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Indian man helps injured Japanese elder at metro station, refuses money, says ‘main India se hoon’

Rohan Rana recalls how he and a friend were hurrying to catch the metro when they noticed an elderly Japanese man lying injured on the floor. He had fallen and was bleeding.

3 min readNew DelhiJan 20, 2026 07:15 PM IST

The video quickly went viral, drawing heartfelt reactions from viewers

An Indian man’s simple act of kindness inside a Japanese metro station has struck a chord online, turning a fleeting moment into a powerful reminder of empathy and values.

In a video shared on Instagram, Rohan Rana recalls how he and a friend were hurrying to catch the metro when they noticed an elderly Japanese man lying injured on the floor. He had fallen and was bleeding. Though several commuters were around, no one had stepped forward yet. Without pausing to think, the two decided to help.

Rohan says the moment became deeply emotional for him, especially when he introduced himself. “Bhai, main India se hoon, bolke itna garv feel ho raha tha (Brother, I felt such deep pride saying I am from India),” he says. They helped the elderly man sit up, checked how badly he was hurt, and tried to calm him down. When Rohan noticed the bleeding, he immediately acted. “Phir maine bandage lagaya (Then I applied a bandage),” he recalls. There was no phone out, no recording, just instinct and concern.

The elderly man, who was travelling with a suitcase, was visibly shaken but thankful, according to Rohan. Once he was stable, he tried to hand Rohan some money as a gesture of gratitude. Rohan refused without hesitation. “Uncle paise de rahe the, maine nahi liye (The uncle was offering money, but I didn’t take it),” he says. He explains that accepting it didn’t feel right. “Mujhe dekhna bhi achha nahi lag raha tha (It didn’t even feel good to look at the money),” he adds, stressing that it clashed with his personal values.

Curious and surprised by the refusal, the elderly man asked where Rohan was from. The reply came naturally and with pride: “Maine kaha, main India se hoon (I said I am from India).”

Reflecting on the incident, Rohan adds that while countries may race ahead in technology and innovation, it is the values, behaviour, and humanity of their people that truly define a nation’s greatness.

Watch the video:

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A post shared by Rohan ロハン (@rohanranaa)

The video quickly went viral, drawing heartfelt reactions from viewers. Many people praised the man for stepping in without hesitation and called his actions a reminder of basic humanity. A Instagram user wrote, “Bro, india should proud of you.”

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Another user commented, “We need more Indians like you brother. You made us all proud!” A third commenter wrote, “Japanese people actually get offended if u help them. This uncle was a good veteran otherwise u wud have been bashed for lifting him up.”

A fourth user commented, “Yes we are bad at many things but far better than them in many things.”