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Delhi shows its heart: How acts of kindness touched our lives amid pandemic

Hindustan Times | ByMallika Bhagat, New Delhi
Jan 01, 2021 02:32 AM IST

From Delhi Police’s efforts to curb the pandemic to people feeding animals during the lockdown, the resident of the Capital let hope and humanity prevail in 2020.

From Delhi Police’s efforts to curb the pandemic to people taking feeder passes to tend to strays during the lockdown, there are many a incidents that were reported in 2020, which gave us hope that humanity and generosity still prevails in dilwalon ki dilli. As we ring in 2021, here’s a glimpse of gestures that made us smile in the year gone by.

Residents of the Capital made laudable efforts to help the needy amid the pandemic, and helped restore the faith in humanity.(Photo: Raj K Raj/HT)
Residents of the Capital made laudable efforts to help the needy amid the pandemic, and helped restore the faith in humanity.(Photo: Raj K Raj/HT)

Cops turn Covid warriors

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From working round the clock to donating plasma to those who need it, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Delhi Police was lauded for most of their efforts to curb Covid-19.

Delhi Police distributed food packets to migrant labourers and the homeless during the pandemic. (Photo: Raj K Raj/HT)
Delhi Police distributed food packets to migrant labourers and the homeless during the pandemic. (Photo: Raj K Raj/HT)

There were many instances wherein Delhi Police helpeded senior citizens. This included a case in April 2020, when a diabetic patient suffering from severe body pain called Station House Officer (SHO) North Rohini. The SHO directed constable Manoj to provide help to the senior citizen, by delivering medicines at his place.

Not shying away from donating plasma, the cops have risen above their call of duty. Until November 2020, Delhi Police had saved the lives of more than 300 coronavirus patients. In fact, one Head Constable Krishan Kumar, working with Kapashera Police Station in Delhi donated plasma five times, after recovering from Covid-19.

There were also videos on Twitter, such as this one where Delhi Police officials could be seen surprising two young girls with a small birthday celebration, during the lockdown. There was also this time when the staff of Fatehpur Beri Police Station arranged a birthday cake for a four-year-old daughter of a labourer; the birthday was celebrated with the girl’s friends in the community kitchen at the Covid camp.

Help from all quarters poured in for Baba ka Dhaba

The pandemic has been hard, especially on people with small businesses, but Delhiites sure know how to be large hearted! A video, by a food blogger, went viral, showing an elderly couple running out of business due to customers not turning up at their roadside eatery. And the rest, is history since this place was Baba ka Dhaba.

Kanta Prasad and Badami Devi, co-owners of the eatery who could revive their livelihood after their video went viral on social media. (Photo: PTI)
Kanta Prasad and Badami Devi, co-owners of the eatery who could revive their livelihood after their video went viral on social media. (Photo: PTI)

An 80-year-old Kanta Prasad and his wife Badami Devi, had been running a small stall in south Delhi, for decades, to sell small meals. But, due to the pandemic, their sales dwindled, and Prasad was captured crying while stating his plight in the video. As soon as this video was uploaded on social media, it spread like wildfire and so many people came forward to donate money and help that the couple is today not only financially stable, but has now reportedly opened a concrete Baba Ka Dhaba in a popular Delhi market!

A helping hand to homebound migrants

During the initial months of the pandemic and the lockdown, no work lead to migrant workers face difficulty in sustaining themselves. When a swarm of labourers started walking back to their home towns, on the outskirts of Delhi-NCR, locals turned up to help those in distress by distributing food, ration and other essentials.

Stranded migrant workers and homeless people were supported with food by residents of Delhi-NCR. (Photo: HT/Sanchit Khanna)
Stranded migrant workers and homeless people were supported with food by residents of Delhi-NCR. (Photo: HT/Sanchit Khanna)

Denizens from all walks of life came forward for this cause. Many restauranteurs came together to provide meals for those migrants who were stuck in the Capital as well as those who were walking back home empty stomach. Some went on to feed thousands of families! The National Restaurant Association of India rolled an initiative #FeedTheNeedy, and asked its member restaurants to come forward and help the poor and the homeless. Migrant Travel Support, an initiative by four Delhi residents, also made arrangements of food, and help migrants reach their hometowns.

To provide hygienic, reusable sanitary napkins to migrant women who were among labourers walking back home, seven Gurugram-based teenagers started a campaign We Stand by Her, and raised funds.

Strays didn’t go unnoticed

The pandemic has been hard to us, and also to our furry friends on the streets. During the lockdown, many availed feeder passes to step out and feed the strays in whatever capacity they could. Many NGOs such as 4dogsake and Jeev Shakti Foundation, and a number of individuals also stepped up to distribute food to the strays.

Many denizens availed feeder passes to feed stray animals during the nationwide lockdown. (Photo: HT/Burhaan Kinu)
Many denizens availed feeder passes to feed stray animals during the nationwide lockdown. (Photo: HT/Burhaan Kinu)

A Delhi-based veterinarian student, Vibha Tomar was among those whose single-handed efforts to help the canines got applauded on social media. In fact, even some cops such as Sandeep Ghai, SHO, Kalkaji and his team fed birds and monkeys at Maa Anandmayee Marg and Kabootar Chowk, to help them survive the pandemic.

Author tweets @bhagat_mallika

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