Superheroes have always had a larger than life persona associated with them. Take Superman for example. Bulging muscles, superhuman strength, x-ray vision, heat vision, super speed, enhanced hearing, cold breath, the power of flight and just an overall invulnerability. Heck, if we were to go by the mess that was the Justice League movie, even a team consisting of Wonderwoman, Batman, Aquaman, Flash and Cyborg, was no match for him. (The nerd in me would like to express my blatant disapproval to that, right here.)
However, in real life, it’s often the unlikeliest of people who deserve the tag of a superhero. The ones without the fancy suits or the flashy powers.
Manoj Kumar Saini is one such superhero in disguise. The 26-year-old can easily be mistaken for just another roadside vendor.
According to Times of India, Saini runs a makeshift juice stall near Ganga canal in Muzaffarnagar’s Bhopa area. This area is also infamous for being a spot for many suicides, and is hence aptly known as “Suicide Point”.
In the last one year alone, Saini has rescued seven people who have attempted to end their lives here by plunging into the canal from the bridge. He says:
“The first time when I saw a man jumping into the canal, I was shocked. For a minute I froze as I couldn’t believe my eyes. Then instantly I decided to save his life and jumped into the water without thinking about the consequences. This happened one year ago and since then every time I see someone taking the plunge, I jump into the canal to save him.”
The brave man’s stall is just metres away from the “suicide point” which is around 16 km from the main Muzaffarnagar city.
This Thursday, Saini saved his seventh life, the 70-year-old uncle of former Bhokaredhi Nagar panchayat chairman, Gyanaander Singh.
Manoj Saini was rewarded with ₹1000 for his bravery. Mr Singh says:
“My uncle has been keeping ill and was depressed. I don’t know how to thank this young man who risked his life to save an ailing old man.”
His selfless deeds have earned him the much-deserved tag of “Desi Superman”. Local activist Amjad Khan remarks how Saini swims like a fish, despite not having taken any formal swimming lessons.
Even with his superhero status among both young and old at the village, Saini has a very simple explanation for his actions:
“I just know that I can’t see someone dying in front of me. That is why I do what I do.”
Rajeev Kumar Gautam, the DSP of Bhopa area, praises the young man for his noble deeds and says that they are considering nominating him for this year’s bravery award.
If anyone deserves the tag of “Desi Superman”, it is this altruistic human being. Each time he jumps into the canal to save another person, he risks his own in the process. Kudos to Manoj for his bravery and selflessness. We need more people like him. Actually, scratch that. We all need to be like him.