Not reel but real role models

Ajay Maheshwari and Pankaj Rathore don't belong to an elite class of society. They are not moneyed persons too. But they possess such virtues what most of us lack.

This must have happened several times in our lives when we see persons lying injured and in a pool of blood but instead of stopping at the site we choose to go ahead. The crowd of people who gather around are also of any help. They watch the scene for some moments and move away. As we are being modern and globe is shrinking as a global village the humanitarian feelings in us are fast evaporating.

When Coordinating Editor of Hindustan Times, Ranchi edition Akshay Kumar met with an accident near Khajuri village, about 20 kilometers from Bhopal he could not survive and so did his wife Aneeta and his friend Umesh Singh. Umesh Singh's wife Abhilasha, son Shubhankit, daughter Riya and Akshay Kumar's 11-month-old daughter Akshita were rushed to the Government Hamidia Hospital.

The two youths Ajay and Pankaj saw Riya holding in her arms the 11-month-old baby in a speechless condition and greatly shocked. She was in an ambulance. Near her was her brother Subhankit bleeding and with broken thighs. Her mother Abhilasha was also profusely bleeding. The scene moved the youths. They couldn't turn their eyes and decided to help them.

They made arrangements for initial treatment to the injured. Spent money from their own pocket on bandage and some medicines purchased from a private chemist shop. They contacted the injured relatives in Ranchi through the cell phone and at the relatives request took the injured to a private hospital by hiring a private ambulance.

They did not only admit the injured to the hospital but also took care of them. They arranged blood also in the afternoon after contacting several blood banks in the city. They continue to remain at the hospital even after arrival of the injured relatives from Ranchi and other places.

Mostly people turn away from the scene of accidents or on seeing people in distress for two reasons- first, they would get involved in hassles like wasting money, facing police query etc and second, they would have to meet the expenses on the treatment, at least initially, on being demanded by the hospital and also they might not get the money back.

Ajay and Pankaj say, "Our request to people is if they don't want to get involved in any hassles and don't want to help out of fear of spending some money from their own pocket they should at least do one thing- taking the injured persons to some good hospital nearby and just hand over them to the hospital staff so that the injured could get the treatment on time. The first hour after the accident is much crucial for people's lives."