Bed bugs, certificates covered in dust, tea served in a steel glass that may have endured decades in the kitchen… and a Padma Shri medal. Life for the nearly 70-year-old Bipin Ganatra isn't what a septuagenarian would ideally wish for.
But step out of his cramped room, a few metres off Debendra Mullick Street, and Ganatra is a local hero. He is looked up to, revered and cared for by locals near the MG Road crossing in central Kolkata.
Bipin Ganatra lives in a cramped one-room accommodation , surrounded by old certificates and a Padma Shri medal
Ganatra may look like any other elderly man trying to make ends meet on a limited income. But there's more to him than what meets the eye.
He was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award in India, in 2017 for his voluntary firefighting efforts. Headlines followed, and so did applause and national recognition.
Cut to 2026, the internet does not talk about Ganatra, and neither does the media. But he continues to do what he does best — serve society with whatever resources he has.
Ganatra receiving his Padma Shri medal from former president Pranab Mukherjee
“I have saved at least 100 lives as a firefighter. Now I manage traffic for Kolkata Police. I started doing it along with firefighting in 2010,” Ganatra said in Bengali with a thick Gujarati accent.
How he became a trusted aide for Kolkata traffic police is a story rooted in his desire to offer selfless service.
“I started at Muhammad Ali park during Durga Puja. Lakhs of visitors navigated that route. IPS Damayanti Sen, IG Zulfiqar Ahmed, and others in administrative power then saw how I managed the traffic,” Ganatra recalled. “They were so impressed, they let me handle the crowds there along with other police personnel.”
Even though Ganatra managed Durga Puja traffic with great efficiency, a lack of regular income kept haunting him. There was help on offer, but he did not want charity.
“Damayanti Sen called me into her office one day. She offered me her ATM card and said, ‘You don’t want a job here, but you must keep this and take 1,000 rupees every month as honorarium.’ I refused,” Ganatra recalled. “I never wanted money, I wanted to be a social worker. Taking money might have distracted me from serving my city.”
It was around that time when Sen forwarded his files to the Centre, and requested he be considered for a Padma Shri, Ganatra said.
At 69, he has no plans to retire, saying his motivation comes from community blessings and goodwill
At 69, Ganatra, lovingly called Bipin da, does not consider retirement as an option.
“Because I don’t work professionally, I never think of retiring. I only have my own volition, and mental strength to go on. When you do good, you get such warm blessings from the community. That keeps me going every day,” he said.
While blessings keep him going, the mention of family makes Ganatra visibly uncomfortable. He says he manages just fine on his own, even in sickness, in his one-room chamber.
“I have no family. I have a lot of relatives in Gujarat, but I rarely talk to them. There is no common ground with them, where I can connect. The warmth I see in Kolkata is largely missing elsewhere,” said Ganatra.
From borrowed whistles to firefighter uniform, Ganatra has had his essentials gifted. He has lost income from his work as an electrician due to digitalisation, which makes it even more challenging for him to make ends meet, he says.
But Ganatra’s wealth, he says, is people’s love. Almost every minute someone greets him at the MG Road crossing, asking about his well being, fetching him tea and water.
“Retired IPS Upen Biswas gave me my uniform. He gave me a lot of love. Some of my friends gave me a safety helmet, and a whistle too,” Ganatra said with pride.
“My friends give me seven thousand rupees per month. That is my sole income now. A Gujarati hotel at Lal Bazar has given me a free pass for lunch and dinner. That is where I eat,” added Ganatra.
The man who received a Padma Shri medal, now lives a dual life — one of social service and the other of an elderly man navigating health, finances and life.
“I will keep working as long as my body is healthy. I try to eat well, and refrain from any intoxication,” said Ganatra in a raspy voice, damaged by blowing whistles while managing traffic.
