Pabitra Guragain
17 Oct, Kathmandu: When Junrey Balawing of the Philippines was in 2011 declared as the world’s shortest man, the government of Philippines announced a public holiday celebrating it as an achievement of the country and as a mark of honour to him.
Nevertheless, the happiness of Philippines could not last longer than a year as Balawing was succeeded by Chandra Bahadur Dangi of Nepal on 26 February 2012. The Guinness World Records in 2012 recognised Dangi as the world’s living shortest and ever shortest man. Contrary to Balawaing, Dangi was not so fortunate to receive due honour from the state. He however continued to represent his country in various events around the globe.
Meanwhile, the unfortunate news of passing away of the world’s shortest man at the Lyndon B Johnson Tropical Medical Center in Pago Pago of American Samoa on September 3, 2015, came as a shock to Dangi’s family, relatives and well wishers. He had been invited there for an appearance in an entertaining programme. But fate was not kind to him, he was infected with pneumonia all of sudden and succumbed to the respiratory disease despite a week-long Intensive Care unit treatment at the medical centre, according to his aide Thaneswar Guragai. He was also diagnosed with primordial dwarfism.
Dangi had been travelling around the world including Malaysia, Japan, Australia, Romania and the United Kingdom among others, representing Nepal. In the UK trip arranged by the Guinness World Records, his meeting with the world’s tallest man Sultan Kosen from Turkey made the news headlines in world media. Upon his meeting with Kosen, the shortest man had been taken by surprise with the latter’s height, said his nephew, Dolakh Dangi who used to accompany his uncle during his foreign trips.
Born to a poor family in Kalimati of Salyan district on November 30, 1939, Dangi had been living with his sister- in- law and nephews at Rimkholi of Dang. The Dangi family had migrated to Dang from Salyan eleven years back.
Until 2012, the septuagenarian was just an ordinary man with an identity of a dwarf elder who used to be showcased at local feasts and festivals. It might be his luck when he was caught by local media and finally got recognition as the world’s tiniest man.
This achievement proved a turning point in his life as he became an international celebrity and continued to receive warm invitations from abroad though he was not an important figure in his home. But, he had no complaints as he was person with understanding, simplicity, mental stamina and positive attitude and had been taking changes in his life easily, recalls his aide.
Dolakh Dangi faced a heap of hurdles to bring back the body of his uncle to his home country. The Dangi family is observing the 11th day death rituals of Dangi today in their ancestral home in Salyan, as death rituals began only after his body could be brought back home a month after his demise in American Samoa. Despite bringing laurels to his country, Dangi did not receive any honour from his home country when alive and neither have any state representative visited the bereaved family even to extend condolences.
Chandra, which means ‘moon’ in Nepali was a shining star for not only the country but the entire world that he has now left forever. However, he will never fade away from our memory, said his aide Thaneshwor.
The Guinness World Records issued a statement expressing sorrow over the demise of the world’s smallest man. Dangi will be remembered forever as an iconic and extraordinary record holder, the statement adds.
Jyoti Amge from India who holds the record as the world’s smallest woman in the Guinness said she felt very sorry at the demise of Dangi. Amge, who was once in Nepal in course of shooting a documentary along with Dangi, shared that she got to visit Nepal just because of Dangi, according to Thaneshwor.
The Dangi family has no complains about the challenges and hurdles they faced to bring back the body of their beloved one as this was nothing compared to the pain caused by his death. But they hope that the State would recognize Dangi posthumously who was and will remain the pride of country. “We expect due recognition from the state to our uncle posthumously”, said his nephew Dolakh. We wish to see his sculpture in public places, commemorative postage stamps issued in his name, his name in school text books, he added. RSS
