Abdul Wasim Ansari/Rajgarh (Madhya Pradesh)
The saga of Waris Khan of the Biaora city in Rajgarh district of Madhya Pradesh has reached Chief Minister Mohan Yadav in Bhopal earning him the first "Good Samaritan" award in the district.
A plumber by profession, Waris Khan, lives in the Tal Mohalla of Beawar and supports his family of five members. He worked as a plumber against a temporary vacancy in the municipality 12 years ago, was fired from his job. He had to face a lot of hardships in life following loss of his job.
He however, continued to support his family through his plumbing job and also other jobs of cleaner, and a daily wage labourer.
However, his life took an unexpected turn on the morning of 13 November 2024 and he became a celebrity overnight.
Waris Khan revceving the Good Samaritan award from DM Dr. Girish Kumar Mishra
On that day Waris Khan was on his way from Biaora to Binaganj on his motorbicycle. He saw a car meet with an accident on Highway due to a technical snag. There were 7 people of a family from Shivpuri in the car. There were two small children and women among them.
After the car overturned, all its doors got locked. Seeing the horrific scene, Waris parked his bike aside without delay and reached the car. He broke the glass of the car with his hands and started taking out the people trapped inside.
He took care to first extricate the children followed by women and finally the men trapped in the car.
Waris carried out his deed without expectations of publicity or fame. In fact he doesn’t have a smartphone nor is he connected to social media.
Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav speaking to Waris Khan on video call
Despite this, the news of his bravery reached the media and the administration.
According to officials, Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav spoke to Waris Khan through video call and inquired about his well-being. He told him, “You are the pride of Madhya Pradesh.”
Giving information about the incident, Waris said that he was going to Binaganj on a bike, when the car coming from the opposite side accidentally fell into the ditch.
Chief Minister Yadavs aid, “Waris, you have done a very good job. Helping each other in times of trouble is true humanity. Your work will inspire everyone.”
The Chief Minister promised him a reward of Rs 1 lakh. However, Waris Khan asked Chief Minister to appoint him on his previous job in the municipality. Reports say the Chief Minister agreed to fulfill his demand.
Waris Khan was awarded the first award "Good Samaritan" award by the district adminitration. Rajgarh Collector Dr. Girish Kumar Mishra presented him a cheque of Rs 5,000 as token of appreciation for his act of bravery.
The Good Samaritan Award Scheme is a program by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) that provides cash awards and certificates of appreciation to people who help road accident victims.
Introduced in 2015, the award is given to a person who has provided immediate assistance to a road accident victim and rushed them to a hospital or trauma care center within the Golden Hour of the accident.
This scheme was introduced to cut down the road accident rates in India.
Kumar said, "What Waris Khan did is an example of true humanity. He saved people's lives without any selfishness. His work is an inspiration for the entire society. Such people will be encouraged in the future too."
Yadav also directed all collectors to honour courageous people like Waris on the occasion of 15 August.
After the CM House and the Public Relations Department praised Waris Khan, he is continuously receiving praise. Many private organizations are ready to honor him. With his courage and humanity, Waris Khan proved that even an ordinary person can become a hero in times of trouble.
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