10 things to do before I die

•  Have some children – I don’t have any plans to get married but I would obviously like to be a father. I would like to be the father to those children who roam around the nooks and corners of the city searching for hope & bread, having the ill-fate of not receiving the parental love and care. I wouldn’t die before adopting a few children.

• Padhega India tabhi to Badhega India – I would also strive to work for the motto of Vajpayee Ji and that was enforced by Mr. Anurag Singh Thakur on 25^th Dec 2013. I appreciate the motto of imparting education to the buds of the weaker section of the society and the objective of teaching them how to earn their own bread with dignity.

• To spend all the money that I have earned – I see a lot of disappointed faces around me. Their disappointment makes my happiness disappear. If somewhere I could buy them some happiness, I would seriously do so.

• To meet all the brothers of Indian Army and thank them – I always wanted to stand bold and guard the frontiers. I couldn’t because my physique didn’t permit me to do so. Before I die I would like to meet and thank every brother who has stood awake on dark winter nights on the frontiers guarding our territory and assuring us all a sound sleep.

• Donate blood once again – Even before attending the proper age I donated blood. I was too crazy to work for humanity and even today I do so. Before I die I would like to donate blood one last time.

• Design a better death – Before dying I would also seek the chance to design a better death for myself. I don’t want to die sick and complaining. I want a martyr’s death for myself.

• Favourite cuisines – Before I die I would like to taste all my favourite cuisines for one last time. Those cuisines would include ample non-veg dishes, barbecue’s, Muglai in particular and a lot of sweets.

• To meet Salman Khan once – I have always had one idol in my life - Mr. Salman Khan. His place for being my ideal isn’t because of his super hit movies but because of his act of philanthropy towards the weaker sections of the society. Before I die I just wish to meet him once.

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 Submitted for Indispire

His Love for his Mother

Away from him, they carry her,

They believe that behind this journey lies peace,

Shouting and hailing the name of Deity,

And few sobbing in grief.

There he sits holding himself stiff,

Recalling days of childhood and youth,

And also a few moments back when she was alive,

His mother’s dead and he finds it hard to believe.

“Oh young boy, get up and come along”,

As all men yell and groan at him,

He wakes up, and gets back from flashbacks,

He hops and jumps up, run towards her,

Lends his soldier to his mother,

Abiding to social norms, proving to be her heir,

He picks up and carries her towards the pyre,

Helping her pass by through the last walk of life.

He walks too far, yet feels no pain,

His head aches of some mental strain,

They place his mother next to the pyre,

She’ll vanish in the wind in a short while,

He’ll have to burn her, bring her to ash,

Fulfil the norm of being the only child,

That strange fact he fails to acquaint,

Yet he does, as he was taught to be a social child.

The priest chant prayers, he lights up the pyre,

The winds blow up, spreads the fire,

The pain of seeing his mother burn

Which he can’t hold on, better he finds to sit alone,

The fire of the pyre which was about to disappear,

He stands up, walks steadily to the pyre,

Burns up a cigarette from the fire burning his mother,

He felt he could see the last sight of her for another while.

Traffic Inhumanity

Accidents obviously are unexpected and uncalled for. But who should be blamed for them?? Can’t there be a minor mistake on the driver’s part? Or even if he is driving carefully can’t there be a malfunction of any of the mechanical parts in the assemblage of so many rods and bearings?

Mostly it is seen that commercial vehicle drivers are being treated mercilessly by public because his vehicle had done something unusual while he was on the driver’s seat. Abusing and assaulting them has turned out to be a habit and also a matter of pride. The common person without judging anything by his conscience breaks out on the driver and the helper. This sort of passive hooliganism is present in every street of the country.

Is it right to assault the driver and the helper? There are traffic rules that states to investigate whose mistake it was and on conviction has appropriate punishments. If hitting the driver and the helper is booked under law then a criminal offence can also be registered against those chocolate heroes who hit them.

It was once when I was in a Guwahati city bus, where I got up at Adabari and was heading towards Panbazar. A lady tried to get up on the bus even after the bus left the bus stop. The bus was at around 15 Kmph. The lady couldn’t maintain her balance on the running bus and she fell down. The driver didn’t accelerate and decently stopped the bus. The bus passengers got furious at this and ran to grab held of the driver. He got a slap instantly by a well-dressed gentleman. I couldn’t understand why the passengers got so furious. I grab hold of the second person who was about to punch him on the face. The driver tried to hide behind me. While I tried to stand there and advocate for the driver, the lady suddenly arrived and made it clear that it was her mistake. The so looking gentleman who hit the driver felt ashamed and realized his mistake. There was no one who went to pick up the lady who fell down from the bus. The driver realized something wrong and instead of accelerating his vehicle and running away he showed his decency and stopped immediately. While the well-dressed gentle that should have run to help the lady get up, showed his indecency by hitting a poorly paid, over time working labour.

We should try to place ourselves at their position and imagine life for a minute. How would we feel if we have to get up early morning and hurry to work? How would we feel if we are asked to drive from 6 AM to 9:30 PM? While driving is a passion for many rich brats, there is this community of drivers who is actually fed up of pushing clutches and brakes after every hundred metres in a traffic jam and they are doing this just to earn two square meals a day for their family. There is nothing called human resource management or any organizational behaviour to monitor their livelihood and health. After working so hard, they have to face a bunch of idiots who are all into assaulting and abusing. Even if they commit mistakes and admit it, they are sure to get beaten black and blue. The best irony is that there is nobody to stand up for their human rights.

The public agitation in accidents is obvious. Rather than out bursting and handling the driver physically, the agitated public if calls an ambulance and helps clearing the passage to enable smooth fly of other vehicles shall exhibit a sense of responsibility and maturity.

 

I feel that the public is not at all bothered about accidents and causalities. It is just that they are trying to express their frustration upon this class of poor and helpless citizens. They are fed up of their household troubles or India losing the cricket match or their boss’s scolding in office and they have none upon whom they can really outburst their frustration. By abusing and assaulting these helpless people they are trying just to minimize their frustration.

I doubt if the world we live in is really civilized or it’s all namesake. Carrying smartphones and wearing formals doesn’t really mark our progress. Our progress is hidden in a change in mentality. When we will learn the basics of humanity, only then we can approach towards modernisation.

N.B- This piece of my writing was initially published for Guwahatian - An E-Magazine from Guwahati.

About An Incredible Teacher

Last year I read about this great person about whom I am writing now.

Abdul Mallick, hailing from Malappuram, India is one of the greatest examples on the list of the dedicated teachers. For him teaching is not at all a profession but a passion; and which is perfectly reflected in his effort to reach school wading the neck high waters everyday. His action says about his dedication towards teaching. He is not one among those who takes up teaching as an alternative or with the charm of a lucrative salary.

It takes him three hours to cover the 12 Kilometer journey to cover by road. He swims across the river to maintain the punctuality. He tries his best never to miss his school. Once he crosses the river he changes the wet pair of clothes and proceeds to his school to teach.

His action reflects about a person's dedication to enlighten the society. Hats off to such a great personality.

Me & Philanthropy

I have always stood up for helping those who need our help and being a Salman Khan fan I have always known that it is necessary to act 'Being Human' to be a true human being. For me it is not possible to donate ample amount of fund to orphanages and old-age homes now because I am still a dependent but that doesn't mean I am presenting an excuse. I have always stood for blood donation and social causes. Last May it was the 15th time that I donated blood and perhaps next month I will be donating again. It was long back when I donated blood for the first time that I realized the kick in a person smiling at me after I have done something good for them. It is a bizarre experience to live the moment after helping someone. It boosts up the morale within and also develops a self respect.

The last when I did something good for other's..

Three days back after I returned to my second home, 'Charaideo Men's Hostel' I found a middle aged lady sitting on the stairs of our hostel. I parked my cycle at the cycle stand. I walked towards her. She showed me a photograph of a man who was in bed and said that the man in the photograph was her husband. He was detected with cancer. She couldn't afford for his treatment. I put my hand inside my pocket and discovered  two ten rupee note inside. I immediately handed over a ten rupee note. The lady although was sad, passed on a smile reflecting her blessings. It really felt good.

Submitted for Indispire

Mahendra Nath Phukon - The Tardily Cremated Soldier

A senior Police Official and Army personnel paying their tribute to Mahendra Nath Phukon

Mahendra Nath Phukon's brother's on the day of his cremation

On 7th February 1968. twenty Two year old Mahendra Nath Phukon was on the plane with 102 other Army and Air Force personnel and was travelling from Chandigarh to Leh. After the commencement of the AN - 12 aircraft the flight lost control and finally crashed near the 6264 meter Chandrabhaga Peak in Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul valley. None of the boarders were alive.

The wreckage stayed undiscovered till 35 years and on July 2003 a soldier named Pioneer Beli Ram was the first corpse to be excavated from the deep glacier area.

On 2nd August 2007 an expedition led my Major Nishant Kumar of Dogra Scouts recovered three bodies from the body. One of those three was of Mahendra Nath Phukon, who was still in uniform. His identity card and other documents led to his identification. 

His body ensconced in a coffin and draped with the Indian flag reached on 20th August 2007 to Deodhai, his native village in Sivasagar district, which is about 360 kilometers east of Assam's main city Guwahati. The last time Mahendra Nath Phukon was home to attend his elder brother, Tuben Nath Phukon's wedding in the year 1967. For his family it was a dream. His body was cremated on 21st August 2007. Many Government officials also were present to pay their tribute to Mahendra Nath Phukon. Mahendra Nath Phukon's brother's, Tuben Nath Phukon and Durganath Phukon are both retired personnel of the Indian Army.