messages. I texted him to ask, ‘Pran ji, are you ok?’ He replied. ‘I am ok!’. I felt better to get his reply. My next question to him was ‘When are you coming back?’. I did not get an answer to this and now won’t ever get an answer to my question.
Pran your memories are in the videos and photos. Your smile which could calm down anyone’s anger. Your jokes which could make a crying person laugh. You will always be in my memories as my mentor, as my elder brother. No one can fill the vacuum that you have left behind in AAP California but we will try to work as per what you taught us. You taught us to focus on the bigger aspect and the smaller aspects will get sorted on their own.
In memory of Pran. Om Shanti
Date: 4th September 2016 Maya Vishwakarma
+1 510 870 0411
mvishwakarma@gmail.com
This is an English translation of Maya Vishwakarma’s original blogpost in Hindi by Roopsi Narula. Roopsi interacted with Pran over emails and phone calls from 2013 to 2016, while she was working as an AAP volunteer in East Coast, USA. This translation is her tribute to the mentor, who she never got to meet in person, but who influenced her life deeply. Rest in Peace Pran.
