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| Vijay Crishna | Why Tibet | Photos | Events | Presentations/Papers | News |
About Vijay Crishna: Schooled at Bishop Cotton’s School, Simla, and Mayo College, Ajmer, Vijay Crishna took his BofA in Economics from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi. Worked 8 years in Shipping and Tea in Calcutta before moving to Bombay and 5 years in advertising with DaCunha Associates. Later, at Mr. N.P. Godrej’s behest, he joined Lawkim Pvt. Ltd., a bankrupt manufacturer of special motors that the Godrej family took over in 1977.
A Life Member of The Himalayan Club since 1973 - and now its Honorary Secretary – Crishna has trekked to the Garhwal, Kailash and Manasarovar, Annapurna base camp, Muktinath, Green Lakes in North Sikkim and to Ladakh in July 2005.
Vijay Crishna established in 1991 the Naoroji Godrej Centre for Plant Research at Shindewadi, District Satara, which researches and propagates rare and endangered species of medicinal plants endemic to the Western Ghats. He has been active in theatre since 1965, taking the occasional bit role in films - from Richard Attenborough's 'Gandhi' to Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Devdaas'.
"A Friend of Tibet"
You may remember him as Sir Narayan Mukherjee - Shah Rukh Khan’s father in Devdas, or for his roles in Richard Attenbrough’s Gandhi and Sea Wolves, but Vijay Crishna is a man with several other facets.
The managing director of multiple companies including Lawkim India, a Godrej concern that manufactures motors, Crishna is a seasoned thespian, a corporate honcho and an avid mountaineer. Currently, Crishna is taking time out from other commitments to deliver lectures on the Tibetan dispute, an issue he feels very passionately about.
Checking the projector at Max Mueller Bhavan, shortly before he delivers an audio-visual presentation entitled ‘Tibet of our Minds: A Journey’s End’ at a programme organised by non-governmental organisation Friends of Tibet on the occasion of World Tibet Day, Crishna says too many Indians feel the Tibet dispute does not affect them. “To many, Tibet is just something that riles the Chinese. However, there are very serious issues which people need to know about. One such issue I am presently speaking on is the environmental angle to the issue. The timing and the intensity of the Asian monsoon system are driven by the Tibetan plateau,” he says. “I keep changing the focus of my lectures from time to time.”
Over the past year, Crishna has delivered 12 lectures and presentations on Central Asia in Mumbai, Pune and Kolkata, and about 10 more on Tibet. On March 27, in the aftermath of violent protests in Lhasa, he delivered a lecture in Dharamsala.
Lectures and presentations apart, this St Stephens graduate also has a strong passion for trekking, and has explored Tibet and its surrounding areas on several trips. In March this year, he was appointed as the Honorary Secretary of the Himalayan Club.
Since 1973, Crishna has been on numerous treks to places such as Garhwal in Uttaranchal and Nepal’s Annapurna base camp and Muktinath, to name a few.
“My school was located in the hills, and ever since I was a boy, I was fascinated with trekking and mountaineering. In 1992, I went on the government-recognised official pilgrimage route to Kailash Mansarovar, and this is where my interest in Tibet was sparked off. In 2004, I visited the Greenlakes just below base camp at Kanchenjunga. My interest in Tibet and Central Asia was fuelled by extensive reading on the matter. In 2006 and 2007, I made two visits to Tibet with my family, and covered the area spanning 500 km north and east of Lhasa,” recalls Crishna.
Amongst Crishna’s professional achievements is the establishment in 1991 of the Nairoji Godrej Centre for Plant Research in Satara, to research and propagate rare species and endangered species of medicinal plants endemic to the Western Ghats.
Asked about his acting portfolio, Crishna smiles: “My first job was in Kolkata, and there I started acting in plays, and have continued ever since. Acting gives me a lot of fun and satisfaction, and it has helped me make many friends and understand different characters.”
Tibet Of Our Minds by Vijay Crishna / Email: vmc@tibetofourminds.org / Web: www.tibetofourminds.org
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