Sometimes I ask myself instead of living the life of a vagrant a street drunk why did Gambhir Singh not go back to Khumbong .
He was not running away from the law so why did he torture his mind his body his soul living on the mean streets of Mumbai.
He was an enigma what were the dark secrets that held him captive chained rigorously to a bottle of country hooch.
I knew Gambhir Singh but I never asked him those questions I did not probe his self guilt ,,,I gave him money in good faith I gave him money for food without once questioning him if he would use this money for booze .
I was not a devils advocate ..having been an alcoholic for a long part of my life I understood Gambhir Singh better I knew he carried a heavy cross ..I had once carried it too..
There were times I thought I would take him to my house but he used to be heavily sozzled so our friendship remained on the streets of Bandra .
His mornings began walking below my house to the Bandra Bazar and he regaled people wit old songs he would ask only Rs 1 ..he was never greedy for money and all his uprightness came from his culture his humility ,, he never ever forgot even in his drunken state that he was a Manipuri ..Manipur kept his soul intact it did not allow him to perish and Gods shadow loomed over his head ..
When I think back in retrospection Gambhir Singh left his mark on the people he met people who gave him food money ,, they remember him the hawkers of Bandra Bazar the shopkeepers and they are happy that he changed his life it changed not through my viral video but through his Karma .
Through the return of this prodigal son forgiven reunited he displayed the love of the people of Manipur the way they reacted spreading a red carpet on his arrival at Imphal airport ,, their love made him a celebrity and his family took backstage holding back their tears he came back into their lives like the drops of fresh rain on their parched souls .
I could not change my life how could I change Gambhir Singhs life..I dont have a magic wand but all in all photography when used as a motivation with a holistic purpose can change peoples life ,,,
CNN BBC Der Spiegel wanted me to tell them about this phenomenon this Destinys child called Gambhir Singh of Khumbong ,,
He put Manipur on the map he Made Manipur a catchword for Love a new direction towards Hope and Humanity ..
And these are old images shot in Bandra he was comfortable drinking he did not hide the fact he drank.. he did not rob steal he begged for a living.
And whatever one can say about Mumbai ..Mumbai nurtured him kept him alive Mumbai was Gambhir Singhs safe haven it gave him the strength to survive and it was this magic of Mumbai that made Gambhir Singh an overnight celebrity and Manipurs new Rockstar .
Gambhir Singh calls me and thanks me and I thank him too I reunited Gambhir Singh with his family after 40 years and Gambhir Singh reunited me with God the Most Merciful Benevolent .
Will I meet Gambhir Singh in Khumbong one day perhaps I keep his memory alive by wearing the leirum Manipuri traditional scarf presented to me me by Officers Priyobartan Singh and Officer Amitabh Singh of Patsoi Police station on behalf of the Government and the beautiful loving people of Manipur.
GambhirStory
