A rare breed of people who live for others

At a time when a common practice is to take life, it was a rare act of courage and sacrifice. An employee at the bottom of the railway hierarchy gave away his life in order to save a woman and her daughter on January 27 last. There were officials and employees close to a railway crossing at the time a train was approaching. Right at that moment a woman with a little daughter too got on the level crossing.

Time was critical. Just a split second would determine life or death for the woman and her kid. A person suddenly caught hold of the woman's hand and pulled her out of danger. But her daughter was still on the railway tracks. Another man named Badal Mian from other side of the track rushed to the girl and pushed her out of harm's way but failed to get away himself. The train ran over him.

Thus a railway employee has set an example of unmatched fellow feeling and sacrifice. There were 8-10 railway employees and an engineer. None could instinctively respond to the duty's call but Badal did. It is this instinctive prompt response to a crisis like this that has made Badal's sacrifice all the more praiseworthy. He could hesitate before plunging in his mission of rescuing the girl. But he had no time for a second thought. When someone's mission in life is to help others in distress or danger, the person is prompted to throw caution into the wind.

Badal Mia is a member of the rarest species this country has ever produced. Coming from a poor family, he was supposed to be timid and extra-cautious because the entire family depended on his income. Unless one has a lion's heart, demonstration of such courage is inconceivable. The poor man used to live in a tin-shed house constructed on a piece of railway land in Mymensingh. His loss means a lot to his family. Such a man is not unlikely to be aware of this fact. But still his inner call was so overpowering that he took the risk. Yes, he was successful in his mission of saving the little girl but only at the cost of his own life. This speaks volumes of the man's generous soul -one that is ever ready to help people in need or danger.

Only a couple of years ago, another of the breed -who happened to be a retired civil servant -- with the finest soul made a similar sacrifice. When he saw a boy in a similar situation about to be crushed under the wheels of a speedy train, the man in his considerably advanced age rushed to pull the boy out of danger only to fall victim himself. Ashraf Ali was his name. An honest man, he did not or could not accumulated wealth like many of his peers and was compelled to write for the defunct Bangladesh Observer. He was not a gifted or accomplished writer but as a man he was incomparable. His generosity and humility made him stand apart from the crowd.

When a police constable rescued a boy from a canal in Chittagong, the man in uniform was awarded for his social service. A policeman is supposed to help the public when the latter are in danger. But what about a railway employee who sacrificed his life for saving an unknown and unrelated small girl? The question should reverberate with renewed force particularly when the deceased man was the only bread earner for the family. Apart from monetary reward, perhaps there is a need to consider one of his family members for a job with the railway provided that there is one to perform such a job.

As for the civil servant, more than the monetary compensation there is a need for highlighting his sacrifice by conferring on him an award for service to humanity. This is an area that is getting increasing neglected. Man cannot and must not live for his own sake. The precept of helping others and doing all one can when there is the call should be promoted. Living for others was once highly prized but now people are becoming selfish. So there is a need for breaking apart the cocoon of self-centredness and reach out to people who are in need of compassion and generosity.

Let life assume a different kind of meaning and be enlightened with the glow of love and sacrifice.