Opinion | Born to create a space for themselves!

Master Mohammed Azam Sagar is one such man from Mendhar who rose up from ashes to become a literary figure in the Sub Division!

The locals love and respect him and he has his own humble way to accept the feelings shown to him. His motto by the way he has gone about his life looks straight out of the books of down to earth and God loving people, ‘take every day a challenge and make it the best till the next one arrives and do not jump to conclusions’. The children are very expressive about him and want to be in his company because the words he speaks are like sweet candies to them and in Mendhar people have yet to see him frowning or angry, the situation in this regard could be any! He most of the time during conversations says, ‘mostly I am calm; my spirit at home is a gentle river. I flow, create peace, bring harmony. When I feel completely safe I love the rabbit that comes to play. I laugh freely, become soft, playful, hopeful. I wish I could be like that more often, it would be so nice. Yet in life there are challengers, those who find such happiness an affront to their inner misery. They live with hearts of envy and malice, wound from spite, project their negativity onto others, seek to control, exert power. When attack comes, should there be no defender, I channel the lion. I roar, stand my ground, defend self and others. Afterward, in private, I am shaken, drained, wishing to run to a dark hole and hide. I know myself. I am proud of who I am; I like the person I became and I think the child version of me would too. I am the same, living to love, here to make a difference. ’It looks to be the philosophical interpretation as to what he was when he was a child. The memories he does not want to forget and they have got etched inside the voluminous encyclopedia of his life. Haji Mohd Azam Sagar was born on May 2,1946 at village Naka Manjhari (Dheri) of Tehsil Mendhar of District Poonch. His pen name is Sagar. Miserable Economic conditions forced him to leave his education midway and his aspiration to join Administration. It was a dream snuffed off very early but at that time Azam decided that this was not all end and end all of life because the distance to be covered was still long and the opportunities would come and may be without any notice. He had to take each and every one of that. This is what separates a genius from the ordinary. Mohd Azam was no ordinary man. Some people never escape their childhoods, not really. It’s like a part of them just don’t feel safe in the adult world. Sagar was like that. He admits that he lacked the guile and complexity of my other friends, what I seem to you now, I was the same in my younger days.

It was his firm belief in himself that acted as an inspiration. He did his matriculation in 1963 and joined the Education Department as a teacher. While serving in the Education Department, he did his graduation in 1971 and then B.Ed from Government Education College, Jammu in 1973. In 1976, he was promoted to Master Grade. He did not want to stop and thus kept moving on, it was a struggle that had to be undertaken and Sagar never shied away from it. He did Masters in English in 1986 and later in 1987, he was promoted as lecturer in the Department of Education. He believed only in one thing, If we can’t handle the worst of situations then we do not deserve to be in the best of them. Adversity is the best tutor and we should follow its dictates whole heartedly! He proudly acknowledges that I learn everyday till now, use bits and pieces of others personalities to form my own. But I also know, confidence is knowing who you are and not changing it a bit because someone’s version of reality is not your reality.

Sagar always wanted to reach the pinnacle in the field he had chosen and he concentrated all his energies towards the same. Even when the situation in Mendhar was ballistic and no one was sure as to what would happen, the man continued with his pursuits. He wanted to do something for the people, change their course of thinking and living and the great thing was people wanted to tread the course he had laid.

While serving in the Education Department he worked and played a leading role in a host of associations like Low Paid Employees Federation and Teachers Association till he attained his superannuation. Before his superannuation in 2004, he remained a Warden of Pahari Hostel Poonch. Besides, he also served the public as Imam, which was bestowed to him by his father in law. After retirement he had a close relationship with the former PDP chief and subsequently he joined PDP. He authored two books titled Aao Haj Karen and Yaad- e- Murshid!

He is a person who loves to remain within himself and believes that the only difference between you and the person you admire is their perspective on life. I down the years have met many great people, all virtuous in their own aspects and loved interacting with them. I could not have become like them but I knew that some of their traits I could incorporate. I did and thus became a different man.

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen. They rise above everything else to come up. Mohammed Azam Sagar happens to be one of them! His simple philosophy is, don’t waste your time with explanations: people only hear what they want to hear. Therefore cut off verbosity and be to the point. Yet another thing about him is that he knows what he is speaking and this one liner sums him all up, ‘I wonder how many people don’t get the one thing they want, but end up with the one thing they’re supposed to be with, as I’m today. Very satisfied with my efforts in life and I need no accolades for that!