70 Year old man travels 600km on rickshaw to save wife, declines police aid

Sambalpur (The Uttam Hindu): When the pockets are empty and the life of the life partner is in danger, then the courage of a person dwarfs even the biggest challenge. One such emotional story of unbreakable love and dedication of a husband and wife has come to light in Sambalpur, Odisha. Here, 70-year-old Babu Lohar, unable to afford an ambulance, carried his ailing wife on a rickshaw to a hospital 300 kilometers away. Unable to afford an ambulance, he completed this journey solely on the strength of his courage.

9 days of travel and the 'desi ambulance'

Babu Lohar's wife, Jyoti, suffered a stroke last November. Local doctors advised him to go to the government-run SCB Medical College in Cuttack for better treatment. Cuttack is about 300 kilometers from Sambalpur. Babu couldn't afford an ambulance, so he converted his rickshaw van into an ambulance. He spread old mattresses on the rickshaw, laid his wife on them, and set off.

He covered this distance by driving a rickshaw continuously for nine days. He covered approximately 30 kilometers each day. Pulling a rickshaw all day and resting at a roadside shop at night was his daily routine. His perseverance paid off, and he took his wife to the hospital.

Police extended a helping hand after the accident

After nearly two months of treatment in Cuttack, Babu left for Sambalpur with his wife on January 19th. During the return journey, their rickshaw collided with a vehicle, and his wife fell to the ground. Police arrived at the scene and Tangi Station House Officer Vikas Sethi was moved by the elderly couple's struggle. He offered to drive them safely home.

"I have only two loves - my wife and my rickshaw; I can't leave either one behind."

Babu Lohar's response to the police's offer won everyone's heart. He politely refused police help. Babu said, "I have only two loves in my life. One is my wife, whom I am taking back home after getting her treated, and the other is my rickshaw. I cannot leave either of them behind."

Upon repeated requests from the station in-charge, Babu Lohar accepted only a small amount of cash for food and drink along the way. This 600-kilometer journey (round trip) in bone-chilling cold at the age of 70 bears witness to Babu Lohar's indomitable courage and love.