Vijeta award for cancer survivor Eknath Thakur

Vijeta award for cancer survivor Eknath Thakur
EXPRESS NEWSLINE

MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 15: The second Madhu Valluri Memorial Lecture and Awards function will be held at the Y B Chavan Auditorium on February 20 at 6 pm. The lecture and award are part of the Foundation set up to honour the memory of Madhu Valluri, journalist and software consultant who died of leukaemia in 1994.

Ashok Misra, Director Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai will be the Chief Guest and deliver a lecture on ``Technology and Society--The role of IT.'' He will also give away the Madhu Valluri Vijeta award to cancer survivor Eknath Thakur.

Thakur who lost both parents at an early age was an officer with the State Bank of India when he got cancer of the tongue and a glossectomy had to be performed. From 1970 to 1998 he battled seven surgeries and radiation treatment with amazing courage.

Despite his numerous surgeries he continued to scale new heights in his professional career. He was elected President of the All India State Bank Officers Federation and was associated with the founding of the Confederation of all Bank Officers in India. In 1977 he was appointed by then prime minister Morarji Desai as India's officer representative to the Internation Labour Organisation's world conference.

Thakur resisted pressure during the Emergency to merge the Officers' Organisation with INTUC. He resigned from the Bank in protest.Later he began his own National School of Banking with 32 students. Today the Institute draws students from all over the country and trains some 30,000 students.

Besides this Thakur has been actively involved with social and educational movements. He joined Baba Amte's Bharat Jodo Abhiyan in 1987 for national integration and environmental awareness.

He has been active in trade, commerce and industry as well. The Vijeta award will be conferred on him for his positive attitude, his indomitable courgae and his constructive work in social educational and philanthropic spheres.