Kochi | A selfless act of compassion by a tea vendor in Kerala has earned widespread praise after CCTV footage showed him giving his own 'mundu' (dhoti) to a woman whose clothes were torn in a road accident.
The incident took place at Statue Junction in Tripunithura near here on Tuesday, when a woman fell beneath a private bus. She escaped with her life by a narrow margin as bystanders rushed to pull her to safety.
Among the first to respond was M R Shaji, a local tea vendor.
As the injured woman was being rescued, her clothes were found to have been torn in the accident.
Without hesitation, Shaji removed his own mundu and handed it over so that she could cover herself.
"She was unable to stand on her feet because of her injuries when she was pulled out from beneath the bus. Her clothes had been torn apart. So I did not think twice. With the help of a friend, I removed my mundu, as it was fastened with a belt, and gave it to her so that she could be taken to hospital safely," Shaji told reporters on Wednesday.
The moment, captured on CCTV cameras, has since spread widely on social media, where many people praised the tea seller for his presence of mind and respect for the woman's dignity during a traumatic situation.
While the accident itself shocked onlookers, it was Shaji's quiet gesture that became the lasting image of the day, with many social media users describing it as an example of humanity and compassion shown when it mattered most.
His unexpected act has now earned admiration far beyond his neighbourhood, reminding people that even in moments of crisis, small gestures of kindness can have a lasting impact.
