Right to Information (RTI) activist and senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Vijay Kumbhar, who was at the forefront in exposing former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) trainee Puja Khedkar's fraud, took to X (formerly Twitter) on Friday morning and shared about his heartfelt encounter with an autorickshaw driver.
The RTI activist stated that he was recently travelling via an autorickshaw, and after the completion of his ride, the driver refused to accept payment for his work in the interest of common people.
Kumbhar wrote, "Recently, as I stepped out of a rickshaw, I asked the driver for a QR code to make the payment. To my surprise, he simply replied, 'Don't worry about it, sir.' Thinking I had misheard, I asked again, only to receive the same response. Sensing there might be some issue, I offered to pay in cash, but he gently refused, saying, 'Sir, you do so much for society. Who else does this much for others? Please, don't worry about the money.' His words caught me off guard. In a world where people often hesitate to part with even what's rightfully owed, here was someone declining ₹205. His situation didn't seem particularly prosperous—he drove an old rickshaw with worn-out seats. After some conversation, I learned his name was Sahebrao Wakade."
"Sahebrao mentioned that he recognised me as soon as I entered the rickshaw, but was unsure how to address me. He had overheard my name during a phone conversation and realised I was Vijay Kumbhar. He then shared that his son is in the final year of engineering and expressed concern about how deserving candidates are often overlooked due to fake certificates—a concern that aligns with the work I do. This encounter was a moment of deep realisation for me. It became clear that the work I am passionate about is resonating with people, that they understand its significance, and that it is being acknowledged in ways I never expected. Sahebrao even offered to help with my work if needed and advised me to be cautious, noting that my efforts have upset many," he added.
Despite the driver's refusal, Kumbhar said he paid the driver. "This interaction was not just a reminder of the impact of my work, but also a touching testament to the gratitude and respect that exists in the most unexpected places," he concluded.