It was sometime in year 2002, I happened to read an article on an Assamese ,
knighted the highest civilian honor by the Queen Beatrix of Netherlands. I also
came across a number of news articles acclaiming his varied philanthropic works
and as such facilitated by the Prime minister and President of India. It was
sometime last year, to my utter surprise and utmost joy I received an email
from Wahid Saleh Sir enquiring how he could lend support to some of the
projects we were engaged in assisting the underprivileged back home. As I
responded happily, Wahid Saleh Sir mobilized all his resources in rendering
help to these poor children. Amidst his very busy work schedule, on his recent
trip to Assam he visited a number of places in rural Assam to identify and
support the deserving institutions.
My rendezvous with Wahid Saleh Sir whom I fondly address as Wahid da
started with a web come teleconferencing last year. Wahid da introduced me to
the website
http://www.indiawijzer.nl/
As I visited the link on Assam under the subsection Tourism and India I was
amazed by the depth of his knowledge on Assam and his ardent love and passion
for his home state. His fervent desire for the betterment of society by
uplifting the needy and the deprived seems to be his mission. In spite of being
a resident of Netherlands for decades now, his love for his people and country
has only increased by the minute, as he would walk down memory lane talking
wistfully about Jorhat, his hometown, his childhood days and his many
treasured memories like that of Saleh-Maujadar of Titabor.
Wahid da, is always delighted whenever he talks about his people and culture.
Whether its about the 500-year old inspirational songs of Shrimanta
Sankardevas 'BORGEET' or about a budding painter depicting rural Assamese
village through his brush , Wahid da is there, in mind and spirit.
Wahid da is a person who believes in not waiting for leaders but doing it on
ones own.
Like a man possessed, he strives towards a sustainable result, not perturbed
by the obstacles that could be on the way.
It is a pleasure to share with the readers the following feature on Wahid da
which appeared in The Sentinel last Sunday.
http://www.sentinelassam.com/sentinel_en/sunday/index.htm
Sincerely,
Ankur Bora
Austin , Texas
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