If I'll tell you that Railway books a seat every year for a person who has left this world several years ago, you will definitely think that I am kidding, but wait..... This is fact.
New Jalpaiguri(Popularly known as NJP which is its station code) of Northeast frontier Railway every year witness a booking in the name of a person who sacrificed his life in supreme service to the nation.
Yes...... You guessed it correct (if you have ever been to Sikkim or particularly Nathu la ) I am talking about Baba Harbhajan Singh, Every year on 11 September, a jeep departs with his personal belongings to the nearest railway station, New Jalpaiguri, from where it is then sent by train to the village of Kuka, in the Kapurthala district of the Indian state of Punjab. While empty berths on any train of the Indian Railways are invariably allocated to any waitlisted passenger or on a first-come-first-served basis by the coach attendants, a special reservation for the Baba is made. Every year a seat is left empty for the journey to his hometown and soldiers chaperone the Baba to his home.
Isn't it surprising?
Hold on some more surprising things are there: -
At the age of 22 when youths are busy about their romantic life and family, He was defending Indian boundaries at inhospitable high altitude terrain of Eastern Himalaya, and gave supreme sacrifice to the nation.
He is revered as the "Hero of Nathula" by soldiers of the Indian army, who built a shrine in his honour. He was accorded the status of saint by believers who refer to him as the "Baba" (saintly father).
Some Indian soldiers believe that in the event of a war between India and China, Baba would warn the Indian soldiers of an impending attack at least three days in advance.
Interestingly Chineese troops also believes about the spirit of "BABA" and During flag meetings between the two nations at Nathu La, the Chinese set a chair aside to honor him.
He was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra medal for his bravery and martyrdom on 26 January 1969. (The Maha Vir Chakra is the second highest military decoration in India, after the Param Vir Chakra, and is awarded for acts of blazing gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air)
