This Hyderabad cop has his hands full since lockdown

It has now been more than a month since Swamy visited home and met his mother, even though his house is a stone’s throw away from the Begumpet police station.
P Veera Swamy, a constable working with Begumpet police station, on a special bandobast duty near Begumpet on Tuesday
P Veera Swamy, a constable working with Begumpet police station, on a special bandobast duty near Begumpet on Tuesday

HYDERABAD:  In the hot April afternoon on Sunday, while most remained in the cool confines of their residences, P Veera Swamy, a constable with Begumpet police station, along with other personnel, stood vigil on the pitch-melting empty streets of the city.

It has now been more than a month since Swamy visited home and met his mother, even though his house is a stone’s throw away from the Begumpet police station.

Since the Coronavirus outbreak in the State, he along with 22 others from his platoon has been staying at a police facility nearby and are reporting for duty.

“We do not have any fixed timings. If there is any emergency, at any point of time, we have to report for duty,” Swamy told Express, while he was on a special CM-bandobast duty near Begumpet on Tuesday. He is usually seen in front of ration shops from 9 am to 5 pm making sure that the CM-ordered ration distribution for the under-privileged is carried out smoothly.

For Swamy, it is upto him to make sure that the people maintain a safe distance from each other and take other precautionary measures while they avail the relief.

However, it is not an easy job. “People often do not understand the meaning of social distance, or why they are asked to follow it. When we tell them to maintain some distance from one another, they often argue,” Swamy said.

It is in times like these that there is a need to remain calm despite provocation, and thankfully, as Swamy said, there have been no flare ups and that he was able to mitigate these situations without feeling the need to call for help from his superiors. 

Being the only son, Swamy keeps in touch with his mother and sister over video calls. “She keeps on asking me to go back home. She is worried about my safety, but my duty is here. I do not know when I will be able to go back,” he said. As the sole breadwinner of his family, it is also upto him to make sure that he stays healthy. The 23-year-old wore a mask the entire time he had a conversation with the Express, while maintaining a certain distance. 

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The New Indian Express
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