Date:03/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/03/stories/2008030367720300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Ubiquitous ‘apathbandhu’for the needy

S. Harpal Singh

Abdul Rahman functions as a one-man rescue team whenever accidents occur on NH 7

Good Samaritan: Abdul Rahman with the wreckage of a lorry that was involved in a ghastly road accident recently.

NEREDIGONDA (ADILABAD DT.): The seemingly tough job of emergency management becomes simpler when Abdul Rahman of Neredigonda mandal headquarter village in Adilabad district gets going. Locally known as ‘apathbandhu’ for his work, this rather diminutive personality functions as a one-man rescue and relief team whenever road accidents and accidental drowning occur on the NH 7 and in Kuntala waterfall in his mandal.

Neredigonda, situated on the NH 7 about 50 kms from Adilabad accounts for a major chunk of accidental deaths every year. The entire stretch of NH 7 and the scenic Kuntala waterfall are both highly accident prone places.

Selfless service

Over the last decade, the poor 31-year-old Rahman has selflessly involved himself in saving lives, most of the times at the cost of losing his daily bread. Though there is no count of the lives he has saved by shifting the injured to hospitals in quick time, his work reveals that the number must be a few scores.

“As soon as I learn that an accident has taken place, I reach the spot. I make it a point to call the authorities like the police and the 108 ambulance.

I not only help in shifting the injured or the dead to hospital but ensure that the bodies get sufficient medical attention until the relatives of the concerned persons arrive”, said Rahman of his modus operandi.

“I extract badly mutilated bodies from accident spots. Once I had to fish out a rotten corpse of a person who had drowned in Kuntala 15 days back”, he elaborated.

His illiteracy has not hindered him in finding a rationale for his actions.

“Koran, Bhagwad Geeta ya Bible, sab bolte ki dukhi aadmi ki madad karna. Sadhyamainanta varaku help cheyali”, he observed.

He also maintains a diary (written by others) with briefs of events and telephone numbers of important persons in a pocket book. In appreciation of his work, Adilabad Joint Collector announced sanction of a house plot for Rahman and assured to make an effort to get him employment with the 108 ambulance service. The latter will suit the purpose of this ‘human 108’.