19-year-old from Chandigarh had come to Mumbai in the hope of becoming rich, famous and one day CM of Himachal; runs out of money on Day 2
Rohit Thakur
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Just two days in Maximum City was enough to send an ambitious 19-year-old, with dreams of becoming the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, want to go running back home to his family in Chandigarh. On Wednesday evening, the Vakola police were amused when the tired and hungry teenager, Rohit Thakur, a Std XII student, walked into the police station begging for help to get back to his parents.
Thakur lives with his father, Roop Singh Thakur, and elder brother, Mohit, in Sector No.39, Chandigarh. His mother, Suman, and elder sister, Gudiya, live in Angad District of Himachal Pradesh. Rohit's father is a sub-inspector with the Anti-Corruption Department of the CBI, Chandigarh, while his mother is employed with the Health Department, Government of Himachal Pradesh. Rohit’s brother is an engineer and her sister is in college.
In a statement to the Vakola Police, Thakur said that at 10.30pm on Sunday, he threw in four pairs of trousers, four shirts and a few toiletries into his bag and left home. He had Rs 1,000 that he had saved up from his pocket money.
Unused to travelling on long distance trains by himself, he got into several wrong trains before finally getting into one headed for Mumbai. He finally landed at Dadar Railway station on Tuesday evening.
Not place to stay
Thakur said, "I had heard my family members talking about there being free accommodation at a Dadar Gurudwara. However, when I reached the place, I found out there was no such thing. So I just roamed around in the area and then returned to Dadar Railway Station." He then spent the night on the benches on the platform. The next morning he happened to meet a Nepali boy who told him that life in Mumbai was extremely tough.
By Wednesday afternoon, Rohit had spent almost all his money, and had started feeling he would not be able to survive in the city. He wandered around for a few more hours and then climbed into a train from Dadar thinking it would take him to Chandigarh. He soon realised that it was a local train, and the other commuters told him to get off at the next station, which was Santacruz. Running low on cash and hungry, Thakur decided to approach the police for help.
Family contacted
At Vakola Police Station, he narrated his story to the police, and begged them to call his father. Thakur’s father had already filed a missing complaint with the police at Chandigarh and they were looking for him.
Thakur told mid-day, "I have always admired former Himachal Pradesh CM Prem Kumar Dhanbad and aspire to becoming like him one day. But, my family is dead set against my entering politics. Our family is highly educated with all working in good professions. I have very little interest in studies and thought I could come to Mumbai, earn a lot of money and become worthy of my family’s respect."
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Life lessons
He said, "But, two days in Mumbai have taught me some big lessons. Life is no fantasy and it can’t be tackled without a plan in place. I will return home and complete my studies and become a doctor. But, my dream of becoming the CM will always be kept alive."
Thakur’s elder brother will be reaching Mumbai today to take him back. His father said, "During weekend he visits his mother in Himachal Pradesh, so we did not think much of his absence on Sunday night. But, the next morning, we found a note by him saying he was leaving home and asking us to pray for his good health and fortune. His note stated that he wanted to prove himself before he returned home. We immediately filed a missing person report. We are extremely relieved to have found him safe and sound."
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