An auto-rickshaw driver Manjunath Ningappa Pujari in Karnataka earns his livelihood in the day by dropping passengers from one destination to the other but at night he serves the needy by turning his vehicle into an ambulance free of cost.
In a milieu where headlines are largely composed of news on mishaps, accidents, corruption, deviance in political office or crimes seldom do we as viewers or readers feel a sense of positivity about the world that we live in. We end up thinking that instances of humanitarian behaviour, of unconditional service and help, of kindness or benevolence are ether altogether absent or are extremely rare. Given this context we feel that there is indeed nothing to feel happy about, nothing that reasserts our faith in human potential and above all there is no aspiration for the higher ideals. Rarely do we come across a headline that generates positivity or goodwill leave alone happiness or a sense of contentment.
While we cannot negate the fact that in the big bad world stories of crime and corruption, violation and violence are present at a large scale what we cannot also deny is the fact that there are stories of positivity, of hope that continue to reaffirm our faith in the potential of humanity. These stories that reaffirm our faith are seldom told by the mainstream media which may often give in to the temptation that negative news or disturbing realities may create more sensationalism than say a positive story but we in The New Leam do not find meaning in that vision of journalism.
We strongly feel that stories that generate hope, positivity and reaffirm our faith in the collective human potential must be told and repeated loud and clear. They are all the more important at a time when the newspapers and news channels are all filled with news that disturbs the consciousness and almost generates an idea that everything is necessarily bad with the world that we live in. We believe in telling these stories to our readers. And it is in this context that we wish to tell you about an auto rickshaw driver from Karnataka who does something marvelously heart-warming each night. In the day time he works towards earning his livelihood by driving the auto rickshaw and dropping passengers from one destination to the other at night however he uses his vehicle as an ambulance for the needy to drop them at any nearby hospital.
Manjunath Ningappa Pujari, who drives an Ola auto every day between 6 pm to 9 am, offers free rides to those in emergency situations using his auto as an ambulance. To let more people know of this he has informed an NGO in the nearby locality to disperse the knowledge among the needy. Apart from that this man also donates a significant portion of his salary every month towards charity work. He does not insist customers in an emergency to even pay for the ride and says that this gives him immense positive strength and meaning in life. Indeed, the simple gesture by Pujari is one that is inspirational and insightful. It does not just remind us that good deeds are important but it also reminds us that the most humble of people and from the poorest of backgrounds can contribute towards it.
One does not necessarily have to be a millionaire or a socialite-celebrity to work for people or to do charitable work. The attitude of positive will and a determination to contribute oneself towards a cause are all that is important. This story needed to be told because although rare, it carries immense hope and positivity.
