Abingdonboy
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VISAKHAPATNAM: They may be better known for their skydiving and combating skills, be it on snowy mountains, deserts, dense forests or water bodies, but there is an altogether different side to the elite marine commandoes of the Indian Navy or Marcos as they are better known, that is unknown to most.
Their 'steely minds' may not hesitate even for a moment to send terrorists and traitors packing to hell, but their hearts of gold drive them to take up various philanthropic activities in the guise of volunteers, away from the prying eyes of the media. There are few such Marcos in the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) at Visakhapatnam too, who shy away from unwanted publicity but whose inspiring and Good Samaritan activities deserve to be saluted.
One of the most enthusiastic is a young Lieutenant Vijay Verma, who has been working for the cause of the environment, animals and reaching out to poor children and orphanages. On most Sundays, he can be found working in the city zoo or animal rescue centres, tidying up the shelters and cages, depositing food and medicines for his zoo 'friends' with the authorities. So passionate is he about animal rights that he took the initiative of seeking help from the World Wildlife Federation (WWF) to save certain endangered marine species that have been meeting a fatal end due to the callousness of various government departments and legal loopholes in the system. In fact, he has gone all out to launch a crusade by seeking the help of various stakeholders in conserving sea creatures.
That's not all. Vijay and his other Marco friends also roam around in fisherfolk villages, interact with them to ascertain their problems and distribute food, health drinks and clothes to the children. Some of them also extend help in kind to orphanages and children's homes.
Extremely skilled at his job, daredevil Commander B Kishore, along with his family, makes monthly visits to some fishing villages housing a few thousand people in the vicinity of Vizag, his jeep loaded with clothes, cosmetics, books, toys and board games for the villagers, especially children. "We collect these items from other officers and their families. It's heartening to see that the moment we land, around 300-400 poor villagers swarm around our vehicle. In a minute, the things are all gone - so needy are they," averred Commander Kishore.
Then there is Lt Commander Suryaprakash Singh, who motivated by his philanthropic father, quietly extends a helping hand to those mentally ill found wandering around the city. He takes them to hospital for treatment, apart from helping the needy and downtrodden. "My father used to say, 'the left hand shouldn't know what the right hand is upto'. So, I try to follow it and render social service as a personal interest," said Singh.
When asked about his service-oriented approach, Lt Vijay said, "At the end of the day, I ask myself daily, what had been my contribution to the society. My official duties are not enough. Protecting the country is not my responsibility alone. I want every citizen to come forward and make a difference in some way and be part of the system to change the system. There's such joy and satisfaction in bringing smiles on the faces of the needy, in protecting God's creatures, that wielding weapons of war can never compensate for."
(Names and ranks of all Navy officials have been changed to protect their identity)
Daredevil Marcos with a heart of gold - TOI Mobile | The Times of India Mobile Site
@Sidak @Koovie @kurup @Dillinger @Oscar @Aeronaut @WebMaster @sancho @COLDHEARTED AVIATOR @jiki @Water Car Engineer @Unknowncommando @Thirdfront @Span @nair
Their 'steely minds' may not hesitate even for a moment to send terrorists and traitors packing to hell, but their hearts of gold drive them to take up various philanthropic activities in the guise of volunteers, away from the prying eyes of the media. There are few such Marcos in the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) at Visakhapatnam too, who shy away from unwanted publicity but whose inspiring and Good Samaritan activities deserve to be saluted.
One of the most enthusiastic is a young Lieutenant Vijay Verma, who has been working for the cause of the environment, animals and reaching out to poor children and orphanages. On most Sundays, he can be found working in the city zoo or animal rescue centres, tidying up the shelters and cages, depositing food and medicines for his zoo 'friends' with the authorities. So passionate is he about animal rights that he took the initiative of seeking help from the World Wildlife Federation (WWF) to save certain endangered marine species that have been meeting a fatal end due to the callousness of various government departments and legal loopholes in the system. In fact, he has gone all out to launch a crusade by seeking the help of various stakeholders in conserving sea creatures.
That's not all. Vijay and his other Marco friends also roam around in fisherfolk villages, interact with them to ascertain their problems and distribute food, health drinks and clothes to the children. Some of them also extend help in kind to orphanages and children's homes.
Extremely skilled at his job, daredevil Commander B Kishore, along with his family, makes monthly visits to some fishing villages housing a few thousand people in the vicinity of Vizag, his jeep loaded with clothes, cosmetics, books, toys and board games for the villagers, especially children. "We collect these items from other officers and their families. It's heartening to see that the moment we land, around 300-400 poor villagers swarm around our vehicle. In a minute, the things are all gone - so needy are they," averred Commander Kishore.
Then there is Lt Commander Suryaprakash Singh, who motivated by his philanthropic father, quietly extends a helping hand to those mentally ill found wandering around the city. He takes them to hospital for treatment, apart from helping the needy and downtrodden. "My father used to say, 'the left hand shouldn't know what the right hand is upto'. So, I try to follow it and render social service as a personal interest," said Singh.
When asked about his service-oriented approach, Lt Vijay said, "At the end of the day, I ask myself daily, what had been my contribution to the society. My official duties are not enough. Protecting the country is not my responsibility alone. I want every citizen to come forward and make a difference in some way and be part of the system to change the system. There's such joy and satisfaction in bringing smiles on the faces of the needy, in protecting God's creatures, that wielding weapons of war can never compensate for."
(Names and ranks of all Navy officials have been changed to protect their identity)
Daredevil Marcos with a heart of gold - TOI Mobile | The Times of India Mobile Site
@Sidak @Koovie @kurup @Dillinger @Oscar @Aeronaut @WebMaster @sancho @COLDHEARTED AVIATOR @jiki @Water Car Engineer @Unknowncommando @Thirdfront @Span @nair
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hopefully it will be a child who without you would be left without opportunities and that with you the world is their oyster.
