Ghulam Dastagir, who saved hundreds of lives during the Bhopal gas tragedy, and Nobel Prize winner Abhijit Banerjee are true Indians who continue to inspire us
One of my favourite ways to travel around the country is to board a train. Unfortunately, due to pressing engagements and the urgency of modern life, I have not been able to take as much advantage as I would want of this uniquely Indian way of travelling. There’s something quintessentially Indian about taking the train, getting to know the fellow passengers and chatting with them over a cup of tea as they head to their respective destinations. While writing these lines, there is a vivid image in my mind of one such journey I made and I’m certain, a similar image must have appeared in the minds of the readers, too.
An interesting aspect of train travel is the diversity on display during the journey. One gets to hear of so many languages, accents, smell a variety of food and absorb different perspectives. Once, it got me thinking about what it means to be an Indian.
Unlike other nations like Pakistan, India is not defined by a particular religion. Some may argue that being a Hindu-majority country, an Indian’s identity is primarily driven by this majoritarian outlook. Such an argument does not hold ground because not only does India contain a multiplicity of religions but significantly also a multiplicity of castes. Therefore, a Brahmin Hindu (approximately five per cent of the Hindu community) can hardly claim to represent all Hindus. It’s the same with languages as well.
The recent debate about Hindi becoming a “national” language does not hold water because of the variety of languages spoken in our country. If you do not believe me, just ask a Maharashtrian or a Tamilian about how they feel about “Hindi” being a national language. The truth really is that “Indian identity is forged in diversity and everyone of us is a minority”, as Congress leader Shashi Tharoor put it eloquently.
But this still doesn’t explain what it means to be an Indian. The story of Ghulam Dastagir, however, does. Dastagir was the deputy station superintendent on duty at the Bhopal Railway station on December 2, 1984 — the day when the Bhopal gas tragedy took place. By midnight, the railway station, which was extremely close to the Union Carbide plant, was filled with poisonous gases that killed everything in its path.
On that fateful night, the brave deputy station master stepped on the platform with itchy feeling in the throat and a burning sensation in his eyes. Immediately, he knew something was wrong. Unaware that 23 of his colleagues had already succumbed to the gas leak, he tried to get clarity on what was happening and sought further instructions. With none forthcoming, Dastagir took matters into his own hands and informed his superiors to suspend all trains that were headed to Bhopal. He then summoned his staff. While he was barely able to stand or breathe and against all protocol, he directed his staff to clear the Gorakhpur train for departure even though 25 minutes were left for it to roll out. He assured his staff that he would take full responsibility for any blowback that may follow.
In doing so, Dastagir saved hundreds of lives. He did not, however, stop here. As terror spread across Bhopal, large crowds of the affected population descended on to the station in an attempt to escape the gas chamber. Dastagir went from platform to platform, attending to and consoling victims and sent an SOS to all nearby railway stations to send ambulances and doctors.
He himself suffered terribly due to the gas leaks. He died in 2003 and a large part of his life was spent in the hospital due to exposure to toxic fumes. He also lost his son in the tragedy. However, through his bravery and courage, he ensured that hundreds of fathers didn’t suffer the same fate as he did.
Dastagir was a true Indian. In such moments, we forget about which religion a person belongs to, which caste he was born into or which language he speaks. All that we care about and all that we remember is the great sacrifice of an Indian brother. In reality, this is what it means to be an Indian. It means recognising that at the time of independence, we promised ourselves and our future generations that we would set aside all that divides, to forge a better India. The poignant story of Dastagir reminds us of this core value.
Another value that forms the core of being an Indian is the respect and admiration for knowledge. This is evident from the fact that whenever a book falls down to the ground, we almost unknowingly touch it to our forehead as a sign of respect. It is this core value that has enabled India to be blessed with brilliant minds. We have had leaders in the field of mathematics, literature, technology and philosophy among others and I believe that one of the primary reasons for our intellectual prowess is the manner in which our culture respects knowledge and the pursuit of the same.
The most recent example is that of Indian-origin economist Abhijit Banerjee, one of the winners of the Noble Prize for economics. His win adds to a very rich list of Indian luminaries.
Sadly, however, some of our leaders attempt to replace these values with those that are antithetical to Indian core values. We are told now to focus on our differences rather than strengths and our leaders repeatedly show disdain for knowledge with an affinity for dogma. This is not the idea of India we cherish and it is not what it means to be an Indian.
I imagine most of us swell with pride when we recount the story of Dastagir or when we talk about the contributions made by Banerjee to the field of economics. We must ensure that we retain our core values and try to inspire similar pride in others. After all, that’s what it means to be an Indian.
(The writer is a former IPS officer, an MP and currently a member of the AAP)
