Nationality Indian Grandparents Vijaygupta Maurya Parents Nagendra Vijay | Role Nagendra Vijay's son Name Harshal Pushkarna | |
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Occupation Science Journalist, Editor-in-chief of Safari magazine | ||
Harshal Pushkarna is the editor-in-chief of Safari magazine and owner of Harshal Publications. He is the son of Nagendra Vijay and grandson of Vijaygupta Maurya.
Contents
Life
Harshal Pushkarna was born in a family of nationalist journalists-writers. His father Nagendra Vijay is a senior journalist while grandfather Vijaygupta Maurya was a pioneer science writer and an ornithologist. He was surrounded by books and stories of revolutionaries, patriots and scientists from childhood. Reading such books inspired him to choose the field of meaningful journalism, and he started his journey with Safari magazine in his teenage.
Career
Safari magazine was his dream project that would nurture and nourish children of Gujarat with knowledge and nationalism. He joined ‘Safari’ in 1989 at the age of 14 years, and worked as an office assistant for some years. He was gradually upgraded to higher posts on basis of working skills. Meanwhile he completed his schooling from Sharda Mandir Vinay Mandir School, Ahmedabad in 1992 and Bachelor of Commerce education from Shree Sahajanand Art & Commerce College, Ahmedabad in year 1995. But he had already found his true calling by then. It was to continue the family tradition of nationalist and meaningful journalism, keeping pace with changing times. There is no looking back since then. As a science writer he started his career with his own magazine. He also contributed his science articles for dailies like Sandesh and Mid-Day; and weekly magazines like Network in 1995-97. In 1998, he edited Citylife News — a city magazine of Ahmedabad. In the year 2000, he penned, edited and published a 88-page volume titled '20 mi sadi ni 50 ajod satyaghatnao' (Gujarati: વીસમી સદીની પ૦ અજોડ સત્યઘટનાઅો) (Fifty historical events of the 20th Century).
He has worked as an honorary scientific adviser to Science City, Gandhinagar.
He has written in-depth articles on various subjects like astronomy, defence, Information Technology, animal world, history, geography, military technology in his monthly Safari magazine.
Besides writing and editing Safari magazine, he has edited, designed and published several books and magazines written by his father Nagendra Vijay and grandfather Vijaygupta Maurya.
Book on Siachen
Harshal Pushkarna has authored a book titled 'AA CHHE SIACHEN' (Gujarati: અા છે સિઅાચેન)(meaning 'THIS IS SIACHEN') in Gujarati language. This book attempts to analyse Siachen Glacier—the world’s highest battlefield—strategically. Moreover, it is a travelogue-cum-true story in which the heroes are the lionhearted soldiers of the Indian Army. They are the living examples of adventure, sincerity, bravery, loyalty, devotion to duty and patriotism.
People of India, at large, are not aware of the arduous tasks brave soldiers of the Indian Army are carrying out in Siachen Glacier. The brave soldiers are holding the enemy at bay at an average altitude of 20,000 feet in the frigid cold ranging between 20° and 50° Celsius below the freezing point. People of India have no inkling about the terrific physical and mental strain that world’s most inhospitable terrain puts on the soldiers of Indian Army. In order to acquaint the readers about the reality of physical and psychological challenges faced by gallant soldiers of the Indian Army, day-in and day-out in Siachen; Harshal Pushkarna has visited Ladakh no less than five times (during which he visited Siachen two times) and has ventured to write the book 'AA CHHE SIACHEN' which is a true account on the basis of personal experiences.
Siachen Awareness Drive
While his book on Siachen is being translated in other languages like Marathi and English, Harshal Pushkarna has took up a non-commercial initiative called Siachen Awareness Drive (Gujarati : સિઅાચેન જનજાગૃતિ ઝુંબેશ) to educate the people of Gujarat about the extreme weather conditions in Siachen Glacier and the role of the brave soldiers of Indian Army in Siachen. The basic idea of Siachen Awareness Drive is in two fold: (1) to ignite the spirit of patriotism in the people of Gujarat; (2) to encourage the youth to join the army and serve the nation. Moreover, Harshal Pushkarna encourages the audience to write letters, greeting cards etc. to the soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces.
During his program he distributes postcards to the audience and ask them write a few lines of greetings to the soldiers. This is done under the name 'एक खत फौजी के नाम' meaning 'A letter to an Indian soldier'.
He also requests girls/ladies present in the audience to send Rakhis to the soldiers on the festival of Raksha Bandhan. During the month of July, 2017 Harshal Pushkarna wrote an editorial about Siachen Awareness Drive in his 'Safari' Magazine and requested the readers to send letters and rakhis to the soldiers of Indian Army. Thousands of readers from 'Safari's vast readership took an initiative to send rakhis. In all, no less than 5,25,000 rakhis were sent to different border sectors where Indian Army's soldiers are posted.
Siachen Awareness Drive programs are absolutely free for all, and have successfully been done in cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Vadodara, Bharuch, Bhuj, Anjar, Jamnagar, Kandivali (West) and Ghatkopar (West), Mumbai, Porbandar, Kalol, Anand, Killa Pardi (Valsad), Navsari etc so far.
Harshal Pushkarna's Siachen Awareness Drive continues as there are more cities like Junagadh, Morbi, Bhavnagar, Amreli, Mehsana etc. on the list.