Pandemic Heroes: This Bengaluru couple is distributing herbal tea to policemen for their health
Frontline personnel, such as healthcare workers and the police force, have been working round the clock, at the risk of contracting coronavirus, to ensure the rest of the nation stays healthy and safe.
Scorching heat and exposure to the deadly coronavirus – that is what policemen, healthcare personnel, and sanitary workers expose themselves to, every day, to ensure the rest of the country remains healthy and away from the rapidly-spreading infection.
Despite the personal sacrifice of these groups – and a government-mandated lockdown on top of that – there have been numerous instances of people across the country stepping out for inane reasons.
India has recorded 31,324 positive cases of coronavirus so far, with more than a thousand deaths, according to data aggregator website Worldometer. Even though there are no signs of a community spread in the country, the number of positive cases are still rising every day.
At a time when everyone seems to be focussed on the pandemic, and the many different ways in which it has distressed individuals, families, the weaker sections of society, and the economy, it can start to feel like there’s no end to this negativity.
And while being selfless and kind to others may not be ritzy-enough to make national news, instances of good Samaritans, coming together to help each other, can break through the negativity and let in some light.
Nandish Reddy, and his wife, Sujatha, are instances of two such people.
The Bengaluru-based couple, who reside in Nagarbhavi with their children, decided to prepare and distribute herbal tea to policemen posted at three checkpoints between Nagarabhavi circle and Ambedkar College traffic signal.
A
forward about an immunity-boosting herbal concoction gave Nandish and his wife the recipe, and they decided to do something good for the policemen in their neighbourhood, who, at the time, had been pulling 12-hour shifts, every day.“We saw how policemen, doctors, government officials, and BBMP staff were working day and night during the pandemic. Most of us don’t even bother to think about the people who are serving us tirelessly during these tough times, when everybody’s life is in danger,” says Nandish.
Whether they thought of the concoction as a preventive measure, or just an evening refresher, the policemen were appreciative of Nandish and Sujatha’s gesture.
“The policemen told us that they work 12-hour shifts, and that it gets very exhausting when they have to chase after those trying to break the law,” says Nandish.
Even though the couple started offering the herbal tea on the weekends, they have been distributing it almost every day, for about two weeks now.
The Ministry of AYUSH recently released a notice enumerating herbs, spices, vegetables, and fruits that could help boost immunity and aid in fighting COVID-19.
Nandish works as an IT professional in Hewlett-Packard as a technical lead. Outside of work, he is the Joint Secretary of Rotary Bangalore Centennial, and is associated with the NGO iLove to Care – India Trust. He is also a paralegal volunteer for the District Legal Services Authority (DSLA), and the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA). His wife Sujatha is a homemaker.
Karnataka has recorded 20 deaths so far, with about 520 positive cases.
Edited by Aparajita Saxena