Fishing tales and surprising encounters at Sukhna

On a crisp winter morning in 1976, my elder brother said to me, “Get ready, we’re going fishing.” Thrilled, I grabbed our DIY fishing rod, made from a thin bamboo stick. As bait, we got a small piece of dough from the kitchen.

By 11 AM, we reached our usual spot near the observation tower at Sukhna Lake, Chandigarh. The sun was gentle, the air cool. We cast our lines and waited. Within a couple of hours, we caught about half-a-dozen small fish, a modest haul, but satisfying.

My brother asked me to dig a small hole near the water’s edge. We placed our catch in it to keep the fish alive, deciding to release them if we landed something bigger.

Suddenly, a regal-looking man approached us. He wore crisp white trousers, polished shoes, a deep blue blazer, and had a thick moustache, with a baton in hand. He was accompanied by bodyguards as well as two well-built men in civilian clothes.

He greeted my brother in English and asked about our fishing. Then, noticing the fish in the hole, he asked, “Why do you keep them like that?”

My brother replied, “If we don’t catch anything bigger, we’ll take these home. Otherwise, we release them so they can grow.”

The man laughed and said, “That’s the spirit of good sportsmanship.” With a nod, he walked away.

Later, we learned he was Governor Birendra Narayan Chakravarty. It amazes me now how accessible such figures once were. That day remains etched in my memory not just for the fishing, but for the unexpected encounter.

Narinder Banwait, Chandigarh