Thiruvananthapuram: An ordinary taxi stand in a small Kerala town today stands apart from its counterpart elsewhere in the country because of a noble mission.
The taxi drivers in Neyyar Dam run an ambulance service for an entire locality completely free of cost. And inspiring them in this venture is a 38-year-old Godhra riot victim.
So, among their fleet of cars one finds an ambulance, which is run by these taxi and auto rickshaw drivers to reach out to the doorstep of the needy in case of an emergency.
They would take a patient to the nearby hospital or drop him/her back, all free of cost. With the nearest government hospital at least 10 km away, these men are providing this service in the truest sense of the word.
Though helping people doesn't appear to be paying off.
"Since we started, till date we have a debt of around Rs 17,000. But that does not stop us. We hope some good samatarian will come forward to help us," says Rajesh Poonu, a taxi driver.
For these kind-hearted drivers of Neyyar Dam, running this ambulance is a service they are doing for the poor people of their locality. And they say whatever may be the financial constraints, they are determined to carry on with this good work.
What keeps them going is their own colleague, BL Jose, who lost his wife in the Godhra riots.
"After I lost my wife in the Godhra riots, it was my greatest desire to bring her body to Kerala. I faced a lot of problems then as I could not get an ambulance. Though I managed finally, I decided then that this should not happen to anyone again. So I am doing this," says Jose.
These good samaritans have also formed an association to keep their mission going. They hope one day, their efforts will finally pay off.
(With Achyuth Punnekat)
Comments
0 comment