GUWAHATI: Becoming a beacon of light for others, a Tripura school teacher has inspired many in the state to contribute to Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
Munmun Deb, the teacher had also made a suggestion to Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb to announce a statewide lockdown ahead of the nationwide one and share a link of the donation drive on his Facebook page so that people could contribute.
After the CM had shared one, Munmun and her sister, Jui, who too is a school teacher, made their contributions.
They contributed Rs 5,000 each, which constituted a considerable chunk of their salary and inspired by them, others too followed suit.
“I had made an appeal to the CM on his Facebook page for a lockdown. I also said I was ready to contribute 25% of my next month’s pay. My Facebook post was shared by many. After sometime, the CM replied that it’s a good initiative and we all must put up a united fight against COVID-19,” Munmun told The New Indian Express.
Munmun added that while most people in Tripura were appreciative of the lockdown, many also felt that that government should do more to take care of the poor, particularly the daily wagers.
“I thought we must not leave everything to the government. Being a government employee, I thought I also have some duties. We all know more about our rights but less about our social responsibilities,” Munmun observed.
Jui said their father Prabodh Deb, who is a retired school teacher, had inculcated a sense of compassion in them.
“Our father was serving as a school teacher during the Kargil War. Back then, he had contributed a part of his salary to the government,” Jui said, adding “We will be happy if whatever little that we have contributed be of any help for some people.”
The family hails from Kamalpur in Tripura’s Dhalai district. Munmun teaches Bengali at the Kamalpur Class 12 School while Jui is a teacher of English at the Kamalpur Madrassa Class 12 School.
Their mother, Anima Deb, is a retired employee of Tripura’s Social Education Department.