NEW DELHI; Makhan Singh the only Indian to clip ‘Flying Sikh’ Mikha Singh’s wings is today limping through his life. In 1964 Makhan defeated Milkha in the National Championships in Calcutta to stun the athletics world. But now he is himself stunned by sheer cold facts of life.
A major accident has left him crippled having his right leg amputated. More than the physical disability the worst that the 54-yr-old former Army star is facing is the indifferent attitude of the people in the sports world.
The genial 400 meters Olympic runner visited the Nehru Stadium on Thursday not to be a chief guest or to attend on official ceremony to request the authorities to expedite his monthly pension which he had not received for last three months.
With the monthly pension of Rs 1200 Makhan has to bring up his wife and three children though the star runner is grateful to Milkha Singh who got his eldest daughter admitted to a Public School in Chandigarh.
Life was not too bad for the former Artillery runner till he met with an accident a few months ago. I retired from the Army in 1972.and since I had no source of regular income I took to highway truck driving recalled Makhan Singh. Though I belong to Hoshiarpur in Punjab | had started living with my brother in Nagpur and truck driving was taking care of two square meals for my family. But then as my bad luck would have it I met with an accident and the rest you can see he said.
Makhan was brought to Hoshiarpur after the accident and later operated upon in Adampur Hospital where is right leg was amputated.
Arjuna Award national titles and press clippings are of no use if people forget you and don’t help when you need it most Makhan said After all Iran for India in the Asian Games and the Olympics. Can’t I be given some financial assistance or a source of income like a gas agency or a petrol pump which many able-bodied former sportspersons have been allotted? Asks him.
Makhan’s contemporary Gurbachan Singh Randhawa middle distance star Sriam Singh and his coach Mohd Ilyas Babar were with Mukham on Thursday at the Nehru Stadium and have decided to organize a charity road race the proceeds of which will be donated to the star runner.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 2, 1991
