In today’s highly competitive world where nothing except the self matters, it is hard to believe that a man like him existed. He believed in his convictions and went all out to make them a reality to the possible extent he could. His selfless attitude, philanthropic zeal and his commitment to the society, more so to the youth, was indeed exceptional. For him no obstacle was great or hurdles insurmountable in achieving his goal.

Believer of the maxim the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world, he dedicated his life to mould the young impressionable children into model citizens. He in his own inimitable way tried to nourish the physical, mental spiritual and the cultural needs of the children.

‘Sishupran’ Nabin Sarma today is no longer amidst us, but the ideals for which he stood for can always inspire others to work for the wellbeing of the youth. Considering the process of degeneration, which is fast creeping into the society, the relevance of Nabin Sarma’s ideals is today greater than never before.

Born in Guwahati in 1900, Nabin Sarma excelled as a sportsman since his school days. The sporting arena left a deep imprint on his mind and went in a long way in shaping his personality. His sporting spirit made him stand out and this quality of his was acknowledged by all who came in close contact with him. Right from an early age he understood the importance of sports and he tried his best till his very end to encourage the children to take up sports.

In spite of passing his matriculation examination with flying colours, Nabin Sarma heeding to the clarion call of Mahatma Gandhi jumped into the freedom struggle leaving his studies midway. Soon he changed tracks and became involved in social work — helping people in distress. Working for the society, Nabin Sarma realized the importance of a health for all and to achieve it, the children must be encouraged to take up physical activities to develop their body and mind.

To give shape to his dream, Nabin Sarma first trained himself in various physical activities that included swimming and rowing. In fact, he was the first sportsman from Assam to undergo swimming lessons in Kolkata. He was the first person in the region to impart modern swimming training to school/college students. He laid the foundation of scientific swimming and converted a pastime into a competitive sport in the region. For several years, he instructed the students of Cotton College on swimming and rowing. His initiative was not appreciated by the college authorities who compelled him to discontinue the training. However, a significant section of the parents and guardians requested him to carry on with the training.

Though Nabin Sarma’s name is synonymous with swimming, he was a true friend of the children. It was once a common sight in the city — a dhoti-clad man interacting with the children in different fields and school grounds of Guwahati. He taught them music-drill, pole-drill, recitation, extempore speech, memory testing and a number of games exciting for the children. Long before yoga had become popular, Nabin Sarma made the children practice ashanas. He also made the children chant patriotic songs like Vande mataram, Jana gana mana, O mor aaponar desh,...

Nabin Sarma didn’t confine his activities on the physical aspect alone. He composed a number of skits, children plays, poems et al. Among his renditions were evergreen compositions as Bogakoi bogoli bahalai bohise, Baa baa naokhan baa... These songs became a rage during that period and were sung by children while practising their drill under the guidance of Nabin Sarma.

His untiring efforts to bring the best out of children resulted in the Moina Parijat — a forum that nurtured the budding talents. It was a gathering of children representing a cross-section of the society where economic status did not matter. Sarma understood the psychology of the child and adopted a holistic approach to motivate them in their own chosen fields.

It would be a fitting tribute to this great personality if some steps are initiated either by the government or non-government organizations to keep his memory alive.

Manish Goswami