E-rickshaw driver who seeks prayers offers free rides to seniors, students

On the busy streets of Behrampore town in Murshidabad district, Selim Sheikh, 30, may appear to be just another e-rickshaw driver trying to make a living.

But for many who cross his path, his e-rickshaw becomes a small vehicle of kindness.

Since buying the e-rickshaw in April and beginning to operate independently, Selim has made an unusual decision: not to take fares from the elderly and children.

For him, the gesture is neither charity born of abundance nor an act meant to attract applause. It is rather a way of paying tribute to Arjan Bibi, his grandmother who raised him after his father died and his mother abandoned the family, and helping children pursue the education he had to abandon due to poverty.

Selim, a resident of Gakunda village, some 5km from Behrampore, passed his higher secondary and enrolled for a BA course at Behrampore College. Poverty, however, forced him to drop out. He learnt driving, obtained a licence and worked as a driver for many people before buying an e-rickshaw this year.

“My grandmother Arjan Bibi raised me and my physically challenged sister,” he said. “My grandfather was too ill to earn. My grandmother used to sell clothes across neighbourhoods. She did a lot for us,” Selim said. “As a result, when I get elderly passengers, I can’t take fares. I see the faces of my grandparents in them.”

Selim lives with his wife Sahela Khatun, their seven-year-old son Sadiq, who studies in Class I, his disabled sister and his grandmother.

“I could not study because of lack of money,” he said. “That is why I do not take money from students either. I tell them to study well with the money they save. If a student insists on paying, I ask him to pray for me,” he said.

His advice to youngsters is simple: “Study hard, listen to your teachers and become a good human being.”