M Rafi Ahmed
“Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death”, said Omar N. Bradley, former United States Army General, who took the lead during World War II. There are umpteen brave hearts, who after risking their life, have saved scores of people in danger. Thirty-eight-year-old Yassar Arafat, a native of Singithurai, Kayalpatnam, Thoothukudi district made headlines for his bravery in rescuing 253 people stranded in their dwellings when heavy rains lashed the coastal town last December.
“It was an unforgettable moment for me to receive the recognition from the hands of Chief Minister M K Stalin during the Republic Day fete in Chennai. The entire credit goes to my team of 16 fisherfolk, who accompanied me in fiber boats to rescue the people, who couldn’t move out as water engulfed the entire surroundings. As the houses were submerged in water, the dwellers had to find shelter at the terrace”, he told this scribe.
Yassar Arafat, who is engaged in fish business under his entity ‘AT Fishing Agent’ putting up a brave face took the initiative to rescue the stranded people following a call from the Fisheries Department and police personnel. Without giving any second thought, he along with his team ventured into the rescue operation using the fiber boats fitted with Yamaha motors. It wasn’t easy for the team as they had to be cautious as there were chances of engine blower fan hitting the ground.
However, the fisherfolk managed to reach the dwellers without any obstacle whatsoever and rescued 20 to 30 people in turn based upon the boat capacity. Braving all odds, the 16-member team brought all the stranded people to safer place. Of course, the sleuths of the fisheries department and the local police supported the team in the neat execution of the rescue operations.
It was Mohamed Rafeeque of Kayal Vision, who captured the entire episode and uploaded it in his YouTube which caught the attention of the powers-that-be to recognize Yassar Arafat and his team for the bravery act in saving the lives of 253 people. But for the YouTuber, this wouldn’t have been come to light. Only a vernacular paper carried this story then. Yassar expressed his gratitude and dedicated the bravery award to his team and the fisheries department and the police.
Where there is a will, there is a way–aptly fits in for Yassar Arafat and his team for being bold unmindful the risk involved in the rescue operation as the entire town was under a sheet of water following unprecedented rain making it tough for the team to move towards the water engulfed dwellings.
