A Minister on the rooftop: From Cabinet to Construction, Tripura Minister Shukla Charan Noatia’s humility shines as he helps build a house for a flood-hit woman, drawing praise across the internet.
In the quiet village of Kamapur, tucked within the green expanse of Santirbazar in Tripura, a remarkable sight caught the attention of the locals one afternoon. A man stood on the rooftop of a half-built wooden house, sweat glistening on his forehead, saw in hand, hammer on his belt. At first glance, he looked like any other village carpenter, diligently working to raise walls and a roof. But a closer look revealed something astonishing.
The man was Shukla Charan Noatia—Minister of Minority Welfare and Cooperative Department in the Tripura government.
News of this unexpected scene quickly spread, and before long, photos and videos flooded social media, showing the minister in a vest and simple pants, cutting wood, digging holes, and helping erect a modest home with his own hands. There was no security detail, no press conference, no photo ops. Just a man, a mission, and a heart full of purpose.
The home under construction belonged to Sandhya Rani Debbarma, a local woman who had lost everything in the floods that devastated the region in August the previous year. Since the disaster, she had been living in a flimsy bamboo hut barely held together, vulnerable to rain, wind, and time. With the monsoon looming once again, her makeshift shelter seemed ready to collapse at any moment.
When her story reached Minister Noatia, he didn’t just send aid or issue orders from the safety of his office. He chose to act directly, in the most personal way possible. He visited the village himself, spoke with Sandhya, assessed the situation, and decided to build her a proper home—with his own two hands.
Assisted by energetic young volunteers from the Youth IPFT (Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura), Noatia took on the task with determination. The team sourced construction materials from distant markets, since Kamapur’s remoteness made logistics difficult. Yet, delays weren’t an option.
“We didn’t want to wait for files to move or for formalities. This was about doing what was right, without delay,” Noatia explained
The team worked into the night, making sure the construction didn’t affect the minister’s daytime responsibilities. While the sun was up, Noatia fulfilled his official duties as a minister. And when the day ended, he returned to Kamapur, picked up his tools, and continued building.
It wasn’t long before the story caught fire online. Social media platforms were abuzz with praise. People were touched by the rare sight of a politician doing something so hands-on, so genuine. In an age of carefully curated public images and choreographed appearances, Noatia’s act of raw compassion stood out.
“I never imagined a minister would come to my village, let alone help build my house,” said Sandhya, her voice shaking with emotion. “He didn’t treat me like someone beneath him. He worked beside me, like a brother.”
Shukla Charan Noatia isn’t a stranger to resilience. A second-generation leader of the IPFT and once a close aide of the party’s founder, the late NC Debbarma, Noatia fought hard to earn his place in Tripura’s political landscape. In the 2023 assembly elections, his party suffered major setbacks, with many of its candidates defeated. But Noatia managed to secure a narrow victory in Jolaibari, a traditional Left stronghold. His win, many say, came not just from strategy, but from trust—something he continues to earn with acts like these.
Often called “luck-favoured” by his peers, Noatia is proving that his fortune may, in fact, be a reflection of his values. His simple gesture—building a home for a woman who had none—has turned into a powerful reminder that politics can be about more than power. It can be about people.
In Kamapur, a new home now stands where only broken bamboo once did. And on the rooftop, once stood a man who chose action over speeches, humility over spectacle, and kindness over comfort.
The story of Minister Shukla Charan Noatia isn’t just about one house. It’s about what leadership looks like when it’s built from the ground up.
|Also read : Rs 15 Cr Development Projects Flagged Off by Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha in Teliamura |
(Support from Tripura Times)
