Finding Ranchos in Kashmir
Post by on Tuesday, June 14, 2022
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Srinagar, June 13: With an aim to create an innovative mindset among students of Kashmir, Sheikh Jahangir, an innovator from Jalgon, Maharastra is visiting and sharing his knowledge in various education institutions across Kashmir.
Named as real-life Rancho for his innovations, his motive behind the visit is to look for more Ranchos in schools and colleges.
In collaboration with the Kalam Innovation Center owned by national innovator from Anantnag, Naik Qayoom, Jehangir will be training students to innovate with the help of scrap or low-cost items.
While talking to Rising Kashmir, Jehangir said, “I want people to innovate so that their innovations can benefit the larger section of society. You never know which innovation will revolutionize the society.”
Jehangir is renowned for making a scooter which was showcased in the Hindi blockbuster movie, 3 idiots starring Amir Khan and Kareena Kapoor.
He is capable to make various machines with the help of scooter. The scooter made by him can be used as a generator, washing machine, flour mill, mobile sugarcane juice mixing unit.
While sharing his early life story, he said that he belonged to a humble family and was dropped out of school because of the financial constraints.
“My mind was always full of ideas. I wanted to do many things but poverty pushed me back. I couldn’t get proper education and worked for meager wages,” he said.
At the age of 12, he joined his father’s shop of painting the vehicles. The area used to face the prolonged power cut during the daytime which hampered his work. After thinking, an idea struck him. He bought an old scooter and got various parts from other vehicles. He assembled them and made a scooter powered spray painting device. With the scooter, he was able to reach out to the customers who were far away. Soon the news spread around and he got the media's attention.
“National Innovation Foundation came to know about it. I demonstrated my innovation in Ahmadabad and the patent for the machine was filed too. I was also awarded by the then president of India, APJ Abdul Kalam for the innovation,” he said.
The scooter powered spray brush worked efficiently and was also inexpensive. Watching the problems around, he further used the scooter to solve the other problems. Due to the power cuts, people of the village were not able to grind the flour to make bread. He came up with the scooter powered flour mill where a wheat or flour grinder was mounted over the scooter.
Also the scooter generator made by him can run a fan, television and light bulbs. “Everybody’s life got changed in the village with the help of my innovations. Today the village doesn’t care if the light comes or goes because the solution is with them,” he added.
He believes that the good use of mind can make a person do wonders. “I am a person with ideas not with money. The Almighty gave brains to all of us. The difference lies in who makes good use of it,” he said.
“Many people call me mad and I replied that history is written by mad people - the people who have passion. When you try you get good results. Makers of the 3 Idiots movie used my scooter in the movie. I didn’t ask for money from them. I asked for the credit and my name is mentioned at the end of the film,” he said.
Having filed 6 patents, among which 3 patents are granted, his focus is to improve the field of agriculture with his innovations. “Farmers are hardworking people. With the help of improved innovations, they can make their life better and their work will be eased,” he said.
Jehangir went to a number of schools in Mumbai and stressed on the importance of innovations. “One should not cramp up things but they should learn practically. Studies and innovations should go parallel. Having knowledge is more than having a degree,” he added.
Training over 1000 poor kids in Mumbai with his innovative techniques, he has shared the knowledge about robotics, electronics and how to use scrap in making innovations.
He wants students to have an innovative temper and want to pass the innovative skills to the students. “We have booked the slots for seminars. In some educational institutions, we are making live models from the scrap items,” he said.
With innovator Naik, he wants to innovate a weed removing tool which will be helpful for the farmers to remove the weed from the root.
“There are weed cutting tools available in the market but the one we will make will remove the weed because when the weeds are cut, they grow again. The fertilizers also get wasted. With the removing tool, the roots of the weed will be removed. Thus, there will be no scope of their re-growing. Also, it is low cost and will be pocket friendly for the farming fraternity,” he said.
Doing innovations from more than 40 years, Jehangir wants to innovate further and create affordable solutions.
Talking about the innovators of Kashmir he said that the innovators have huge potential. “The innovators should understand the need of the hour and innovate more to make this place a better world,” he said.
