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Milkha Singh urges people to ignore humble origin to excel in life

by IBNS 06 Nov 2015, 06:43 am

Kolkata, Nov 6 (IBNS) Citing his own experience in life, 'Flying Sikh' Milkha Singh said one should not be conscious about their humble background.

"I did not know what 400 metres, 100 metres mean. I did not know the nitty-gritty,  but look what happened in my life. One must explore his potential,"  Milkha, who broke the Olympic record for the 400 meters but finished fourth in the 1960 Rome Olympic Games, said here on Wednesday night.

Milkha, speaking in chaste Hindi at the launch of city's newest business and luxury hotel Aaauris, referred to Barrack Obama and Narendra Modi in his extempore speech.

"Think about Obama, whose grandfather was an army cook, think about  Modi, who talks about his past as chai-wala before joining politics. Now Obama is the head of world's sabse takatwala desh (world's most powerful nation) and Modi as PM of an economic powerhorse and biggest democracy. If they can do it, why can't you and me," he said.

"What if Modi had hawked tea! He went on winning the hearts of crores of Indians," Milkha commented.

Milkha, in this context, also recalled Obama during his past visit to India where he had named three Indians having made the nation proud globally.

"He had named tin admi, Milkha Singh, Shah Rukh Khan and Mary Kom, who had made India proud globally and all not having exalted backgrounds after birth,"  the Padmashree recipient, who retained his 400-metre Asiad gold at the 1962 Asian Games and another gold as part of India’s 4 × 400-metre relay team that year, said.

Prodded to speak in English by the assembled crowd at the hotel, Milkha said, "It takes greater joy and pleasure to speak one's own language."

"If the citizens of China, Russia and Germany feel proud in speaking their own language, why will Indians shy away from speaking Hindi," he wondered.

Milkha paid tribute to the sport loving people of Kolkata who always give respect to 'kalakars' and said despite busy schedule he decided to come for the event as "I can never say no to this city and its people."

He exhorted the staff of the hotel to consider the customer as the God and strive perfection at all levels.