Automen, as a rule, are a law unto themselves, and it's difficult to say anything good about their breed. But Monday, a large gathering of Rotarians lavished fulsome praise on Auto Shankar, an autorickshaw driver who has become legion among his tribe for his honesty.
Recently, he returned a bag containing jewelry worth Rs 2 lakh to a commuter. "If I have done anything praiseworthy, the credit for it should go to my mother, who taught me to be honest in life," he said, not even thinking for a moment how his life would have changed if he had kept the amount for himself. The Bangalore City Police Commissioner had issued a certificate lauding him for his honesty.
An only son to his parents, Shankar lost his father even as a child. He left school when he was in Std I, and eked out a living working as a cleaner in a hotel. He then started to sell vegetables, before becoming an autorickshaw driver.
