Hats Off In New Zealand For Sikh Who Removed Turban To Help Injured Boy [VIDEO]

An Indian Sikh living in New Zealand has received good karma for his heroism. After Harman Singh, 22, removed his turban to help a bleeding child hit by a car, the Auckland community made sure he got his due.

Daejon Pahia, 6, was walking to his primary school with his older sister when he was hit by a vehicle in Manuroa Road on May 15. It is understood that he ran across the road at a pedestrian refuge.

Singh was inside his home when he heard the screeching of a car’s tires and the commotion that followed. He went out to investigate then saw the little boy bleeding on the ground. Without hesitation, the young man rushed to help the child, taking off his turban and putting it under Daejon’s bleeding head.

For men following the Sikh faith, their turban is not just an article of clothing. It is one and the same with the Sikh’s head, and is taken off only in the privacy of the wearer’s home. That is why Singh’s action was unexpected. He broke his religion’s protocols to help another person in need.

A photo of Singh cradling Daejon’s head with his turban has made the rounds online. Many people around the world have praised Singh for his heroism, applauding him for his humanitarian spirit. But for him, he didn’t think he did anything extraordinary.

“I wasn’t thinking about the turban. I was thinking about the accident and I just thought, ‘He needs something on his head because he’s bleeding.’ That’s my job -- to help,” Singh, who is Auckland to study a business course, told the NZ Herald. “And I think anyone else would have done the same as me.”

Local news crews interviewed Singh at his home following the incident, allowing viewers to take a peek into his humble abode. Viewers took note of Singh’s empty house, which was devoid of furniture. One News viewers emailed the program to comment on the upsetting state of Singh’s house, giving the news network an idea.

With help from Singh’s housemate Ravi and Lily from Big Save Furniture, the news program filled his apartment with furniture, which included a lounge suite, bed and a coffee table. The humble hero couldn’t contain his tears as he thanked everyone for the “biggest surprise of his life.”

People around the world are also offering to donate various items for Singh. Domino’s Pizza has presented him with a six months’ supply of vegetarian pizza as well.

The brave child, who only cried upon seeing his crying mother at the accident scene, was initially thought to have suffered life-threatening head injuries. Fortunately, he was declared to be in a stable condition in the hospital. He had surgery for a fractured skull, 12 deep head wounds and a lacerated kidney, according to the Aucklander.

Elijah and Shiralee Pahia, Daejon’s parents, were grateful to Singh for his noble deed. They hugged and shook his hands. Mrs. Pahia said Daejon wanted to write Singh a card, but his little body was still sore from his surgery. Daejon instead asked his mother to write for him. “Thank you for saving me,” the card read.

While the Sikh Press Association acknowledged and lauded Singh’s bravery, it wished to correct the inaccurate description of his action. The Sikh community’s news agency clarified on Facebook that Singh did not “put religion aside” to help the young boy as the Sikh practice of using the turban to help someone in need has been applied for years. The statement added that Singh “was simply doing what generations of Sikhs have done for centuries.”