Baliram Sharma, an angel in disguise for Nagaland’s ‘Faith in Action’ team

S. Henlly Phom
DIMAPUR, SEPTEMBER 7

CHAMPIONS of the World Taekwondo Hammadang 2014 at Pohang City, South Korea the ‘Faith in Action’ team will along with their thrilling victory never forget another lesson in life … the kindness of a total stranger.
Terror, confusion and discouragement were emotions writ across the faces of the ‘Faith In Action’ team from Nagaland when they had missed their flight at the Delhi to participate for the World Taekwondo Hammadang 2014 at Pohang City, South Korea.
The delay was caused by a visa problem when they had reached Delhi with just enough money to participate and return from South Korea. Their visible helplessness, nervousness and annoyance at the airport was noticed by 60 year old Baliram Sharma who had come to the airport to see off his son-in- law. On hearing the plight of the team the stranger helped the team with cash of upto Rs.2.70 lakh, with an agreement that the amount will be returned a month after the team returns to Nagaland.
Eastern Mirror on Sunday caught up with the gentleman who is from Himachal Pradesh but now a resident of Delhi. We asked him what it was that prompted him to reach out and commit himself to an ‘act of faith?
He replied he had never come across young passengers looking so terrified and confused. On hearing their despair Sharma says he decided to help them firmly believing in the principle that ‘nothing should and no one has the right to snatch away the dreams and the success which was already with the team’. Moreover Sharma said was of the view that ‘people of Nagaland are men of promise and honest’ and how could he but not help when he had trust on them and in Nagaland?’
There were others at the airport who advised him against helping strangers with money but he was undeterred.
He said he had never come across such a situation in his years of travel and as a ‘human being and as a fellow country man’ he felt it his duty to help someone in need rather than living in ‘guilt’.
His benevolent act paid off with the Faith In Action team breaking the 40 year old national record by winning gold for India in Team Aerobic event. Not taking credit for his act he says that the team has made not only Nagaland proud but won the medal for the country.
me the state government keeping in mind the financial crunch of the state but want to be acknowledge so that youths can be encouraged to move ahead with their dreams instead of burying them.