Last evening, I stepped out of my house for a stroll. After a few minutes, I was on a semi busy road, when suddenly, barely 10 mtrs in front of me, an elderly man let go of his walking stick and fell on the road. He was in obvious discomfort as his whole body was trembling and he was sweating profusely. I helped him stand up but he was unable to grab his walking stick or stand on his own. I asked him where he stayed or if he had a phone number, but he couldn't answer. He just stared blankly. Till this point, I am alone with this man, and no one stopped to help us. After a few minutes, another elderly gentleman came and asked about the problem. We called a local lad and arranged for a chair to sit and a glass of water to drink. Meanwhile, he still couldn't remember where he stayed. Neither could he remember his name. We searched him for any identification, but to no avail. Many passed by after saying they have seen this man before walking nearby, but no one could tell us where he lived. Fortunately, after a few minutes, he started feeling better. He told us his name and address. We took him to his house shortly afterwards.
Two points here:
Each of us, specially elders, should carry some sort of identification with address and contact numbers. If this man would not have regained his memory / speech, we would have been in big trouble.
I am disappointed by the apathy from people. Most people just looked and walked away. Some people would stop and comment, and soon be on their way. Just two men were there to help this man! All this, in the city of joy, where people are known for being helpful to others!
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A long and rushed year
10 months ago
13 comments:
Some of us need to a part of such incidents and some need to be just a party to such incidents to get more sensitive !!!
Good point that you made... I carry a visiting card in my wallet with all the emergency numbers clearly written all the time !!!
A friend of mine in Kolkatta faced a similar situation when he saved an elderly gentleman trying to commit suicide by throwing himself onto a running bus.He was really sad to see that nobody other than him came to the man's rescue. I guess the world including kolkatta is changing for the worse !
Hmmm....Tonight, I must ask my grandfather whether he carries some sort of identification with him or not. I myself must also collect this year's ID card from school. Was ignoring it all this time. Good point made by you!
A year or so back, a report had been published in a newspaper saying how a schoolgirl had not been dropped off at the correct stop by the conductor and nobody in the bus had shown any kind of reaction when the girl had protested!So, sadly, people of Kolkata are like this now!
@Om
That's a good thing. But the risk is more with elders. Many of them don't even carry a cell phone. All the more reason for them to carry identification / emergency card.
@Anu
Isn't that sad? I guess the mentality is "Why get in to this?"
@Butterfly
You should ask everyone in your family. Thanks.
And it's really sad that the city is losing it's human aspects that it was so well known for. But don't worry, we are still there.... we can still make it better.
its a sad world out there :(
@Deeps
Yeah :( But all is not lost. We can regain some sanity.
I've hardly seen people help each other around here. I am glad you wrote about it :) And about the tip, you're the dude!
@RT
:-)
So when are you updating your blog?
Glad you were there. City of Joy still has some remnant compassion left that from all the other places I have lived!
Besides all this..what you did was touching..am sure there are and will be more people like you around for people in need
god bless
God bless you !!
Heartening to know that there are people like you around !
j
@I am
Thanks. But you see my point is what I did appears as touching because many doesn't do that. But it is not anything extra-ordinary, everyone in my position should do what I did.
@J
Thanks. I am confident there are many people who would help others in need.
i once saw traffic driving in killing speed and a blind man trying to cross the road,,Everybody cud see the blind man, the road was not that wide, but still nobody cud bother to stop and let him pass...I felt we all have become animals....
@Ankur
Guptaji... sahi kaha aapne. Unfortunately.
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