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Selflessness despite the odds
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Just when you’ve begun to think that goodness, generosity and heroism are the stuffs of legends, someone’s random act of kindness sways your conviction.
One such story is that of Ram Krishna Ghimire, a resident of Sundarijal in Kathmandu.
The first time Henry Lally came to Nepal in 1982, he was 23 years old. He had come on a vacation with a friend. The short excursion never left his mind, and the memory of that one trip compelled him to make another visit, albeit almost three decades later.
It wasn’t the scenic beauty of Nepal, as most tourists claim to be enthralled by, that captivated him. Neither was it the adventurous trekking routes that Nepal is quite famous for. Instead it was the kindheartedness of one stranger that left a lasting impression on Henry.
“Ram Krishna Ghimire is the reason why I’m back in Nepal today after almost thirty years,” says Henry, adding that the desire to visit Ram Krishna was the only reason why he took some time off from his hectic schedules as a nurse back in the United States.
When Henry first came to Nepal, he got lost while trekking in a forest nearby Sundarijal. He and his friend had been moving around in circles for hours and it was almost dark by the time they decided to give up their search for a way back. It was then that Ram Krishna stumbled upon them.
“He couldn’t speak in English and we didn’t understand Nepali but he could sense that we were lost and gestured to us to follow him,” says Henry, adding that since it was already dark, Ram Krishna took them to his home where they stayed the night.
“Besides his wife, he had three small children living in the cramped home but he gave us a bed each and his family adjusted themselves on the kitchen floor. He offered us more than enough food even though that left his family with very little to eat.”
Ram Krishna’s unselfishness still surprises Henry even after all these years. When Henry’s wife gave him a collage of photos for his 50th birthday, he saw a picture of Ram Krishna among the collection and was reminded of that particular incident.
“If Ram Krishna hadn’t found and taken us to his home, we would’ve had a miserable night and probably been lost for days. The trip would’ve been a terrible one,” says Henry, reiterating that it was because of Ram Krishna and his family that he had a pleasant stay and remembers it with fondness.
The man Henry is talking about is now 58 years old. He lives in a tiny mud house with a tin roof held in place by bricks and stones in Sundarijal, a village in Kathmandu, with his wife of nearly 40 years. When it rains, the roof leaks, leaving little dirt puddles on the floor. The tiny bedroom-cum-kitchen earlier housed five children, all of whom are now married or settled elsewhere.
Ram Krishna Ghimire still lives in the decrepit space with his wife, Sita, and though life hasn’t changed much for the duo since the time Henry met them thirty years ago, they seem to be living quite comfortably, making the best of whatever little they have.
A typical day in Ghimire’s life starts at the break of dawn when he heads to the field to tend to his crops after a cup of tea and heads back home after sunset for a quiet
dinner with his wife. It’s tough to make ends meet but that doesn’t stop him from helping someone in need even now.
“It just comes naturally to him. He refused to take money from us. I wondered how he could afford to be so kind to strangers when he barely had enough for his own family,” says Henry, adding that he wants people to know that Ram Krishna is a fine man who expects nothing in return for his acts of kindness.
Henry’s life, it seems, is entwined with Ram Krishna’s even though they live oceans apart, as the Irishman who now lives in America doesn’t miss an opportunity to tell and retell the story of a stranger who once rescued him during conversations with his family friends and colleagues.
“Almost everyone who knows me has heard about Ram Krishna. He’s a famous man back in my hometown,” says Henry with a laugh.
Ram Krishna, on the other hand, had forgotten about the incident and didn’t recognize him. “Henry had to narrate the account of the rescue to remind him. He had also brought along a picture taken back then,” says Bharat Ghimire, Ram Krishna’s son, who happened to be visiting when Henry landed up at their doorstep recently.
The family was taken by surprise by Henry’s arrival. “His gratefulness towards my father and enthusiasm on meeting our family was pleasantly shocking,” says Bharat, adding that the incident was a long forgotten one for his father who lends a helping hand to someone and forgets all about it the very next minute.
These small acts of selflessness often go unnoticed because they typically involve quiet sacrifice. Selflessness that doesn’t stem from ulterior motives of recognition or personal gains but because someone sees a need and chooses to act is rare; and Ram Krishna’s altruism is commendable.
The Week salutes this silent hero!
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