JEYPORE: A lone woman among men inmates in a quarantine centre is a difficult proposition. But, not when the sarpanch of the village takes guard. Sarpanch of Boipariguda village Bhagirath Murjia did it, when a girl was put up at the quarantine centre set up in the local college. He donned the role of a watchman to keep the lone woman in the centre safe.
Murjia guarded the temporary Covid care centre at night for the last five days. The girl had returned from Hyderabad to Boipariguda on Wednesday last and was asked to stay in the facility as per the Covid-19 guidelines.
However, her parents were unwilling to leave her at the facility because of its location and as two more men were lodged there.The sarpanch assured them of taking personal responsibility of the girl and guarded the centre at night till Sunday. “It is my duty to keep everyone in the quarantine centre safe including the girl. I did my bit by guarding the centre at night”, he said.On Monday, the panchayat office appointed two watchmen to guard the facility.
Lawyer’s bid to create awareness
A lawyer of Kundra village in Koraput district has prepared a short film on coronavirus in Desia dialect to create awareness among tribals on measures to stay safe from the disease. The film ‘Ghare Ruha, Susta Ruha’ (Stay Home, Stay Safe), directed by lawyer Kishor Mishra, has attracted praise from different quarters. Mishra took the help of his wife Sabita and son Kaushik to film the six-minute long documentary. The three star in the film that focuses on the life of a tribal man struggling to make ends meet as his sources of income dry up during the lockdown. Besides, messages on social distancing, washing hands, health check-up and mandatory quarantine for migrants, have been woven into the script in a manner that the information is easily understood by tribals.