Whoever said that the humanitarian spirit was all but extinct and that Indians and Pakistanis are naturally born enemies who are forever at each other's throats must surely eat humble pie after reading this one...........
Good samaritans come in all shapes; sizes and nationalities and selflessly reach out and make a marked difference when the person at the receiving end requires utterly selfless and dedicated aid and succour the most.........
This nameless;selfless and seemingly divine good samaritan hailing from Pakistan's commercial capital (Karachi) came to the aid of a group of Indian students from the famed National Institute of Technology-Jamshedpur (NIT-J) at Texas's (US of A's) sprawling Dallas airport on the fateful day of March 28;2016.........
These students who successfully participated in a technological event organised by the Society of Automotive Engineers Aero Design; Forth Worth Texas between March 24 and 2016 were on their way back to their beloved homeland and alma mater when they were unceremoniously stopped in their tracks by airport officials and asked to pay up a fine for carrying baggage beyond the prescribed/permissible limits........
According to the team leader Aditya Barnwal we were utterly taken by surprise and dismay when the officials manning the said airport's immigration counter asked them to dole out the seemingly princely sum of 260 US dollars for carrying a model aircraft that exceeded the prescribed and laid down dimensional limits in this regard failing which they would have to leave the same behind with the concerned authorities.........
Literally at their collective wit's end; forlorn and utterly desolate the said group of students started pleading with the authorities claiming that nobody questioned them about the dimensions of their model aircraft that not only secured them the much coveted eleventh spot out of the 75 odd entries as well as the first place amongst twelve Indian teams that participated in this prestigious event when they entered the country through the portals of the very same airport.......
They also pleadingly informed the concerned authorities about the somewhat demeaning fact that they were only able to raise a sum of 70 US dollars by pooling in their collective resources and implored the immigration officials to accept the same and clear their much loved and coveted model aircraft as their future hopes and aspirations were linked to the very same........
Cometh the hour; cometh the man and their saviour appeared in the form of one elderly gentleman who answered to the name of Awaad who stepped up to the plate and unquestioningly offered to pay the sum demanded by the immigration officials therefore saving the students blushes and favourite model aircraft in the bargain..........
On being questioned about his antecedents and details about his bank account (so that the students could deposit the same in his bank account once they reached their homeland) he hesitatingly revealed that his name was Awaad and that he originally hailed from Karachi but was a naturalised US citizen who frequently travelled between the country of his birth and adopted country as he had business interests in both countries.........
He also waived off the student's offers to repay the amount paid by him by depositing the same saying that this was the least he could do for his immediate neighbours and children who happened to belong to a country that he admired; respected and revered as he was treated with love; deference and respect by Indians during the course of his many sojourns into his neighbouring country and that he was only repaying a debt by coming to the aid of Indian students who needed his help when in distress..........
One only hopes and prays that this divinely gentleman's seemingly "godly" gesture puts paid to many an existing stereotype and deep rooted belief about India and Pakistan being sworn enemies at all times and ushers in a spirit of bonhomie; mutual respect; love and admiration that would end up doing both countries a world of good in these troubled and vexatious times.........
Good samaritans come in all shapes; sizes and nationalities and selflessly reach out and make a marked difference when the person at the receiving end requires utterly selfless and dedicated aid and succour the most.........
This nameless;selfless and seemingly divine good samaritan hailing from Pakistan's commercial capital (Karachi) came to the aid of a group of Indian students from the famed National Institute of Technology-Jamshedpur (NIT-J) at Texas's (US of A's) sprawling Dallas airport on the fateful day of March 28;2016.........
These students who successfully participated in a technological event organised by the Society of Automotive Engineers Aero Design; Forth Worth Texas between March 24 and 2016 were on their way back to their beloved homeland and alma mater when they were unceremoniously stopped in their tracks by airport officials and asked to pay up a fine for carrying baggage beyond the prescribed/permissible limits........
According to the team leader Aditya Barnwal we were utterly taken by surprise and dismay when the officials manning the said airport's immigration counter asked them to dole out the seemingly princely sum of 260 US dollars for carrying a model aircraft that exceeded the prescribed and laid down dimensional limits in this regard failing which they would have to leave the same behind with the concerned authorities.........
Literally at their collective wit's end; forlorn and utterly desolate the said group of students started pleading with the authorities claiming that nobody questioned them about the dimensions of their model aircraft that not only secured them the much coveted eleventh spot out of the 75 odd entries as well as the first place amongst twelve Indian teams that participated in this prestigious event when they entered the country through the portals of the very same airport.......
They also pleadingly informed the concerned authorities about the somewhat demeaning fact that they were only able to raise a sum of 70 US dollars by pooling in their collective resources and implored the immigration officials to accept the same and clear their much loved and coveted model aircraft as their future hopes and aspirations were linked to the very same........
Cometh the hour; cometh the man and their saviour appeared in the form of one elderly gentleman who answered to the name of Awaad who stepped up to the plate and unquestioningly offered to pay the sum demanded by the immigration officials therefore saving the students blushes and favourite model aircraft in the bargain..........
On being questioned about his antecedents and details about his bank account (so that the students could deposit the same in his bank account once they reached their homeland) he hesitatingly revealed that his name was Awaad and that he originally hailed from Karachi but was a naturalised US citizen who frequently travelled between the country of his birth and adopted country as he had business interests in both countries.........
He also waived off the student's offers to repay the amount paid by him by depositing the same saying that this was the least he could do for his immediate neighbours and children who happened to belong to a country that he admired; respected and revered as he was treated with love; deference and respect by Indians during the course of his many sojourns into his neighbouring country and that he was only repaying a debt by coming to the aid of Indian students who needed his help when in distress..........
One only hopes and prays that this divinely gentleman's seemingly "godly" gesture puts paid to many an existing stereotype and deep rooted belief about India and Pakistan being sworn enemies at all times and ushers in a spirit of bonhomie; mutual respect; love and admiration that would end up doing both countries a world of good in these troubled and vexatious times.........
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