It is said that how you treat others defines you. When people across the social strata expressed their love and respect for Ratan Tata by visiting his home and the NCPA, where his mortal remains were kept on Thursday, showcased how great a human being he was. Harikesh Singh, a newspaper vendor, narrated his small meetings with Tata on many mornings when he used to deliver newspapers to his home. “My family has been in this work for over 40 to 45 years.

Earlier my brother, Ram Suraj Singh would deliver papers to Tata’s home. He had subscribed to 12 to 14 English newspapers. In 2001, I started delivering the papers. If he (Tata) was in the garden, he would smile at me and sometimes ask me general questions. There was minimal security and no one ever checked me. They had that much confidence in people like us. Once I asked for help to treat someone in my village—Jodhpur in UP. He immediately asked one of the trusts to help and the person received a grant of Rs 5 lakh. He was a great human,” said Singh, who was outside the Tata home near Sassoon Docks since early morning for a final glimpse of Tata.