Top cop wins hearts with poems on COVID awareness now playing on big screen in Ranipet

"I wrote the poem in December after being moved by the adverse impact of the pandemic,” Sivakumar recalls. With the second wave hitting hard, he came up with the idea to turn it into a video.
Ranipet superintendent of police (SP) R Sivakumar launching the public screening of the video of his song at Arcot (Photo | Special arrangement)
Ranipet superintendent of police (SP) R Sivakumar launching the public screening of the video of his song at Arcot (Photo | Special arrangement)

RANIPET: Serving as superintendent of police (SP) of Ranipet district, ‘Vadugam’ R Sivakumar is well known on social media networks, particularly Facebook, for his poems on different themes. Now, the all-pervading pandemic has become the subject matter of his poems that are being played in public to create awareness on personal safety, social distancing and cleanliness to keep the dreaded COVID-19 at bay.

One of the poems has been sung by noted folk artists Rajalakshmi and Senthil Ganesh and turned into a video.

The song is played on a big screen mounted on a mini goods vehicle and stationed at public places from 6 am to 10 am when people come out of their houses to purchase groceries and dairy products.

The public screening was launched at Arcot. “Actually, I wrote the poem in December after being moved by the adverse impact of the pandemic,” Sivakumar recalls.

With the second wave hitting hard, he came up with the idea to turn it into a video and play it in public places so that awareness can be created to aid the fight against the virus.

He says, “The video of the song is being played on a big screen mounted on a small vehicle. It passes through every nook and corner of Arcot and Ranipet to reach out to the people.”

The audio version of another song sung by Pamaran and Banumathi is being aired at Arkkonam and Sholingur areas of the district.

The songs depict how traditional practices of cleanliness and personal safety like washing hands after an outing and using neem leaves and turmeric to keep the vicinity clean and hygienic were thrown to the wind and how people have restored them to fight the pandemic.

Greeting each other by folding hands without physical contact and taking tests immediately after developing symptoms such as cough, cold, fever and breathing difficulties are also stressed in the songs.

The importance of social distancing and being aware of the perils of the pandemic also find mention in the poems.

The creative heart hidden inside the khaki uniform has won plaudits for the cop who is a veterinarian by education.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com