Protap Saikia is a guy whose legacy in his community will never fade. 6.2 bighas of land, a fantastic school valued at Rs 4 crore, are part of his legacy. Saikia’s dedication to his people is evident in this school, which offers free education along with amenities like a cremation and a namghar (place of prayer).
His rise from destitution to wealth is proof of the resilience of the human spirit. In spite of major setbacks, such as the death of his spouse, Saikia became a devoted philanthropist in addition to being a prosperous businessman. The trauma he experienced only served to enlarge his perspective on life and to increase his compassion.
People in Saikia’s immediate vicinity were aware of his metamorphosis. His contemporaries saw a discernible change in his priorities, suggesting that his definition of riches had expanded beyond tangible belongings.
Saikia was up in the impoverished hamlet of Abhaypuria in the Jorhat region of upper Assam, where her early years were characterized by survival problems. Nevertheless, he rose to the top of the success ladder in his commercial endeavors because to perseverance and hard work. As of right now, he directly and indirectly employs around 500 people, providing stability and satisfaction for his workers.
As the son of a farmer, Saikia started his business career at the young age of 11. In the nearby town of Kaliapani, he opened a modest pan business while juggling his education and family obligations. Even though he struggled financially, his steadfast dedication to learning and astute business sense opened doors for several successful endeavors.
“I worked hard to accumulate money to open a wayside restaurant, even though I didn’t make much money from the pan store. Successes later, I ventured into other fields like Assamese silk and agar (fragrance),” he said, according to an article in The New Indian Express.
Saikia’s commercial ventures prospered as he grew his empire, leasing many weekly markets and branching out into building contracting. At the moment, his holdings consist of many businesses, such as a market complex, a brick kiln, a fishery, a tea plant, a fuel station, and a tea garden.
Even though Saikia’s wife Jyoti passed away, he found comfort in giving back to his society. He founded the Jyoti Protap Gyanmarg Bidyalay, a cutting-edge school with cutting-edge smart classrooms, in her honor in 2021.
“I learned from my own experiences the difficulties that families in our community and the surrounding regions face in providing for their children’s education. I wanted to make sure that no kid had to suffer from what happened to me. As a result, the school opened, and the overwhelmingly positive reaction from the community confirmed its need,” says Saikia.
Under the auspices of the Jyoti Protap Education Trust, the school provides education up to the 12th grade to 210 students, the majority of whom come from marginalized families. With cutting-edge facilities like computer labs, robotics labs, and digital classrooms, the school emphasizes holistic education by including Assamese music, dance, yoga, and physical fitness into its curricula.
School coordinator Biju Kumar Sarma commends Saikia for his charitable endeavors, citing the crematorium he founded in 1995 as an early illustration of his magnanimity. Saikia’s wisdom in designating the Jyoti Protap Education Trust as the beneficiary of his insurance policies, guaranteeing continued funding for the school’s goal, is another thing that Sarma praises.