Yesterday I visited the National Railway Museum in New Delhi, to attend a division (state) level conference of Toastmasters, the global fraternity of public speakers and leaders. Being a Toastmaster, I have been a firm believer in the power of human voice. It has the potential to shape the world around one. One just needs to stand up and share his or her story.
But so often we stop short of just that. We would rather accept the silent suffering than public humiliation. It may be due to a fear of English or the fear of judgement by others etc. But the fact remains that most of us fail to break this barrier and keep our stories within. Stories which could perhaps trigger a change in the world.
But one Mr Okhil Chandra Sen didn't know that. He was just an ordinary passenger travelling by Indian railways in 1909 who faced a humiliating situation at Ahmedpur platform in the then West Bengal. He chose to raise his voice by writing a letter to the authorities. This historic letter below may seem laughable today for its hilarious language, but his story mirrored an embarrassing experience faced by millions of others on a daily basis at that time. This remarkable letter I came across at the museum yesterday is the reason why Indian Railways has had Toilets fitted for over a century.
As an insignificant dust particle in this endless universe, the only thing we humans can leave as a legacy behind is our stories. Even one small story, however humiliating, carries its weight in this world. Share your story friends. We owe it to the past and the future.
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