Farewell ! Comrade Sir

 

It was the year 2006, and state elections were approaching in West Bengal. At that time, I was working at Infosys in Bhubaneswar and had decided to spend the weekend at my father's workplace in Mejia. My return journey was planned as follows: a train from Raniganj to Howrah, followed by another train from Howrah to Bhubaneswar.

I boarded the train at Raniganj, but since one of the gates was locked, I entered through the other. After placing my bag in the compartment, I walked towards the toilet at the end. As soon as I locked the door, someone knocked. I ignored it at first, but the knocking grew louder, almost turning into banging, so I had no choice but to open the door.

The next few seconds were a blur. All I remember is facing a towering man, well over six feet tall, dressed in a crisp blue suit, with a nozzle pointed directly at me. He proceeded to ask a series of questions to verify my travel purpose and identity, followed by a thorough search of all the documents I had with me. Once he was satisfied that I posed no threat, he instructed me to return to my seat, the nozzle still close to my back.

It wasn't until I was seated that I learned that then chief minister Mr. Budhadev Bhattacharya was in the same compartment and that I had inadvertently breached his security by walking to the toilet.

The rest of the journey was uneventful, although the security officer did sit next to me for the remainder of the trip. On the bright side, they were quite helpful, offering snacks and refreshments since no hawkers were allowed into the compartment.

Before deboarding, Mr. Bhattacharya took the time to personally apologize for the inconvenience caused by him and his entourage during the journey. This act of humility remains my enduring memory of him. - never acting like the VIP, always kind, caring and considerate!!!The common man’s chief minister. 

 Farewell, comrade Sir.