A Singaporean official hands over a reward to Indian national Gunasekaran Manikandan.
A young Indian national is being hailed as a hero on social media after a video showed him helping an elderly man cross a street in Singapore.
Gunasekaran Manikandan, a resident of Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu, works as a land survey assistant in Singapore. He was near a large residential estate when he noticed the man, who appeared to be visually-impaired, waiting for a long time to cross the street. In the video, Mr Gunasekaran can be seen holding the man's hand, and then patiently guiding him across the street.
The 26-year-old said he was not aware someone had filmed him helping the elderly man on April 18. He came to know about it when his friends showed him the video on social media.
In a Facebook post, Singapore's Ministry of Manpower said that its officers had tracked down the Indian national and presented a token of appreciation to him at his work site. An image accompanying the post showed a Singaporean official handing over a bag to Mr Gunasekaran, who said he shared the reward with his friends.
"I feel very happy that I got to help the uncle and was very surprised to see the video. My mother, who stays in India, was very proud of me after watching the video," Mr Gunasekaran was quoted as saying in the Facebook post.
His act of kindness is being widely praised. A Facebook user, Seah Mee Ling, commented on the post: "God bless Mr Gunasekaran! Thanks to all migrant workers working here in Singapore, making a difference in our lives." She said that this incident has reminded her of another migrant worker who had found and returned her husband's wallet years ago.
"Well done, thambi! You made all of us proud with your act of kindness," commented another user, Ridzwan Ajis.
Another user, Rodiah Hashim, wrote: "Let's be kind to all, regardless of race, language, religion and nationality. It doesn't take much to be kind, but the returns are priceless."
Such small acts of kindness serve as a reminder to pay attention to those around us who may be struggling and take the initiative to help them.