65-year-old homeless man, killed during rain, laid to rest by well-wisher

Bashir Baba used to live on the footpath right opposite the famous Nagpal Dairy in Kashmere Gate for over 10 years now

In a heart-warming gesture of humanity, a 62-year-old rickshaw agent performed last rites of a 65-year-old homeless man identified as Bashir Khan, fondly called Bashir Baba by locals of old gas factory railway colony near the Red Fort, who died when a tree fell on him during thunderstorm that rocked the Capital on Monday.

Mohammad Islam (above) knew Bashir Khan from the neighbourhood. (HT)

“I wish my rickshaws were damaged in return for his safety,” said an emotional Mohammed Islam, a resident of Shahdara who rents 20-odd rickshaws owned by him in Old Delhi.

Bashir Baba used to live on the footpath right opposite the famous Nagpal Dairy in Kashmere Gate for over 10 years now. One of his few belongings was an old wooden single bed he would rest all day on and a handful of clothes along with his Aadhaar card of the same address. All his meagre possessions are still stuck under the tree that fell on Monday and hasn’t still been removed.

The 65-year-old first met Islam about 40 years ago when he used to ride a rickshaw and had come to Islam to rent one of his vehicles. “He started riding my rickshaws and used to give rent like others did. He would stay in the jhuggis near the garage and sometimes, at the garage also, but about 10 years ago, the jhuggis were removed and he came to live here on the footpath,” Islam said.

But Bashir Baba wasn’t pulling rickshaws for the last 25-odd years. Islam said that about 30 years ago, he fell severely ill and couldn’t work any more. He was ashamed of not being able to earn and staying near the garage, Islam said. “He was barely able to walk. At that point, I told him that he didn’t have to work and we will take care of his food and lodging. But eventually, to not hurt his self respect, I asked him to manage the rickshaws which were to be rented out and returned by the end of the day”.

All day long, Bashir Baba would sit on his old cot and manage rickshaws. At the end of the day, he would collect the money and hand it over to Mohammed Islam. “I used to take the money he would give. He was not my employee who I would give a salary. He used to take the money he needed for his food and other requirements but he would barely take anything,” the man said.

About three months ago, Islam also helped Bashir Baba with his coronary tract operation in a free facility in Noida.

Kamal Sharma (68), colony pradhan, also praised Islam for his humanitarian act of taking care of a homeless man. “Bashir bhai was also a very good human being. We used to have tea so many times together,” he said.

On the day of the incident, when the tree fell, Islam’s son Aslam had reached the spot and called his name. “I could hear a faint yes from under the tree. When he was taken out and put in the PCR van, he was breathing. He breathed his last in my hands in the van,” Aslam said.

Around 5.30pm on Tuesday, Bashir Baba’s body was handed over to Islam and his son Aslam. After performing his last rites at a mosque in Shahdara, he was laid to rest by Islam.