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Siddarth Pradeep grew up in the Indian state of Haryana, close to Delhi. He comes from the village Jadaula, near Pehowa in Kaithal district. He earned his engineering degree at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Delhi. Later he earned his MBA in finance. He has been working for a multinational bank in New York for 12 years. He has been taking a keen interest in the subcontinent’s history.
His unlettered grandfather made his father get the highest degree, i.e., PhD. His father ended up earning his doctoral degree in soil chemistry from GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology. At the time it was located in the UP. Now it is in Uttarakhand. It is one of the largest agricultural universities in the world. He had a chance to go to the US for his PhD but he chose to stay in India because he wanted to be close to his parents.
His grandfather had many Muslim friends. Rana Phool Muhammad Khan, a Pakistani politician, was one of his best friends. Phool Muhammad was a member of the provincial assembly of the Punjab, representing Bhai Pheroo, a town near Lahore, in 1970 and 1977. This town has been named Phoolnagar after him. Rana Sahib also served as a provincial minister of Punjab for more than one term. Rana Phool Muhammad Khan's son, Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan, has served as the speaker of the Punjab Assembly. He was born on April 20, 1945 at Gumthala Garhu, Tehsil Pehowa. Siddarth's grandfather safely escorted Rana Phool Muhammad's family to the Pakistan border.
About his IIT days Siddarth says:
For me, four years at IIT remain my most cherished time of my entire student life. I see it as four years of immense growth as a person. From a silly boy in the first year who actually thought of making fun of other students who were not as privileged to my fourth year having developed deep friendships with all sorts of students and appreciating their life experiences more. Basically I think more than studies, the IIT hostel allotment system and its ethos has helped me, and many others like me, grow into more inclusive and sensitive individuals. My roommate was a poor boy from Rajasthan, whose father was a postman. Now he works for a multinational company in the United States. I have thought about this and discussed with my friends. We think this is one of the reasons why IIT graduates are so successful all over the world. They have an edge over others because they are already used to living in a multicultural setup with such diverse student base, and communicating in English. Organizations today are similarly diverse.
Siddarth's father worked for the agriculture department in Haryana. He visited Pakistan twice on official business. Both times he visited Multan, Islamabad, Lahore and surrounding villages.
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The host, Shakil Chaudhary, is an alumnus of Government College, Lahore. Subsequently, he studied international relations in Islamabad and media in London. He has has worked for several English-language newspapers. He has written a critically acclaimed book, Handbook of Functional English (Ferozsons), to help those who wish to improve their English skills. He has conducted many workshops on communication, writing and critical thinking skills. He is the current president of the Progressive Writers Association, Islamabad.
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