Why is he my hero?

By: Satellite Nongmaithem
What would you feel if you go back to the 90’s? It would be humorous to hear but actually having a Luna Scooty was a celebration, possession of a black and white TV was a royalty. Messages could be sent only as far as a horse could gallop. Surprisingly, the chronic lifestyle was genuinely a nasty and horrible one as compared to today’s simplified lifestyle.
Everyone has an untold story but it is merely a unique one, even the closest clones have different life stories. One’s life story may be romantic, comedic, tragedic, motivational or many more.
A motivational story that has been changing my life since I was a child is what I am about to recount. It was in 1994-95, long before I was born, a simple man became the General Secretary of a certain club. Not only that he was also an executive member of different other civil organizations including General Secretary of a youth club. He worked for the welfare of the society in relation with several departments of the state. Programs for agriculture, fisheries, anti-drugs abuse, free healthcare campaigns and youths welfare were conducted which were formerly unavailable in my village.
A good deed for humanity has no price, it will naturally be rewarded in return. He was awarded the District Youth Award – 1995 under Nehru Youth Sangathan, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India. His ceaseless efforts made him an applicant for the National Youth under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India in 1997-98. Unfortunately, one applicant from the same village misinformed about him to the organizing authority, telling that he was working in a government related teacher post. This incident resulted in failing the event. Even so, the impatient man never gave up. Instead, that failure made him stronger. For the second time, he became an applicant for the same in 1998-99. Regrettably, no information for his selection of the event could be gathered from the concerned department. While the prizes of the winners were going to be distributed in Ahmedabad on the National Youth Festival. Besides no response for the selection could be obtained, believing in his intuition and self-confidence never vanished. He politely asked the department authority to include himself with their representatives for the festival. But they neglected his proposal. The helpless man had to accompany a junior from his own locality for his journey. Both of them had no experience railing on a train. Luckily, on the way from Kolkata to Surat, they met a Master tailor who worked in Kolkata in their compartment.
They shared about their journey. The next day, some thugs turned towards their compartment and told both of them to empty their seats. However, the master tailor did not allow them to do so as it was almost 10 km. left to reach Surat. Anyhow they arrived at Gandhinagar in time. When he reached there, his first choice was neither to look for a rent nor change of a new dress but to glance at the list of selected candidates. His happiness knew no bounds when his name appeared on the list. The long struggle bore its fruit. What a play! The received award was bearing it call weeks later for the invitation to join in receiving the award came after the award was already received. Call it luck or passion!
If you didn’t miss any lines in this article, you may feel anxious about who the man is? Luckily, by the Grace of God, I am now with him. He is my father, Nongmaithem Shantakumar Singh who is the eldest son of N. Angouba Singh of Kumbi Terakh, BPO & PS, Kumbi, Bishnupur District, Manipur. Presently he is the founder of Sanatombi Oriental Higher Secondary School, Kumbi. Though he is preoccupied with the busy schedule of running a school, he never quits working for the welfare of the people and society. In honor of his works, he was appointed as the member Secretary of Eco club Bishnupur District under Department of Implementation and Monitoring of Environment Forest and Climate Change in 2004.
To wind up, we need a comparison within ourselves how we were and how we are now in this advanced society. It should also be noted that life experienced more struggle during olden days. Must be a story or a piece of article to most of you but it was an alarm for me, a waking call, a never ending bell telling me every now and then that ‘If there is a will, there is a way.’
(The writer is an ex-student of Sanatombi Oriental Higher Secondary School and currently a student in The Oratory Academy for his IELTS exam, as he will have his further studies in University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.)