P. Noushad, the braveheart autorickshaw driver from Kozhikode, is still remembered as a byword for compassion as well as integrity and humaneness.
The 32-year-old had sacrificed his life while trying to rescue two migrant sanitation workers who were cleaning a sewer near the Kandankulam Jubilee Hall on November 26, 2015. Noushad had just ordered tea from a wayside tea stall when he heard their cries for help.
Ignoring warnings from passersby, he tried to pull out one worker who was about to fall into the manhole and the other who had already fallen into it. However, Noushad fell into the pit and died. His body was recovered later.
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The rare act of humanity was hailed by one and all. The auto drivers’ union has instituted an award in memory of Noushad for ‘the best auto driver’. A waiting shed at Pavangad has been named after him.