The Tale of Two Mr. Universe - An Ungrateful Nation!
India what we know as "Bharat" is a land where facts lie side by side with myths, truths with pseudo truths and what not! Today when the world is celebrating the great Sachin Tendulkar's 100th 100 - a unique feat which, doubtless, deserves to be celebrated the best way possible, is also the day one of the greatest bodybuilding legends ever born in India would be celebrating his 100th birth day! This is sure that a lot of my fellow Indians are smugly unaware of. In this context, it bears mentioning that Mr. Manohar Aich and Late Monotosh Roy stunned the world by winning Mr. Universe title. While late Roy won it for the first time in 1951 and he was the first Asian to achieve this rare honor and Mr Aich followed in his footsteps in th very next year in 1952. Both of them rose from very humble backgrounds with little means for accessing advanced facilities and training. Yet they fought on and on and made it very big in the sporting arena of the country. But what was our attitudes towards their glorious achievements. Sadly, it borders on ingratitude,neglect and worse.
Monotosh Roy the first winner of Mr Universe title was attracted to body building as a sport not before his age ten. What it all started as a sport became a passion for him in his subsequent years. Apart from bodybuilding he also took great interests in Yogic exercises and later set up quite a good number of centres for yoga in various parts of West Bengal which are also well-known for providing yogic cures to many ailments. He was consulted by eminent people on health issues. Once our late President Dr. Rajendra Prasad took his advice. He was a very good speaker too. As a boy I had the good fortune of seeing him in his advancing years at a bodybuilding competition. Even at the age of 70 he was at the peak of his health!
Rewind to the event in London the venue of Mr. Universe competition in 1951 was Scala Theatre and Monotosh Roy's show swept the audience off their feet. What struck them was his finely-tuned body with exceptional muscular control. He was short with a physical frame of a little above 5 ft. But what the audience loved and adored about him was the superb pose he struck as " Jesus Christ". That created an unprecedented response among them. They were not the offended as Roy chose a religious theme and used that imaginatively to be cheered by the people of London. Thereafter, he went on to give a demonstration of his raw power by allowing a dagger to be tied to a rod and the pointed part was placed on his Adam's apple. He applied full pressure of his body to bend the iron rod to the amazement of the audience!
What was our attitude of our government towards the phenomenal achievement of this celebrated bodybuilder and Yoga teacher. It was one of systematic neglect. He was never chosen for any award. Perhaps the politicians of distinction are fit candidates - not our true achievers. He led a life long enough to impart his knowledge and trained countless number of students but never had the joy of receiving his due!
If Manotosh Roy was deprived of his due honor, Mr. Monohar Aich who followed in the footsteps of Roy and became Mr. Universe in the shorter category in the very next year in 1952, have not been treated very differently by our sports loving people. Mr Aich who celebrated his 100th birthday on 17th March this year retains his youthfulness at the age of 100 and has a wry sense of humor when he remarked at a function celebrating his century by saying that while Sachin Tendulkar was celebrating his 100 th 100, I am also celebrating mine!!
A simple,straightforward and at times bluntly candid Mr. Monohar Aich never shirked at what life demanded of him. Born in a poor family of Bengal, it was economic hardship that drove a little boy took to a sporting activity. His initial love was for football but he gave it up to take weightlifting and bodybuilding to figure in shows to supplement family income at the age of 12. In 1943 he became a national champion in a weightlifting section. Mr. Aich is just less than 5 ft. - 4'-10" to be precise but earned the sobriquet " Pocket Hercules" for his extraordinary physical feats. He joined Royal Air Force as a physical trainer but resigned as he was involved in a case for beating British soldiers for which he was sentenced for 14 years but India's Independence came as a boon and he was released after it. Meanwhile his struggle with poverty continued, he even sold coconuts at Sealdah Railway station to support his family!
In 1952 he decided to try his luck in Mr. Universe contest deeply inspired by the great achievement of Monotosh Roy but money came in the way. As was his wont he would not allow anything to interfere to achieve his ardent ambition and left for London and took up odd jobs and even served as a 'tram conductor' in London to gather money! India produced another 'Mr. Universe' in the form of Manohar Aich! A feat which was repeated in 1988 by Premchand Dogra who stayed at Aich's home to receive training.
What did he receive from the government for his dedication , for bringing laurels for his country? He had to join circus companies to eke out a living. At others shows he would display muscles and tear books running into more than 1000 pages! The governments of all hues and shades have not thought of honoring this achiever to him life is still very simple. He harbors no grudges - has no bitterness against anyone. His simple philosophy in life ' Live it well with Health - exercise every day'. His advice to the authorities - set up more free gyms than hospitals!!!
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