While about 8,000 personnel of Uttarakhand police are fighting the Covid-19 pandemic on the ground by ensuring the lockdown, wives of some personnel are providing support by making face masks to be used by their husbands and also the public at large.
Housewives of some policemen in the state have been making masks at their home and supplying them to the respective district police departments to be used by the men in Khaki and others who can’t afford them.
The women involved in the initiative say they are proud to be able to contribute in whatever way they can.
Thirty-five-year old Kiran Chandra, wife of a constable in US Nagar district says, “I feel extremely happy and proud that at least we are also able to contribute in this fight against the deadly virus like so many others”
Kiran said she has to take out time for the noble cause while taking care of her 2-year-old son.
“I have a son and I have to make sure that he sleeps when I make the masks during the daytime. It becomes somewhat difficult but I manage as the cause is to serve humanity at this crucial time,” said Kiran whose husband serves his lockdown duty for almost 10 hours daily.
She says that the raw material for the masks including the cloth and elastic bands are provided by the district police department’s women welfare centre.
“We bring the raw material home and then make the masks as per the specifications of the WHO” said Kiran, adding “I make around 15 masks every day in two hours.”
“I feel very grateful to God that both my husband and I could contribute in this fight, though it’s a very small contribution,” she said.
Sharing a similar story, 26-year-old Sunita Devi, wife of a constable in Champawat district said, “While my husband is serving the nation from morning 7 to evening 7, I am making sure that I do my part in this fight by making masks.”
Mother of a 2-year-old boy, Sunita says it sometimes becomes difficult to manage with a small child at home all alone.
Unlike Sunita and Kiran, 35-year-old Upasna Rana is both a policewoman and a housewife, and despite that she takes out time for making the face masks.
“My husband and I are both police constables in Champawat. While I serve my duty in the morning from 6 to 1 pm, my husband serves his night shift duty in the local area. I also have to take care of my children and household chores but I spare time to make the masks,” said Upasna, mother to two children aged 8 and 1.
Director general (law & order) Uttarakhand Police Ashok Kumar said the efforts put in by the housewives of the policemen was really commendable.”
“We can only win this pandemic if we fight it together while sharing responsibilities” said Kumar.
