At the outbreak of the day, a 47-year old bus driver took 80 passengers on board with the responsibility of making them reach on time and safely to their destination. Needless to say he performed his duty well enough, without worrying about his life.
Amidst the terror attack in Punjab, the bus driver Nanak Chand Sharma’s presence of mind saved the life of the passengers. The bus was travelling towards Pathankot-Chandigarh route, when a person dressed in army attire but face covered with a cloth tried to stop the vehicle by intervening in the middle of the road and pointing gun towards the bus signalling to halt. But Nanak Chand Sharma, for some reason found threatening instinct from the person and did not stop the bus, thus altering the fate of the passengers, which otherwise would have turned into bloodbath.
And, as fate would have it, the presence of mind of the driver saved many life’s. The man in army uniform was one of the terrorist who struck at Dinanagar police station, fired gun shots at the rear of the bus, injuring two passengers, leaving terrorized everyone on board.
Thankfully, the decision taken by the driver at the right moment, became a blessing for everyone.
” It all happened in a flash. When death is staring you in the face, survival instinct takes over. Thankfully everyone on the bus is safe.I only stopped the bus at Gurdaspur Civil Hospital where medical treatment was given to the injured. Had I stopped the bus, all of us would have been probably gunned down by the terrorists. They were carrying automatic weapons. The other terrorists could have been hiding and may have come out to fire, but I didn’t look back,” said Sharma who is driving the bus in the same route for last 5 years now.
Indeed such act of bravery in the face of death is commendable & deserves a round of applause. This act of his showered as blessing on many.
