Dehradun (Uttarakhand): ETV Bharat has always been the voice of the poor and helpless, the bridge between the Government of India and the common people. The people working in ETV Bharat have also been proactive while performing their duties, along with contributing towards humanity. As ETV Bharat marked one year of its existence, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Rawat also agreed to the above.
What was seen in Dehradun on the afternoon of March 23 is a prime example of ETV Bharat's service and responsibility towards the society.
It was 2.30 pm, and the streets were dead silent owing to the lockdown in the entire state. But the reporters of ETV Bharat were busy in covering each and every moment, and conveying them to our readers.
Our Uttarakhand Bureau Chief Kiran Kant, had been keeping a close eye on the lockdown since the morning and reached Ghantaghar to report on the happenings. It was then that he saw a man sitting outside during the lockdown. He was shivering and his lips were dry.
Curious, Kiran Kant approached the man and struck up a conversation. The man, Anuroop Singh, belonged to Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh. Narrating his plight, Singh said that he had not eaten for two days.
Read: ETV Bharat impact: Delhi minority committee distributes food to poor amid lockdown
Kiran Kant, who had returned to Dehradun from Haridwar, himself had not eaten anything since morning, but he did not even take a moment to turn towards the man with his tiffin, which his mother had lovingly prepared for him. He fed the poor man and even offered him water from his bottle.
When food finally found its way to the stomach of Singh, who has been hungry for two long days, tears ran down his cheeks, as he thanked Kiran Kant for his kindness.
Restarting the conversation, Sigh told Kiran Kant that he had come to Dehradun for Bijnor looking for work. He somehow managed to get enough work to feed himself two square meals a day, but to make matters worse, the lockdown was put in place.
When the work stopped, the contractor did not even pay him any money, leaving him hungry. been hungry for two days.
Listening to Singh's plight, a flurry of emotions overtook Kiran Kant. He had provided the man with one meal, but all he could think about was how would the man be able to survive the next few weeks. But that was not all, the hungry face of thousands like Singh - outside the temples, mosques, and railway stations began to worry Kiran Kant.
Read: ETV Bharat impact: Delhi basti finally gets food
Determined to bring this issue to light, Kiran Kant conveyed the pain of such people to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Rawat through social media.
He described the Ghantaghar incident, and was successful in making the government understand the pain hidden in his post.
Taking immediate action after the Bureau Chief's post, the government ordered all district collectors to provide two meals a day to those who may have lost their livelihoods due to the lockdown.
Social workers were also inspired by the initiative of ETV Bharat, and started distributing food from place to place. Now, even common people are coming forward to feed the helpless people.
In a humane gesture while fulfilling its social responsibility, ETV Bharat was successful in arranging food for thousands of poor and helpless people during the lockdown.
