What is your immediate
reaction on seeing this photo ~ not so young man, with an old autorickshaw
having MGR sticker [nothing about sticker or politics !]
A trip to Chennai would
never be complete without an encounter with them……… the ubiquitous
three-wheelers painted yellow and called ‘auto-rickshaws’. Chennai is
well connected by road, rail, sea and air. In the ever bustling metropolis,
you have the State Transport Corporation, EMUs, MRTS, vans, call-taxies and
more………. and then there is this ‘auto-rickshaw’
- a drive [the peculiar sitting posture of the driver, the cuts and
turn-arounds of the vehicle – its capacity to turn at right angles and wade
through milling crowds], the language of its drivers, the missing meters and
the bargain – can all force mortal fear in you no ends.
Somehow there is lot of
negativism attached to it – most users blame and would immediately tell their
tale of woe. If you are a regular reader of Tamil magazines, a decade or more -
‘joke on soodu meter’ hogged the limelight. Those days, auto drivers used to
turn on the meter with a twinging sound ~ there were stories of faulty meters
[tampering colloquially called ‘soodu’] – which would show much higher that
what they should be.. some used to say that it worked on the system of toothed
pinion wheels and some abrasion would make it jump thereby increasing it
manifold….. now magazines no longer carry such jokes…. Slowly such jokes
vanished …. not because system became perfect but because the meters went out
of way. Before one reads any further, it must be admitted that there are
some honest and good Samaritans – and the auto-rickshaw drivers are the ones
who readily come to help the victims of an accident and many a times seen
regulating chaotic traffic.
Even in
case you have a different opinion thus far, it is likely to change after
reading this article titled ‘Heart of Gold’ in Indian Express, Chennai edition
of date.
A Chennai
auto rickshaw driver’s gesture to a passenger puts to rest all
standard images people have of them. It seemed more like ‘stuff dreams are made
of’. K Ravichandran (48) was
taking a passenger from Bengal – he does
not remember the exact date – probably a couple of months ago. A passenger, aged about 57 years boarded my
vehicle from Ramapuram to go to a mansion in Triplicane. When we were moving
along Mount road, I heard and saw him wailing in pain, holding his chest. I
took him to a nearby clinic,” the auto driver from Old Washermanpet, he
recalls.
How
would a driver remember one from the innumerable passengers travelling in his
auto ? ~ but this ride changed the life of that man … and as the Indian Express
reports that on Sunday, the auto driver Ravichandran along with 16 other auto rickshaw
drivers, including three women, were rewarded for their good samaritan deeds by
the Anna Auto Welfare Trust, the organisation which works to motivate
autorickshaw drivers.
The man
who travelled in Ravi’s auto had chest pains – Ravi took him to a private
hospital. The elderly passenger was subsequently referred to the Rajiv Gandhi
Government General Hospital where doctors, after tests said the patient
required immediate attention. “They said that there were three blocks in the
blood vessels on his heart and a pace-maker had to be placed immediately.” The good Samaritan Ravichandran contacted the
son of the passenger who arrived from Kolkatta that night by flight. Meantime, Ravi putting aside his all other
works, ensured immediate treatment. The cost of treatment and the pace maker,
which was about Rs 1 lakh was reduced to Rs 47,000 after he persuaded the Dean.
More
drama was to follow ~ the son of the passenger had only Rs.15,000 after spending on the
flight tickets and they were not affluent.
Nonplussed Ravichandran took a step, which perhaps none of us would
dare to take. … he pledged the only property – the auto rickshaw, and paid the
balance for the treatment. Anil
Khicha, founder of the Anna Auto Trust said people who came from other states
to Chennai first met autorickshaw drivers; and their behaviour towards the
passengers created a general impression about the city. “When this kind of good
work they do are appreciated, it will be a boost to them to do better. This
Trust was formed with such an idea,” Anil added.
Ravichandran
is rare gem and honouring him is only recognition of good people in the
Society. Not sure of what was paid ~
whether he got back the amount and could have his vehicle released are not
written on the paper. One only hopes
that there was some such measure and Ravi is now riding his own auto. Hearty appreciations to the man appearing in
the photo. Salutes Sir.
With
regards – S. Sampathkumar
Good samaritan such as this man should really be honored for the good deed that he has done. If he had not rushed his passenger from the hospital, he might have been killed and not save. This is really a very inspiring story just like the ones I read via Paperwritings.com reviews.
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