Kerala cops upset over early arrival of asura king Maveli to raise COVID-19 awareness
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The arrival of Maveli, the mythical king whose reign is celebrated in Kerala during Onam, usually ushers in warmth and festivities. However, the early arrival of the asura king this year has left police personnel in Thiruvananthapuram in a tight spot.
The City Police Commissioner's decision to conduct COVID-19 awareness programmes led by the prematurely-arrived Maveli -- the king is two weeks ahead of his usual schedule -- has rattled cops.
The reason is simple. To be decked up as Maveli, either the cops should squeeze out time from their already crammed schedule or they need to find someone who is willing to play the role for a fee. Both are unacceptable to the men in uniform, who have been toiling hard after being tasked with additional COVID duties.
As per the order of Commissioner Balram Kumar Upadhyay, five cops from each police station led by Maveli were to deliver awareness messages to the public on COVID safety practices and social distancing. However, the move did not go down well with the policemen, who felt they have to pay a price for the king's visit this time.
"Cops are overburdened with their routine work and additional responsibilities related to COVID-19. In this scenario, we cannot ask anyone in the station to don the role of Maveli. If we have to rope in a civilian to don the role, he needs to be paid well and that expense have to be footed by us. It will cost at least Rs 3000 per day," said a station house officer in the city limits.
As the displeasure of the cops over the matter became evident, the Commissioner toned down his order and told the media that fielding Maveli is not compulsory and the cops need not dress up like him. The programme was planned to sensitize the public about how to celebrate Onam during the time of the pandemic, he added.