There are those who value relationships, this Kenyan politician returned after 23 yrs to repay debt

Mumbai, July 12: Times are such that selfishness seems to have become second nature of most people and it is quite normal these days to forget those who stood by us during tough times, and just remain in the present pretending as if things were always the way they are right now. Why? Because that is convenient.

But it would be wrong to generalise, as there are people who value relationships and do not forget those who once lent shoulder when things were not right. A Kenyan politician who studied in India over two decades ago remembered how a grocer had helped him, had given him food, in his own words, "at my lowest point".

Richard Nyagaka Tongi is an MP now from Nyaribari Chache constituency in Kenya. Between 1985 and 1989, he was a student at the Maulana Azad College in Aurangabad, Maharashtra.

Kashinath Gawli ran a grocery shop. And in those days, when Tongi was going through a tough period in his life, Gawli helped him. Tongi writes in his Facebook post that he had a debt of Rs 200 from his time in Aurangabad.

"I had a debt from 23 years ago that I had not paid, they had given me food but I had not paid. So when I got married, I vowed to return to India and payback. Now, my heart is at peace," Tongi, who came back 23 years later to repay his debt, was quoted as saying by a News 18 report.

"As a student in Aurangabad, I was at my lowest point, when these people (Gawlis) helped me. Then I thought that some day, I will come back and (re)pay. I want to say thank you. This is so emotional for me," he fondly recalls in a Facebook Post.

Septuagenarian Kashinath Gawli was overcome with emotion as he found an MP from Kenya at his doorstep in Aurangabad, returning to the historic city after 23 years, just to repay a debt of Rs 200, the FB post further said.