Proud! Bihar Born Woman With No English Skills Awarded ‘Businesswoman of The Year’

English is considered one of the stepping stone of a person’s success in India. A person who doesn’t know English is termed as uneducated. Many movies in Hindi cinema has targeted this issue and gave a message that English is just a language and nothing more than that.

One woman from Bihar has created history by being awarded as ‘Asian Businesses Woman of The Year’. Asha Khemka is the Principal and CEO of West Nottinghamshire College she was honoured for her contribution in the field of education.

65-year-old Asha Khemka, was born in Bihar’s Sitamahri District where she left school at the age of 13 years. She had almost no knowledge of English before she moved to the UK with her husband and 3 kids.

Initially living in the UK was tough. She had to struggle with her English skills which she improved by watching children’s TV shows and interacting with young mothers. Later on, she completed her studies and went to Cardiff University to acquire her business degree. She became a lecturer and ended up becoming the CEO of West Nottinghamshire College.

The mother-of-three was the first Indian-origin Dame since Maharani Lakshmi Devi Bai Sahiba of Dhar State in 1931.

Her story is inspiring and actually teach us that strong will power and ambitious mind is the key to success. English should be just a language and not a scale to measure someone’s intelligence and potential.
Other winners at the event included Morningside Pharmaceuticals which received the Asian Business of the Year Award; Kailash Suri, Managing Director of Reel Cinemas, who won Entrepreneur of the Year; and Nishti Ismail, founder of Nishti’s Choice, awarded for being a Community Champion.

BY – Parul Kulshrestha