Every alternate day in the morning Mr Balaji would knock on the doors, seeking to know, whether all at home are health – he would check the temperature and the oxygen/pulse too .. .. organized couple of medical camps in the vicinity [this month he has stopped coming perhaps Govt feels there is no more need with relaxations of lockdown !] – there was another Gopi, a Corporation worker, who organized feeding poor and mendicants placing them in a nearby community centre. For sure, there are Balajis & Gopis in every area not hogging limelight but doing great service to others, especially those afflicted by Covid. Ever heard of one such Paritosh Pant ??
Do you watch
IPL ? – do you follow twitter ?? – IPL 2020 has had a grand beginning. A great
match win by CSK against MI in the last over and a tie in the 2nd
match between KX1 & DC. One may
enjoy calling them chokers – there would be lot of comments on him being a
over-hyped player in IPL not able to help his team win the team the title – yet
today, I salute him – nay, not for his 8765 runs in Tests (22 tons) and 9577
ODI runs (25 centuries) and 1672 T20I runs .. the man, ABD.
Every IPL season, the
Royal Challengers Bangalore seems to be the hardest team to beat, or so at
least on paper. They invariably have plenty of superstars, their supporters are
filled with hope and all eyes are fixed on them. So far, there have been 12
seasons without a trophy, though. But the Sunrisers Hyderabad are in some ways
the opposite of that. They don't generate as much chatter, but they have been
in the playoffs every year since 2016, when they even won the title, before
finishing runners-up in 2018. The Royal Challengers come into this edition
having tried to sort the issues that plagued them in the last two seasons: an
over-dependence on Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, and leaking runs at the
death. Thus, they have added Aaron Finch - who will most likely open the
batting for them - and paid a big sum to get allrounder Chis Morris. They also
bought back Dale Steyn, who briefly gave their bowling the spark it had been
missing in 2019 but was then injured.
This is not exactly an IPL
or Cricket post but a tribute to a great Cricketer – AB de Villiers. ABD was named as the ICC ODI Player of the Year
three times during his 15-year international career. His name was also featured
in Wisden Cricketers of the Decade at the end of 2019. De Villiers began his
international career as a wicket-keeper-batsman, but he has played most often
solely as a batsman. He batted at various positions in the batting order, but
predominantly in the middle-order. Noted as one of the most innovative and
destructive batsmen in the modern era, De Villiers is known for a range of
unorthodox shots, particularly behind the wicket-keeper.
Right from
the start six months ago, Covid-19 has remained a dreaded word for patients,
but there are great shining examples
where patients ranging from a 17-day-old infant to a 90-year-old woman
recovered from the infection. Doctors emphasize early detection and taking
precautions like stringent isolation to keep oneself and others safe, based on
the experiences of these Covid warriors.
From doctors, lab technicians, health workers, who have been at the
forefront of the battle against the coronavirus disease, those providing food
and other essentials, public who have taken care of families of covid victims, to members from the police force that played a
crucial role in the enforcement of lockdown restrictions, individuals from
different organs of the administration and departments Have risen high during
pandemic times and rightly, Covid warriers were recognised by the Government
for their efforts in curbing the spread of Covid-19 on the occasion of
Independence Day.
I salute
Paritosh,who started ‘Project Feeding from Far’ with Pooja & fed meals 2
needy during the lockdown. I wear his name on my back this season 2 appreciate
their challenger spirit ~ tweet from a famous person whose twitter
account now bears the name ‘Paritosh Pant’ – the man, ABD.
IPL team Delhi Capitals on
Friday said its players will don jerseys bearing the message “Thank You COVID
Warriors” during the entire tournament in UAE, calling the initiative a “small
token of gratitude” towards the frontline workers fighting the pandemic. Delhi
Capitals’ senior India pacer Ishant Sharma, spinner Amit Mishra and assistant
coach Mohammad Kaif interacted with a few frontline workers, including doctors
and police officers, in a virtual meet apart from sending them personalised
team jerseys under the ‘Salaam Dilli’ initiative. “To all the sanitation
workers, doctors, security forces, blood donors, social workers, drivers, and
their respective families - this small token of thanks from our team is
testament of your service towards humanity,” Ishant was quoted as saying in the
DC press release. The workers honoured by the franchise included those who
distributed home-made masks for free, installed mask-vending machines in public
places, donated personal savings to buy air tickets for migrant workers and ran
a plasma donation network.
When the virus first
struck, the initial shock and disbelief at the horrifying turn of events gave
way to fear. It consumed us and snatched our sleep. We lapped up information
both true and false, ready to do anything to escape its clutches. Every single
bit of news was avidly read and spread; every type of preventive measure
adopted; every new remedy was discussed in detail. As the number of cases grew
exponentially, fear gave way to apathy. While cases are on the rise, many can do
nothing but helplessly await our fate and get on with the living. But how long
can one remain in isolation with empty bellies?
Like the wildebeest which
sacrifices themselves to hungry crocodiles while migrating en masse to greener
pastures, people began to venture out to earn livelihood though who would live
to reap the fruit of their endeavour remains to be seen. Who knew a few months back that masks would
become the latest fashion accessory and new words like ‘social-distancing’,
‘work from home’, ‘the new normal’, ‘corona warriors’, would be suddenly added
to our lexicon.
Do not follow politicians,
cine actors, cricketers or any body else – salute those who serve the Nation –
the Armed forces, and those tireless social workers – the breed called ‘Covid-warriors’. They are the real heroes, they are the
people, who risk their lives to save others. Salute, Doctors, medicos, nurses,
medical assistants, ward boys, assistants, medical shops, social workers,
sanitation and health workers and every one on the street fighting covid. .. ..
more important, ensure that we remember them long after this is gone too ..
That way I today salute
ABD for the support he is putting up for Covid warriors – Paritosh Pant
Regards – S. Sampathkumar
21.09.2020
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