Fate, not time, outran this turbaned Tornado
This remarkable specimen of health and determination was a man of contradictions. Until the very end of his extraordinary life, cut short at 114, Singh remained a human paradox: delicate in frame, yet indefatigable in spirit; quiet of demeanour with a thundering legacy. He did not need a stopwatch to run. Time stopped to meet his pace.
Fauja Singh was the youngest of four children.Gallari (talkative), as he was called, was born in Beas village in Jalandhar in 1911. Fragile as a newborn, his parents were worried when he wobbled trying to walk even at five. In the end, it was his legs that would carry him to global fame on their shoulders.
He had an uneventful life, the lone high point being his move to the UK in 1993, after his wife and a son passed away in Punjab. Bent with age and sorrow, he was on the brink of exhaustion. He said to himself, Hello, why am I wallowing in self-pity?
His salvation came in the form of running. He left his grief behind as he pumped his muscles, pounding his feet on the paved streets. At 89, he ran his first marathon. Longevity, for him, was a matter of academic interest.
The world began to notice him. First with amusement, then awe and finally, adoration. He kept himself fit. People loved him for his joie de vivre, his friendly face with the mouth always creasing into a smile and, yes, the twinkle in his eyes. He ran nine full marathons, including six London Marathons, and several half marathons, his last official engagement at the age of 101. He ran in the UK and abroad, in London, Hong Kong, New York, and Toronto, remaining fit and agile as he grew older, a living testament to human potential.
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New Indian Express
6 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Fate, not time, outran this turbaned Tornado
At an age when most people soothe their soles and massage sagging egos, Fauja Singh was lacing up his trainers for another bout with himself, for he was his own rival of his age on the asphalt track. The tentative strolls in the courtyard were not for him. He preferred the top variant – the marathon, all 26.2 miles of it. This remarkable specimen of health and determination was a man of contradictions. Until the very end of his extraordinary life, cut short at 114, Singh remained a human paradox: delicate in frame, yet indefatigable in spirit; quiet of demeanour with a thundering legacy. He did not need a stopwatch to run. Time stopped to meet his pace. Fauja Singh was the youngest of four (talkative), as he was called, was born in Beas village in Jalandhar in 1911. Fragile as a newborn, his parents were worried when he wobbled trying to walk even at five. In the end, it was his legs that would carry him to global fame on their shoulders. He had an uneventful life, the lone high point being his move to the UK in 1993, after his wife and a son passed away in Punjab. Bent with age and sorrow, he was on the brink of exhaustion. He said to himself, Hello, why am I wallowing in self-pity? His salvation came in the form of running. He left his grief behind as he pumped his muscles, pounding his feet on the paved streets. At 89, he ran his first marathon. Longevity, for him, was a matter of academic interest. The world began to notice him. First with amusement, then awe and finally, adoration. He kept himself fit. People loved him for his joie de vivre, his friendly face with the mouth always creasing into a smile and, yes, the twinkle in his eyes. He ran nine full marathons, including six London Marathons, and several half marathons, his last official engagement at the age of 101. He ran in the UK and abroad, in London, Hong Kong, New York, and Toronto, remaining fit and agile as he grew older, a living testament to human potential.
Hans India
19 hours ago
- Hans India
Digvijaya Singh demands to increase wages of Indore's sanitation workers
Indore: As Indore retained its top spot as the cleanest city in the country for the eight time in a row, senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh said that 'sanitation workers', who are the real heroes, are forced to survive on minimum monthly wages. He added that sanitation workers who made Indore as the cleanest city for eight times, "neither they get respect nor job security", and are forced to survive with minimum monthly wages, which is not enough to pay the monthly school fee of their children. "Sanitation workers, who wake up every morning at 4 a.m., even if it is raining, and keep working to make Indore clean. But the sad part is that their monthly salary is just Rs 10,500, which is not even enough for their children's higher secondary education," Singh wrote on social media platform X. He raised three basics demands of sanitation workers of Indore, urging Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and the State Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya to provide job security and increase monthly wages as they deserve it. "Indore's cleanliness will only be meaningful when the lives of sanitation workers are also clean, safe and respected. I would request Chief Minister and Urban Administration Minister to address these demands," Singh wrote. Indore's consistent success in maintaining its cleanliness is not accidental, the Congress leader said. It is the result of a multi-pronged approach encompassing robust waste management, smart infrastructure, strong civic engagement, and innovative services, he added. Unlike many other cities, Indore has successfully implemented a system where every household and commercial establishment is encouraged to segregate waste into six distinct categories: wet, dry, plastic, e-waste, sanitary, and hazardous. The fact is that Indore had become a leader in waste treatment as nearly all generated daily waste is processed and converted into valuable resources. A large-scale Gobar-Dhan plant plays a crucial role, processing up to 550–692 tonnes of wet waste daily to produce bio-CNG and organic compost. Indore has successfully transformed certain areas, including wards, markets, zoos, slums, and resident welfare associations (RWAs) into "zero-waste zones". Within these communities, segregation, reuse, composting, and recycling are actively practised. Beside all these, Indore district administration along with Municipal Corporation have launched several initiatives that were impactful, especially in behavioural change campaigns like "Bartan Banks" to discourage single-use plastics and "Jhola Banks" for cloth bags. Citizens, students, shopkeepers, and local committees actively participate in cleanliness pledges and competitions. To deter littering, the city utilises CCTV monitoring and imposes fines. The municipal corporation even implements stern enforcement measures, including termination for non-compliant staff, highlighting their commitment to maintaining high standards.
India.com
a day ago
- India.com
Indian Navy Bolsters Maritime Presence: INS Sandhayak Concludes Malaysia Visit, INS Nistar Commissioned
Indian Navy's indigenously designed and constructed Survey Vessel (Large), INS Sandhayak, made her maiden port call at Port Klang, Malaysia, for hydrographic cooperation from July 16 to 19. This visit demonstrates India's growing role in regional hydrographic capacity building under the Indian Naval Hydrographic Department (INHD) and National Hydrographic Office framework. INS Sandhayak, the first of the indigenously designed and built Sandhayak Class hydrographic survey ship, was commissioned on February 24. The ship has full-scale coastal and deep-water surveying capacity, as well as oceanographic data collection capabilities. It is also capable of SAR/humanitarian operations, featuring an onboard helicopter and hospital functions. The maiden visit of the ship to Port Klang aims to facilitate technical exchanges and strengthen institutional ties through concerted cooperation, such as the sharing of survey technologies and sustained hydrographic support engagements. The key activities during the visit include in-depth knowledge-exchange sessions, official receptions and events designed to foster international goodwill and elevate awareness of the MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision. The visit reaffirms India's commitment to regional maritime cooperation. On Friday, the Indian Navy also commissioned INS Nistar, the country's first indigenously designed and built Diving Support Vessel, at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the Indian Navy for the commissioning of INS Nistar, an indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Vessel (DSV). In a social media post on X, the Union Defence Minister wrote, "Congratulations to the Indian Navy and Hindustan Shipyard Limited for the commissioning of INS Nistar, the indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Vessel (DSV)." Highlighting the advanced capabilities of INS Nistar, Singh stated that the vessel is equipped with state-of-the-art systems for conducting Saturation Diving and Salvage Operations. "This induction of the DSV, installed with state-of-the-art Equipment to undertake Saturation Diving and Salvage Operations, as well as serve as the 'Mother Ship' for Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV), for rescue and evacuation of personnel from a Submarine in distress, is another milestone in India's journey towards ensuring Maritime Security and Safety in the Indian Ocean Region through Aatmanirbharta," the social media post read.
