Holding a Torch to a Great Man

The Kochi-based Arvind Kumar Pai has one of the largest collections of Mahatma Gandhi stamps in the country. He talks about his passion

Photos by Ratheesh Sundaram

By Shevlin Sebastian

One sunny Saturday afternoon, several years ago, Arvind Kumar Pai was at home, at Cherthala, Kerala, when he saw the postman dropping some letters inside the post box at the gate. Since the box was at a lower height, the boy ran out of the house and collected the letters.

On one envelope, there was an orange stamp with the face of a bald man with round spectacles. “I was immediately gripped by the image,” he says. “Today, I cannot explain why I got so fascinated with Mahatma Gandhi.”

Ever since, he has been collecting stamps of Gandhi. He followed the method of all children: tear the side of the envelope which had the stamp, place it in a mug of water, to weaken the glue. Then he would put the stamp out to dry in the sunlight, and put it inside an exercise book. “My father would encourage me in my hobby,” says Arvind.

Today, at 30, Arvind, a professional trainer, has more than 10,000 stamps in his collection. In late 2014, he was given an award by the Asia Book of Records for having the largest collection. They include first-day covers, setanant (series of four) and ordinary stamps from India and abroad.

Not many people know that America, in 1961, was the first foreign country to bring out a stamp on Mahatma Gandhi. It is a 4 cent stamp, in orange, with an image of Mahatma Gandhi inside a circle.

The words, when read clockwise, went like this: Apostle of Non-Violence/1869/Mahatma Gandhi/1948. At the top are the words, 'Champion of Liberty'. Arvind got this from a philatelist in Thiruvananthapuram. “Most of the stamps that I get from abroad have been sent by friends,” he says. “All of them know about my passion.”

So, he has stamps from Mauritius, Ghana, Turkmenistan, Bhutan, Madagascar, Zambia, Belgium, South Africa and Costa Rica.

The Costa Rica stamp was brought out in 1998, the 50th death anniversary of the Mahatma. The stamp fittingly costs 50 Colones. (Colone is the country’s currency). Interestingly, the South African stamp features a young Gandhi, in a lawyer’s suit. Gandhi went to South Africa in his early twenties and worked as a barrister for many years.

“In 2009, the United Nations declared Gandhi’s birthday, October 2, as the International Day for Non Violence,” says Arvind. “They also released a stamp, which I have in my collection.”

But Arvind is not taking it easy. To increase his collection, he regularly attends philately exhibitions in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Thrissur, Chennai and Bangalore.

“The price for a Gandhi stamp depends on the year it came out,” says Arvind. “A Rs 10 stamp, which was released in 1948, has an asking price between Rs 30,000 and 60,000 today. For some people, stamp-collecting is only a way of making money and not a passion, like it is for me.”

Not surprisingly, Arvind idolises Gandhi. “Gandhi has never died,” he says. “He lives on in the currency notes, statues, photos and stamps. He is India itself. His vision was to make India self-sufficient. I am very happy that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has come up with the ‘Make in India’ idea. But that was originally a Gandhian concept. And Gandhi has always said that we should love and respect each other. These are values which we desperately need in our country.”

To propagate the principles of Gandhi, Arvind holds exhibitions regularly. The last one was on October 2, 2015, at a school in Thuravoor.  

“A wide variety of people came,” says Arvind. “But what was a surprise were the presence of a large number of political science and history teachers from schools and colleges. Since they teach Gandhi in their syllabus, they were keen to know more.”

There were many youngsters too. “They asked me a lot of questions about Gandhi,” says Arvind. “Like, how is Gandhi relevant for them? Also, why do I collect only Gandhi stamps? In the end, the exhibition was a learning experience for them. They became aware of what a great man Mahatma Gandhi was and remains so.” 

The New Raja On The Block

Raja Krishna Menon is thrilled that his Bollywood film, 'Airlift', has become a hit and initiated a conversation all over the country

Photos: Raja Krishna Menon; the director with Akshay Kumar 

By Shevlin Sebastian

Raja Krishna Menon watched a group of youngsters, from Iraq and Syria, in T-shirts, jeans and sneakers, amble into a changing room, at Ras El Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, on a sunny March morning in 2015.

Later, when these junior artistes came out, in Iraqi Army uniforms, black boots, and holding AK-47s, they looked different. “They walked about with a swagger,” says Raja, the director of the Bollywood film, 'Airlift', which was released on January 22. “They began waving their guns about. One teenager stepped onto the main road and began directing traffic with his gun. Their transformation was scary.”

In fact, when the star Akshay Kumar stepped onto the set and saw the intensity of the soldiers, he turned to Raja and said, “It looks like a real war.”

'Airlift' is the story of the evacuation of 1.7 lakh Indians in Kuwait, following Iraq's invasion of its neighbouring country in August, 1990. It is told through the eyes of millionaire Indian businessman, Ranjit Katyal, played by Akshay. The film has become a box-office hit and crossed Rs 100 crore in earnings within a few days of its release.

Understandably, Raja is feeling happy. He realised the potential of this story as a film in 2003. “A friend told me, 'Man, this was a huge effort by India'. And when I heard the number of people who were saved, it amazed me,” he says.

For the next ten years, Raja read articles, did research on the Internet, and spoke to the people who were involved. Then he sat down and wrote the script. It took one-and-a-half years. “I knew that I needed a big budget to make a film,” says Raja. “The only way was through the presence of a big star.”

That was when Raja's friend, the producer, Vikram Malhotra, stepped in. He sounded out Akshay, who showed interest. So Raja met Akshay at his Mumbai home in 2014. “The narration lasted for two hours,” says Raja. At the end, Akshay agreed to star in the film.

“It was Akshay [as actor and producer] who made it happen,” says Raja. “He told me, 'Raja, if you need anything at all, just call me. I want this [Rs 30 crore] film to be made the way you want it to be'.”

And all this seems like a dream to Raja. The Thrissur-born Malayali grew up in Bangalore, and, following his graduation from Christ College, joined an advertising film company.

A few years later, he moved to Mumbai and began to make advertising films. In total, he has made 300 commercials as well as eight documentaries on dowry harassment and other social topics for various NGOs. In between, he made his first film, 'Bas Yun Hi' (2003) starring Nandita Das and Purab Kohli, but it sank.

Following that, he made the critically-acclaimed 'Barah Aana' (2009) which featured Naseeruddin Shah, Vijay Raaz, and Tannishtha Chatterjee. “It confirmed to me that you must always make a film from the heart,” he says.

Which is how he has made 'Airlift'. Asked to analyse why the film has done so well, Raja says, “There is so much of negativity in the country these days. As a result, there is a deep hunger for life-affirming stories. My film provides that.” 

(Sunday Magazine, The New Indian Express, South India and Delhi)

Working during an Avalanche

COLUMN: LOCATION DIARY

Director Geetu Mohandas talks about her experiences in the Hindi film, ‘Liar’s Dice’

By Shevlin Sebastian

On a day in January, 2013, the people in the remote village of Chitkul in Himachal Pradesh were feeling nervous. There was an endless rumble in the mountains. And avalanches were taking place on different slopes.

They rushed to inform the 18-member crew of the Hindi film, ‘Liar's Dice’, that it was time to leave. “They said we would get stuck,” says the film's director Geetu Mohandas. “It was a call that my husband [and cinematographer] Rajeev [Ravi] and I took. We needed to take that last shot.”

It was a sunset scene. “A woman (Gitanjali Thapa) accompanied by a three-year-old child (Manya Gupta) and a goat was leaving the village, without informing anybody,” says Geetu. “She wanted to go in search of her husband in the city.”

By the time the shoot was over, they saw that the road was submerged under a huge mound of snow. “It was scary,” says Geetu. “We were stuck. We could not move forward.”

The local people informed the Army. Although it was 6 p.m., it had become pitch-black all over. “The only light was from the headlights of our car,” says Geetu. “The temperature was below freezing. And the sound of the rumbling was frightening. It was like stones breaking. But, really, it is an indescribable sound. And all of us felt frightened to hear the

sound of Nature, when it is angry.”

By the time the Army arrived, two hours had gone past. Then they realised that that they needed machines to clear the road. It would take at least three days. That was when the local people, using shovels, began to make a narrow passage at the edge of the road. “They took close to two hours,” says Geetu. “The cliff-edge was jagged. The road surface was slippery. They told us to cross, but without touching each other. Because we could slip and fall down.”

One by one, the crew members crossed. The one who was the most relaxed was Manya, the child. “She was laughing and singing a song,” says Geetu.

But it was not so for Geetu. “My husband knew about my fear of heights,” she says. “He was worried about how I was going to cross. Then Rajeev said he was going to walk and asked me to hold his hand and walk behind him. But at that moment, I saw that Gitanjali was looking scared. So, I told her to go ahead and hold Rajeev's hand.”

Rajeev was unaware that it was Gitanjali's hand that he was holding. At the half way mark, he turned around and saw that it was Gitanjali. “He became red in the face,” says a smiling Geetu.

Since she was the director Geetu waited till everybody had crossed. Now it was her turn. She walked in a gang of six. Two drivers in front, and two behind her.

“We began to walk slowly,” says Geetu. “I felt breathless. And suddenly I lost my balance. So I was literally held by my hands and legs and taken across. I felt like Jagathy Sreekumar in a comedy film.” The crew finally made it across to safety.

But there was one unforeseen result. “For so many days I was the no-nonsense director,” says Geetu. “Now my whole image lay shattered. Thankfully, the shoot had been completed.” When she returned home, to Aluva, she got another shock: she had been two months pregnant during the shoot. But it all ended well. Today, Aradhana is a lively three-year-old. 

(The New Indian Express, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode) 

Behind The Scenes

COLUMN: SPOUSE’S TURN

Smitha talks about life with the Mollywood film director Ranjith Shankar

Photos by Albin Mathew 

By Shevlin Sebastian

As Smitha was getting her make-up done, on the first floor of the KM auditorium in Manissery, her cousin suddenly rushed in and said, “Ranjith has already arrived.” Smitha, as well as the beautician, Reshma (name changed), rushed to the window and looked down. Indeed, Ranjith had arrived an hour early for their 11.30 a.m. marriage on November 22, 2003. As Ranjith stood around, in front of the car, in an off-white shirt and mundu, Reshma said, “He looks serious and focused.”

Smitha then borrowed the mobile phone from her cousin and called Ranjith. He said, “Where are you calling from?”

“Upstairs,” said Smitha.

Ranjith looked up, but could not see Smitha.

“I will never forget that image, of Ranjith looking up, during our wedding day,” says Smitha, at her well-appointed villa, at Kochi, where she stays with her husband, daughter Tara, 11, son Tarun, 7, and her in-laws. It was a few days after the successful reception of 'Su Su Sudhi Vathmeekam', starring Jayasurya, so it was a happy household.

Asked to list Ranjith's qualities, Smitha says, “He is very patient. At times, when I am down, I would like a bit of pampering. And Ranjith always provides that. Ranjith also never talks ill about anybody, no matter how badly some people behave with him. He has the ability to look at things from the other person's viewpoint.”

His negative point is that which afflicts most families these days. “Ranjith is always on the mobile,” says Smitha. “He likes to stay connected with people. I tell him that sometimes he should switch it off so that he can give an undivided attention to the family.”

Sometimes, Ranjith asks for attention from Smitha. Every day when she comes back from her office, at an IT firm in Info Park, Ranjith asks Smitha whether he could read something that he had written that day. “He feels that there will be something I can suggest,” she says.

And Smitha does offer suggestions, not only in the writing stage. “For ‘Su Su’, there was a scene where the actor Ershad, as Kurup, is holding the collar of Sudhi (Jayasurya),” she says. “I saw it during the dubbing stage. But in the first cut, the scene had been taken out. I told Ranjith that the scene was powerful. It shows the negative character of Kurup and the helplessness of Sudhi. So he put it back.”

Like most directors, the day before the Friday release is a tense day. “He does not know how the audience will react,” says Smitha. “On Friday morning, as a family, we go to the Thrikakkara temple and pray for the film's success.”

On the release day of 'Su Su', (November 20, 2015), Smitha took leave, and the couple left the house at 9 a.m. They spent the next few hours wandering around Fort Kochi and Mattancherry. “It was only by 2 p.m. that we got the news that people had liked the film and it would become a hit,” says Smitha. “We were so relieved. In fact, 'Su Su' is one of my favourite films of Ranjith.”

As Smitha talks, suddenly Ranjith comes in. And within minutes, he has to leave, because son Tarun is crazy about cricket, so the father is taking him to attend a cricket camp at Edapally. “We share parental duties,” says a smiling Smitha.

Asked to give tips to youngsters who are about to get married, Smitha says, “The most important thing is to understand the family’s background and culture. Then the girl should act in a way which does not disturb the rhythm. Apart from that, one should be patient and try to understand the husband's viewpoint. Be willing to come to a compromise. In my experience, there is nothing which you cannot work out through dialogue.” 

(The New Indian Express, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram)   

Falling From A Branch

COLUMN: LOCATION DIARY

Guinness Pakru talks about his experiences in the films, 'Swantham Bharya Zindabad', 'Ambili Ammavan', and 'Joker'

Photo: Guinness Pakru in 'Swantham Bharya Zindabad'

By Shevlin Sebastian

Director Biju Vattappara placed his camera on the bank of a river in Thodupuzha, on a day in 2010. On the opposite bank stood Guinness Pakru, the 2’6” hero of the film, 'Swantham Bharya Zindabad'.

Pakru, who plays a Communist by the name of Vettoor Sivankutty, is supposed to commit suicide by jumping into the river. Associate Director Roshan Nair (name changed) stood next to Pakru, the script under his arm, and showed Pakru how to jump into the water.

But so engrossed was Roshan in showing Pakru how to do it, that he slipped and fell into the water. “And right in front of my eyes, I could see the papers of the only script we had slip out and float on the water’s surface,” says Pakru.

A panicky Biju arranged for a boat. Crew members got in and began collecting the pages from here and there. In the end they managed to get all the sheets. Thereafter, they came to the shore. The engine of a Tata Sumo was switched on, and the pages were placed on the bonnet, so that it could dry out.

“That was the only way we could shoot the next scene,” says Pakru. As for Roshan, he became the butt of jokes by colleagues on the set.

In his very first film, 'Ambili Ammavan' (1985), Pakru had to sit on top of an elephant. The background of the story went like this: A rich man's son comes to school in a Mercedes Benz. When Pakru complains to his father, a mahout, played by Jagathy Sreekumar, that the family does not have a car, the latter announced that, from the next day, Pakru will go to school on an elephant.

“I felt it would be exciting to do a shoot with an elephant,” says Pakru. “But when I sat on top, the bristles were like needles on my bum and legs. I started crying because of the pain. And it was Jagathy Chettan who soothed me and told me not to worry.”

And in one sequence, the elephant wrapped Pakru around his trunk and brought him down. “For a few moments, my legs were up in the air, and my head was facing the ground,” says Pakru. “Both the director [KG Vijayakumar] and Jagathy Chettan said that we should not do such risky shots. I will never forget the support offered by Jagathy Chettan throughout the shoot.”

Sometimes, stunt sequences can cause injury. At the shooting of Joker (2000) by director Lohithadas, at Cheruthuruthy, near Ottapallam, Pakru plays a joker in a circus. Since there was very little income, there was a scene when the performers steal coconuts from a nearby field.

Pakru goes to one such field, along with actor Bindu Panicker, who carries a ladder. “I was supposed to climb up a tree and throw coconuts to the ground,” says Pakru. “There was one scene where the ladder falls away and I am hanging from a branch. Then the branch breaks and I fall. As I head towards the ground, Dileep is supposed to catch me in his arms.”

But Pakru gained so much of momentum that Dileep could not hold him. “Instead, I slipped from his hands and fell, just as Dileep did,” says Pakru. “In the end, he hurt his hands, and injured his back.”

Unlike most actors, throughout his career, Pakru has had to all the stunt sequences by himself. “There is no question of a stunt man replacing me, since I am so small and there is nobody of my height doing these scenes,” says Pakru. “But I have got used to it. And, by the grace of God, so far, I have managed to do all the actions safely.” 

(The New Indian Express, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode) 

On The Run

Former Australian MP Pat Farmer is on a 4600 km journey across India to inspire people and impart a message of peace

By Shevlin Sebastian

The first sight of Australian long-distance runner Pat Farmer, 53, at a hotel in Kochi, comes as a shock. There is not an ounce of fat in his body. He is sinewy and lithe. The second impression is how red his skin has become.

On January 26, Pat set out from Kanyakumari, on a 4600 km journey, called ‘The Spirit of India run’, all the way to Srinagar. He plans to do it in 65 days. Pat is being accompanied by a television crew which is making a documentary that will be shown in film festivals all over the world.

And Pat has a reason to do this. “I want to inspire people,” he says. “When they look at me, they see the pain in my eyes, the blisters and bruises on my feet, they see I am struggling with the heat, but they also see something else. They see an ordinary man doing something extraordinary.”

But Pat is no ordinary man. For eight years he had been a Member of Parliament. And during a 20-year running career, he has run from the North to the South Pole, across Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam North America and Wet Asia. In the process, Pat has raised millions of dollars for charity. In 2000, the then Australian Prime Minister John Howard presented him with the ‘Achiever of The Year’ Award.

But Pat says anyone can do what he has done. “I want to tell people that they are capable of great things themselves,” he says. “We all have setbacks and difficulties. But it does not matter how many times you get knocked down, as long as you can get up one more time. And that is what this journey is all about.”

Pat has a couple of other goals. “I want to show Australians what a beautiful country India is,” he says. “I am also collecting donations to further girls’ education in India” (online contributions can be made at patfarmer.com).

For this journey Pat is being supported by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs – Public Diplomacy Division, Indian Association of Tour Operators, and the Federation of Hotels and Restaurants Association of India.

But the run is taking a physical toll on Pat, because of the intense heat and humidity. “Pat is exposing his body to extreme conditions,” says Dr. Joseph Grace, the medical and safety director of the team. “He has not experienced this level of humidity before. I have advised Pat to drink plenty of water plus salts.”

And Pat has discovered a quick-to-take food: chicken soup. “It has the necessary salts, calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and iron,” says Dr. Joseph. “And it tastes delicious.”

Earlier, during the reception, Kochi Mayor Saumini Jain said, “Nowadays, within nations and even localities, there are differences on the basis of religions and other issues. That is why these efforts are very important. It brings people closer to each other.”

Says Pat: “This run is not about recognising the trouble, but the hope in the world.”

Nevertheless, it was in West Asia that Pat experienced first-hand, what Saumini had mentioned. “When I was in Lebanon, the people said, ‘Don’t go to Israel, they are all murderers there,’” he says. “And in Israel, they said, ‘You have been to Lebanon. And you have survived?!’ All I want to say is that, at the end of the day, whichever country we belong to, we are all human beings.”

And Kerala is a shining example. “When I set out on my runs in the early mornings, I saw people praying in the mosque,” he says. “After a while, I saw groups of men and women enter a church. Thereafter, I saw devotees in a temple. There are people of so many religions in India but they are worshipping in different, but peaceful ways.” 

(The New Indian Express, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram)

Ebony and Ivory

The London-based artist Tatiana De Stempel's exhibition focuses on the impact of skin colour on people

Photos: Tatiana De Stempel. Photo by Albin Mathew;  Muslim women at Trafalgar Square, London

By Shevlin Sebastian

In June, 2015, the London-based artist Tatiana De Stempel noticed a group of young women, from Saudi Arabia, wearing black burqas, and holding expensive handbags, laughing and taking selfies at Trafalgar Square. “They were having a ball,” says Tatiana. “I was struck by them because, usually, Muslim women are very sombre in public.”

So Tatiana approached them. And they immediately agreed to her suggestion to stick their tongues out as she took photos. Over several months, Tatiana took photos of all types of people – blacks, transgenders, whites, Indians, Chinese and Japanese – all sticking their tongues out for the camera. She also took photos in Greece and Kochi.

Several of these photographs have been put up at Tatiana's show, 'What colour would you choose', which was held at the Backyard Civilisation Gallery at Mattancherry, near Kochi. The show (January 15-24) has been curated by the Delhi-based author Manoj Nair. “I wanted to show how, even though people have different skin tones, they have the same pink tongue,” says Tatiana. “In other words, deep down, we human beings are the same.”

This idea came to her, when at the India Art Fair, in January, 2014, at New Delhi, Tatiana, along with Manoj, met up with Kerala artist Binoy Varghese. “We were talking about the matrimonial advertisements in India, where the preference is always for ‘fair’ girls,” says Tatiana. “And there is a high demand for fairness skin creams in India. That was when I decided to do this project.”

She was also prompted by an incident in her childhood. In London, there was a Black & White Minstrels Show, in the 1960s, where people, who are white, would be dressed up as black persons and wore black makeup, but the area around the eyes was painted white. “It looked weird,” says Tatiana. “And I never forgot it.”

However, during the year-long project, Tatiana came across some paradoxes. “In England, as soon as the sun comes out, everybody steps out to get a tan,” she says. “They want to turn brown. That's why they go for summer holidays to Greece and Spain. No one is happy with the skin colour they have.”

In Athens, a young girl called Maria summed it up well: “White people want to be black, and black people want to be white. As for me, it is good to be tanned, because all your marks and scars can be hidden.”

In Kochi, when Tatiana held a workshop on skin colour, the responses confirmed to her the deep-rooted desire among Malayalis and Indians to be fair-skinned. “All the women participants wanted a light-coloured child,” she says. “Somebody told me that women are told not to eat mangoes, or drink coffee, so that they can become fairer.”

Apart from photographs, Tatiana has done watercolour drawings of people who have undergone plastic surgery because they have been unhappy with their skin tone and colour. “I have done a drawing where the face has been changed by Botox surgery,” says Tatiana. She has also focused on French performance artist Orlan, who has done a lot of a plastic surgery on her face as part of her public performance.

The third aspect of the exhibition is a video in which Tatiana asks people their views regarding their skin tone. A black man, by the name of David, says, “Skin colour is a hierarchy, with white on top. As to whether I have the same opportunities as my white contemporaries, the answer is no.”

As Tatiana speaks, local artist Pradeep Kumar comes in to view the works. “This is interesting,” he says, after walking around. “Apart from the tongue, everybody has red blood. Maybe, this could be the subject of your next exhibition.”

Tatiana smiles and nods. A practicing artist for the last 20 years, Tatiana has exhibited in London and San Francisco. She has done paintings, etchings and photography. For the past 16 years, she has also been a visiting tutor at the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design at London. But her heart is in India. “I am having a great time in Kochi,” she says. 

(Sunday Magazine, The New Indian Express, South India and Delhi)

India’s First Blade Runner

Major DP Singh lost his right leg as a result of the Kargil War. Today he is a runner as well as an inspirational speaker

By Shevlin Sebastian

At the start of the Spice Cost Marathon in Kochi, in November, 2015, Uday Bagde, a participant from Ahmedabad, had a moment's hesitation. A member of an all-India group called The Challenging Ones, he turned to founder Major DP Singh and said, “Sir, is it necessary to wear shorts while running, instead of trackpants?”

Singh replied that runners can only wear shorts. So, Bagde took off his track pants and set out in his white shorts. Immediately he caught the eye, because he was wearing a prosthetic.

Later, when he completed his quota of five kilometres, he told Singh, “In this short span, I have changed as a person. Earlier, I was shy about showing my prosthetic in public. But during the run people told me, 'Oh my God, you are an inspiration for me.'”

Singh is also an inspiration. He is India's original blade runner, in the manner of South Africa's famed running champion Oscar Pistorius. “When I wear a blade, it gives me the same posture as a normal runner,” he says. “One part of the blade works as a toe. It gives a push, and helps me to move forward.”

Thus far, Singh has taken part in 18 half marathons (21 kms) in places like Mumbai, Delhi, Kochi, Chandigarh, Ladakh, and Sangla. Incidentally, these type of limbs are not manufactured in India. Singh has imported one, made of carbon fibre, at a cost of Rs 7 lakh.

The Delhi-based runner began running six years ago. “I wanted to do everything that a normal person can do,” says Singh. “The most difficult aspect for someone, without a leg, is to run, and to run long distance. Once I began running I felt an immense self-confidence.”

And there was a changed attitude among the people towards Singh. “There were no longer any looks of sympathy,” he says. “Instead, they quickly accepted me as a normal person. Running also releases endorphins in the brain. As a result, I feel good and happy. And in control.”

But Singh had experienced moments when things went haywire. On the morning of July 15, 1999, he was part of an Army team taking part in 'Operation Vijay' during the Kargil War between India and Pakistan. A bomb burst just five feet away from him at the Chicken Neck section in Akhnoor. By the time, he regained consciousness, the situation looked grim. Gangrene had set in. Despite the best treatment in several hospitals, the doctors had no option but to amputate his leg.

And his first thought was highly unusual. “I felt that now I will be able to see life from a disabled person's eyes, and do something about it,” says Singh. “Today, I believe that this is the path chosen by the Almighty himself, so I cannot question Him at all.”

Singh carries on in this vein: “My present life is much better. Had I not been injured, I would have been a mediocre person. But because of the amputation, I touched the nadir of my life. And from there I bounced back. It is the bouncing back that makes you a different person.”

It gave him the confidence to start an organisation for amputees called The Challenging Ones. “The name comes from being physically challenged,” says Singh. “We wanted to convert members, through sports, to become a challenger in life, and help them adopt a positive attitude.”

There are 800 members from all over India. For the Kochi race, Singh was able to persuade IDBI-Federal Life Insurance to provide air tickets and five-star hotel accommodation for 18 runners from all over the country. Out of them, 11 were coming out of their home city for the first time since their amputation. “It was an emotional moment for them,” says Singh. “I felt happy that I could do my bit for my fellow amputees.”

In his day-to-day life Singh is an inspirational speaker. He has talked about his life experiences at companies, school and colleges. “Now, you tell me, wasn't my amputation a good thing?” says Singh, with a smile.