KOCHI: Hindu Seva Kendra members, along with the mother and wife of BSF Jawan Arun Kumar, reached Kolhapur in Maharashtra on Sunday evening. Arun Kumar, who has been admitted to the intensive care unit of AIIMS, Jodhpur, for pneumonia had expressed his wish to see his mother and wife. However, owing to the nationwide lockdown, the family did not get permission to go to Jodhpur.
After learning of their plight, Hindu Aikya Vedi came forward to help the family. The organisation contacted the office of Kottayam district collector and requested to issue necessary permission for travel. Suresh Gopi, MP, who contacted the chief minister’s office, requested the government to make necessary arrangements for their travel. The passes were issued on Saturday and Arunkumar’s mother, wife, a relative and Hindu Seva Kendra workers Sreenath and Krishnaprasad started from Mundakkayam on the same day.
“We received tremendous support from police personnel in Mundakkayam, who gave us masks and gloves. Police personnel in most states that we passed through, including Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, gave us great support. We stopped at Karnataka on Saturday, where we stayed at a house arranged by Hindu Seva Kendra. By Sunday evening, we reached Kolhapur in Maharashtra. We will resume our journey on Monday,” Sreenath told TNIE over the phone.
He said they are hopeful of reaching Jodhpur by Tuesday afternoon. “Once we reach Jodhpur, Arun Kumar’s mother and wife will stay there and we will return to Kerala,” said Sreenath. He also said the three of them, including the driver, were aware they would have to undergo quarantine once they got back. “That is not an issue. We all just want the family to meet Arun. His mother and wife are really worried about their son. We are happy that our actions can bring solace to the mother. That is our priority now,” he added.