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| Wilson, Auto rickshaw driver, Christopher Nagar in Olloor, Thrissur |
A scene from Christopher Nagar in Olloor, Thrissur, adjacent to National Highway NH 47 a few years ago: school children rush to the road after class, only to get stranded in front of speeding vehicles. Blood would spill on the road and often it was the fate of auto rickshaw driver Wilson to take the victim to the hospital.
Once he was an eyewitness to an accident when a motor cycle knocked down a child. That night he couldn’t sleep. The victim’s face could not be effaced from his mind. He decided then that no more blood should be spilled on the road.
Next day he went to the police station and offered to help the students cross the road morning and evening. Since that day in September 2006, Wilson has been the saviour with a red flag to the school children.
Be it rain or shine, he reaches the spot by 8.15 am and will be there till 10.00 am. Again in the evening, he will be there from 3.30 pm to 5.15 pm. And all these years, he has not failed in his duty even for a day.
During these peak times his auto rickshaw will not be operational. He forgoes such earnings for the sake of the children. Once, his daughter’s school telephoned him to say that she had fainted. Wilson did not move from the road. Instead he asked the school authorities to take her to the hospital. .
During exam days, students come to school at different times. At such times, Wilson’s self-imposed duty extents the whole day and he wouldn’t be able to attend his other duty, namely, plying the auto rickshaw.
However, his colleagues ensure that he doesn’t have to go empty-handed home on such evenings. They pool their resources and gift him provisions for home. Thus other auto rickshaw drivers too join him indirectly in this noble gesture.
Courtesy:
B.Sreerekha, Vijeesh Gopinath (text), Vanitha, September 15-30, 2009
Contributed by: Administrator
