CHANDIGARH: A 27-year-old auto driver from Chandigarh celebrated the feat of Neeraj Chopra, who became the first Indian to win a gold medal in the World Athletics Championships, by giving free rides to about 70 passengers on Monday.
From 9 am to 5 pm, Anil Kumar gave free rides to passengers in his auto in the tri-city (Chandigarh-Panchkula-Mohali). "I celebrate the moments that make the country proud. It is a great achievement for every Indian as Neeraj won the gold. When my passengers asked me why I did not charge them and I told them the reason, they were elated by my gesture," he said.
It is not the first time that Kumar has ferried passengers for free. "In 2019, when the IAF carried out air strikes in Pakistan after the terror attack in Pulwama, I ferried around 2000 passengers for free in my auto for a month," he said.
When Chopra won gold at the Tokyo Olympics, Kumar again did not charge from his passengers for one day.
In 2019, Kumar had announced that he will give free rides for 10 days if the Virat Kohli-led Team India won the World Cup but India could not win. Recently as the country celebrated the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission to the moon, he again ferried passengers for free.
Kumar, who is from Abohar in Punjab, announced on Monday that if India beats Pakistan on October 14 in the cricket World Cup, he will offer free rides once more.
Apart from this, Kumar has also been helping accident victims. "In the last 12 years, since I have being driving the auto, I have taken 1187 road accident victims to hospitals as no one stops to help them," he says.
Asked whether giving free rides did not put a financial burden on him, he said, "It is nothing. Besides me, my wife also works in a saloon that we manage."