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THE STORY OF LOVELY KHATUN

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  THE STORY OF LOVELY KHATUN SARASIJ MAJUMDER Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Lovely Khatun, who served as the Pradhan of the Rashidabad Gram Panchayat in West Bengal's Malda district, was stripped of her post by the local Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) following allegations that she is an illegal immigrant from Bangladesh. The whole story is narrated below. The Background and Controversy:   The controversy erupted after her defeated political rival, Rehana Sultana, filed a petition in the Calcutta High Court,   accusing her of being an illegal Bangladeshi immigrant who procured forged Indian documents, and got elected. What Investigations revealed:   Identity Discrepancy: Investigations unearthed   that Lovely Khatun's real name is Nasia (or Nasifa) Sheikh and that she allegedly entered India without a valid passport. Forged Documents: She is accused of forging her father's name (listing him as Sheikh Mustafa instead of her actual father, Jamil Bisw...

 

BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY--I

GHULAM DASTAGIR: AN UNSUNG HERO

SARASIJ MAJUMDER

He was the Deputy Station Superintendent of Bhopal Junction on December 3rd 1984.

Yes, the Night Bhopal Gas tragedy happened.

Unfortunately for him and fortunately for so many, he stayed there to complete some pending work.

At midnight when he stepped on to the platform, he felt an itch in his throat and burning sensation in his eyes. He rushed to his Station Superintendent's office, but he was dead already.

The Gorakhpur - Mumbai express train with more than 1000 passengers on board was waiting on the platform, for which the departure time was 20 minutes away.

Trusting his instincts, he knew something was clearly wrong. He summoned his staff and told them to clear the train for departure. Even though the staff wasn't ready to do that without any authority, he said he would take full responsibility for the early departure. Breaking all the rules, he flagged off the train.

At this time, he was not even able to walk or breathe properly. But he ignored it.

He then rushed to control room and suspended all the trains coming to Bhopal Junction. He also sent an SOS to nearby stations seeking medical help, which lead to the arrival of paramedics and Ambulance to the station.

He ran from platform to platform consoling the affected passengers and ensuring medical help.

He stayed in the station, doing his duty, knowing that his family is out there in the same city.

His devotion to duty saved thousands of lives that day but he lost one of his son and another developed a lifelong skin infection.

His life was saved on that day, but he was never able to lead a normal life from then. He died in 2003 after 19 years fighting the painful growth in his throat due to the exposure to Methyl Isocyanate.

The railways installed a memorial for those who sacrificed their life on that day. But Gulam Dastagir is not even in the list.

He and his family would've been saved, if he had not chosen to save many others instead of saving himself. But his choice was different.

“A Hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself”----Joseph Campbell


And by all means he's a HERO.

Source:- A railway Publication; Old TOI dt.04-06/12/1984

NOTE:--  2nd Publication is scheduled later.

 

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