India is a big country with the second largest population in the world. There are people of many religions who speak many varied languages and have many cultures.
It is true that Cricket and Cinema bind all Indians together like no other thing could. While cricketers are like demi-gods in the country, cinema stars are also not far behind.
In cinema many stories are inspired from real-life situations and personalities. Inspiring persons like Bhagat Singh, Bhimrao Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabbhai Patel, Indira Gandhi, APJ Abdul Kalam, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Biju Patnaik, Mangal Pandey; historical personalities like Maharana Pratap, Shivaji, Ranjit Singh, Rani Lakshmi Bai, etc all have inspired many cinemas made on their true stories.
Mythological films based on mythology are also popular. It is said that when the Mahabharata serial was aired in the National Television during the 1980’s, the train timings were changed sothat the people could watch their favourite serial.
Arun Govil and Deepika Chikhlia who played Ram and Sita in the serial Ramayan were literally worshipped as gods!
Apart from history and mythology, many serials and films are also inspired by sportspersons who have achieved success in their fields.
Cinemas on Milkha Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Saina Nehwal, etc were quite successful.
A movie titled ‘Saand ki Aankh’ was also made which tells the story of sharpshooters Chandro Tomar and her sister-in-law Prakashi Tomar, who learnt to shoot at the age of sixty!These two sister-in-laws fought patriarchy and stiff opposition from many of their own relatives and made a mark in the shooting world. This film was produced by Anurag Kashyap. This film made the Tomar sisters a household name.
This essay is however about another Indian athelete who was a Arjuna award winner and a sprinter.
Makhan Singh was born on 1st July in the year 1937 in Bathulla. He was an Olympian and a National Games winner.
In the year 1962 in Kolkata the National Games were going on. The 400 metres race was about to begin. The legendary Milkha Singh was participating in this race. All were quite sure of the result!
While each and every person thought that Milkha Singh would easily win the race, something strange happened that day!
In a nail biting race, Milkha Singh was defeated by a fellow Indian racer and had to be contented with the silver medal. Because the gold was taken by Makhan Singh, who remains the only Indian to have defeated the Flying Sikh!
History was created that day!
Makhan Singh’s first victory was however in the Cuttack National games held in the year 1959.He had obtained a bronze medal then. The next year he had won a silver medal in the 300 metres and a gold medal in the 100 metres in the Delhi National games.
In 1961 in the Madras National games also he won one gold and one silver medal; and in the year 1962, he gave his best performance and won four gold medals, including his win over Milkha Singh.
In the next year in Trivandrum too he won two golds and one silver.In total he won twelve gold medals, three silvers and one bronze with the last one in the year 1964 in the Calcutta National Games.
He had represented the country in the Asian Games held in Jakarta in the year 1962 and made the country proud by winning a relay gold in 4×400 metres relay race and also a silver medal in the 400 metres race.
Makhan Singh was an ex-army man and was a Subedar in the Army. He retired in the year 1972.After that he started a stationery shop in his ancestral village.
However due to monetary needs, he was forced to drive a truck. While driving, he met with an accident, in which his one leg got injured by broken glass. As he was diabetic, doctors had to amputate his leg.
Makhan Singh was penniless during the time of his death. This great athlete left his mortal coil on 21st January in the year 2002.
His wife had to pawn his medals to meet the monetary needs, after his demise.
It is really very sad that one of India’s best sprinters had to live a life of penury!
His contemporary and more famous Milkha Singh once had said that he feared only Makhan Singh while competing and the latter brought out the best of him. He rated Makhan even above Pakistan’s Abdul Khaliq and described him as a superb athlete.
Probably Makhan Singh chose to live a quiet life away from the limelight. If he would have tried, probably he too could have got the fame and limelight richly deserved by him.
Once Makhan Singh had said that he would be more famous after his death!
His words are probably coming true now as the country needs to remember a gifted talent whose name got lost somehow.
The man who beat Milkha Singh, was a great sprinter and his brilliant flyte and sportsmanship needs to be embedded in the Indian athletics history forever!!
By Sidhartha Mishra
