Instead Of Performing Wife's Last Rites, Assam Man Gives Food To The Needy To Honour Her Memory
The coronavirus lockdown has wreaked havoc on the lives of poor and underprivileged. Many are struggling to sustain themselves, sometimes even going hungry for days.
We heard of people scavenging for edible bananas at a crematorium in Delhi. Them there was the story of a man filling his earthen pot with split milk from a road in Agra, the same spot some stray dogs were drinking the milk from. These cases just highlight the plight of the needy.
As if he heard their call for help, a man from Assam decided to do his bit to help those suffering during the lockdown.
Source/India Today
According to India Today, Golap Gogoi, 52, from the Bhelouguri village, engaged in a noble act by distributing food items to the poor and the needy instead of performing his wife's shraddha. Shraddha is a ritual that is performed in honour of a deceased ancestor or relative. This was his way of paying homage to his deceased wife.
Speaking to India Today, Golap said that he was very happy to help the needy and that it was the best tribute he could pay to his wife. "After consulting elder people in my village, I decided to help the poor and needy by distributing food items to them," Golap said.
In another heartwarming instance, an off-duty CRPF officer in Assam went out of his way to help the poor. CRPF ASI Padmeswar Das prepared ration packets, purchased using his savings, for the poor in his village.
Twitter/CRPF Madadgaar
He used money from his savings and bought about 80 kg of rice and other dry ration. The next day, he and his family prepared over 50 packets containing 2 kg of rice, 1 kg potato, a small bottle of mustard oil, a packet of salt, onions and half kg pulses in each.
According to recent reports, no new coronavirus cases were reported as of 8:00 am on Apr 16 in Assam. This brings the total reported cases of coronavirus in Assam to 33 according to data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Among the total people infected as on date, 0 have recovered and 1 has passed away.
Another BIG reason to cheer!
¡ª Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) April 15, 2020
Keeping life first as the motive, we're glad to have imported 50,000 PPE kits from Guangzhou,China. I am happy to receive this special flight along with @Pijush_hazarika at #Guwahati airport just now. A big reassurance for our doctors & nurses. pic.twitter.com/nFkFkwfPQZ
According to an NDTV report, Assam has become the first state to receive PPE kits from China. The report states that a cargo flight operated by Blue Dart touched down in Guwahati after flying five hours non-stop from China's Guangzhou.
A more recent Economic Times report points out that of the 170,000 personal protection equipment (PPE) kits China donated to India--that arrived on April 5--about 50,000 failed quality tests and were found to be unusable. What action the government will take next remains to be seen.
