Stolen surfboard returned to owner after 40 years
Canberra, Aug 12 : A surfboard was returned to its Australian surfer after it was stolen from him 40 years ago, local media reported on Sunday.
Peter Gilson said his mother saved some A$1,800 Australian dollars ($1,315) and bought him the surfboard in Newcastle, New South Wales state in the late 1970s but it was soon stolen from the garage, reports Xinhua news agency.
"To be honest, at the time, being a young kid, I didn't really give it too much thought but as the years went by it occurred to me how much of a sacrifice my mum had made to get me that board," Gilson said.
Four decades later, Gilson began repairing vintage surfboards and spotted his stolen one with its unique horse image online -- someone had taken a photo of it at a surfing memorabilia gallery in Western Australia on the other side of the country.
Gilson contacted the gallery owners and told them about his connection to the surfboard, which had "probably passed through many sets of hands over the years", by providing an old photo of it.
The surfboard's latest owner decided to send the surfboard to Gilson and "hand it back free of charge". The widely lauded gesture is "always a bonus" as vintage surfboards can fetch premium prices.
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JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar's son Nishant to start maiden political yatra on Sunday
Patna (PTI): JD(U) leader Nishant Kumar, whose belated political entry has shone a ray of hope on the party rattled by his father Nitish Kumar's sudden relinquishment of power, is set to launch his first public outreach programme in Bihar on Sunday.
The 45-year-old, who joined the party only last month, is scheduled to kick off his "Sadbhav Yatra" (goodwill tour) from Valmiki Nagar in West Champaran district.
The place had been chosen multiple times by his father as the starting point for numerous "yatras" during a nearly two-decade-long tenure as the chief minister of Bihar.
The party, which is still recovering from the shock of the 75-year-old leader's sudden decision to enter the Rajya Sabha, triggering fears of a diminution in political clout, has coined a catchy slogan to announce the arrival of the heir apparent.
"Jai Nishant, tay Nishant" (victory for Nishant, his rise is inevitable) is a catchphrase that can now be seen splashed on the JD(U)'s posters as well as social media handles.
On the eve of the launch of "Sadbhav Yatra", JD(U) spokesperson and MLC Neeraj Kumar told a press conference in West Champaran's headquarters of Bettiah, that "Nishant belongs to the land where Emperor Asoka was born.
Like his father, he is starting a Yatra from the land of Sage Valmiki".
"Both Valmiki and Asoka epitomised renunciation. Our supreme leader Nitish Kumar showed the same spirit of renunciation when he decided to give up the seat of power to live by his convictions," said Neeraj Kumar.
He added that "the same dispassion for power has been demonstrated by Nishant. He could have secured a berth in the new Cabinet or the state legislature any time. But he chose to shun shortcuts and earn his spurs through the tried and tested method of mass contact".
After the JD(U) supremo stepped down as chief minister, a new government headed by BJP leader Samrat Choudhary has been formed in Bihar.
"Nitish Kumar had always followed the policy of zero tolerance for crime, corruption and communalism. The new government, too, has adopted the same as its motto. In Nishant, we have a leader who will carry forward the legacy," said Neeraj Kumar.
