Sixty-year-old Bipin Ganatra could not stop his tears the moment he received a call from a news channel on Wednesday evening telling him that he had bagged the prestigious Padma Shri award.
Sexagenarian Bipin, who stays alone in a small house in Central Avenue, Kolkata had no one around him to share the news. Bipin soon called his friend Rajesh Arora and his family to share the news with them.
¡°He is my childhood friend and he and his family have been with me through thick and thin.¡± Bipin had lost his parents a long time back. His sisters are married.
Umang Sharma
Bipin, a volunteer fire fighter, has saved hundreds of lives by risking his own. The journey started when he was twelve. It was the eve of Diwali around five decades back when his brother Narendra was cleaning his motor parts shop.
"We would clean the shop with kerosene oil and petrol. Suddenly a burnt cracker fell in the shop. My brother was wearing a silk cloth¡." His voice trails off.
The shop was gutted in the fire and after being admitted to a hospital for about a month, Bipul¡¯s brother succumbed to his injuries.
From there on, there was no looking back for Bipul. The fate of his brother unnerved him somehow, but soon afterwards came a steely determination, a need to not let what had happened to him, happen to others as well.
Bipin decided to save lives of people.
Umang Sharma
When asked if he remembers how many lives he has saved during the five decades of his service, Bipin replies, ¡°I am not into the business of saving the lives of people. My only aim is to bring the fire under control and save those trapped with less or no injury. Hence I do not have a count of how many people I have saved.¡±
When asked how he feels after winning the prestigious award, Bipul goes on to add, ¡°I am feeling happy. It is a boost for a poor man like me. I am thankful that my work is recognized.¡± He continues, ¡°Now when I have no one to share my happiness with, I just want the elders to bless me that I continue to serve to mankind till my last breath.¡±
Umang Sharma
Born and brought in a Gujarati family in Central Kolkata, Bipul's work is full of challenges. Recounting several harrowing incidents when he saw the embers of fire turn fiendish, he shares an incident where he closely saw death. He says, ¡°Once I managed to retrieve a couple of unexploded cylinders from a massive blaze that had engulfed a warehouse at Strand Road (Kolkata). I was proud that I managed to save a larger explosion which would have cost more lives.¡±
An electrician by profession, Bipul had to undergo open heart surgery or bypass surgery in 1994 but even then, his zest for saving lives did not stop.
Umang Sharma
Mostly glued to television screen watching local news channels, he always manages to reach the spot wherever fire breaks out. He adds, ¡°Whenever I hear a fire brigade crossing from my house. I rush and follow it. I am in service of saving people while others douse the fire.¡±
Sharing more about his risky profession Bipul says, ¡°Initially I used to chase fire engine like a mad man. The officials of the fire department did not know me. So I would help them in small tasks like laying down pipes.¡±
He also often calls the Fire and Emergency Department Headquarters to inquire about fire incidents, after which he immediately rushes to the spot. Most of the firemen also call him when a massive fire breaks out. He says, ¡°I am known to all in the fire department and I am always on toes to serve people and save their lives without fearing about mine.¡±
Remembering another incident, Bipul says that a few years ago a transformer exploded at 56, Canning Street in Kolkata.
Umang Sharma
¡°DG Central Rajpal Singh instructed me to check on a woman who was stuck on the top floor of the building. I managed to make my way through fire and reached the top floor to save the lady. When I reached there the lady said that she was pregnant and was going through a lot of pain. I pacified her talked to her in Gujarati and assured her to save her life. Then I saw some fire department personnel in civil dress and instructed them to come to the terrace of the neighbouring building. With the help of stretcher and rope we covered the gap of 10 feet and rescued her. I was happy that I managed to save two lives that time.¡±
¡°I thank God who gave me the right idea on right time. I thank god for all what I do.¡±
Umang Sharma
Bipin was also one of the rescue people during the time fire had engulfed Stephen Court in Kolkata and AMRI Hospital in Dhankuria.
¡°The Police commissioner especially ordered me to go up and save those who had remained trapped. Many a time when I read people have died in fire I feel upset of not being able to save them. But I do not allow these thoughts to overpower me.¡±
He further adds, ¡°God did not bless me with money but he gave me a functional body and a sound mind so that I can help others at times of their need.¡±
Umang Sharma
Bipin¡¯s selfless nature goes beyond the scope of saving human lives, the sexagenarian who is also a passionate dog lover is known to pamper and feed stray dogs and has a free hand when donating to the homeless. On festivals like Durga Puja, when streets of Kolkata are flooded and packed with vehicles, Bipul is often seen manning traffic at several intersections.
He concludes, ¡°This award has made me happy but I will not be over confident and excited as people make mistakes when they are overjoyed.¡±?