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Children of bureaucrats may sometimes be viewed as molly coddled ‘entitled brats’ on a power trip. But stepping out of their sheltered environs, are a couple of officers kids, who seem to be activating a service gene.
Even before the nationwide lockdown was announced, Gunisha Aggarwal, a class eleven student of PSBB school in Nungambakkam, Chennai and her elder sister Arshita Aggarwal, a final year student of the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, decided to pitch in with relief for the poor.
On their radar are daily wage earners who have lost their income due to the lockdown and migrant workers.
Pooling in their pocket money, with a contribution from their parents – Mahesh Aggarwal, Additional Director General of Police and Dr.Vaneeta Aggarwal, Professor of Management at the University of Madras, the sisters also crowdsourced funds from the Madras Cricket Club Ground Workout Team.
For the last week, the duo, sporting protective masks and gloves has hit the streets distributing over 150 packets of dry rations to underprivileged families in the city.
The students can be seen creating awareness about safety precautions against Corona like physical distancing and washing hands. And it’s not a one off measure. Arshita and Gunisha intend to continue distribution of dry rations and have added liquid soap and hand sanitisers to the relief items.
Playing Good Samaritan is another too cop’s son Arnav Rathore. A class eleven student of MCTM International School, Chennai and son of Sandeep Rai Rathore, Additional Director General of Police (Uniformed Services Recruitment Board) and Shilpam Kapur Rathore, Founder of Aranya Foundation, this teenager has hit upon the idea of reaching out to stranded senior citizens and migrant workers, through the social media.
Assisted by a small team, Arnav has been able to distribute over a hundred parcels of rice, pulses, spices, milk powder, sugar and cooking oil, meant to last a week for two people.
Arnav has also tied up with Satsang Beas who have a campus in Poonamallee to give 500 cooked food packets to Tiruvallur district through the Superintendent of Police.
Blue Cross has now approached Arnav for provisions for Animals and he has arranged for 300 kilograms of dhal and 25 kilograms of pure ghee.
For these students, age is hardly a barrier to practise life’s lessons.
(Sanjay Pinto is an Advocate practising at the Madras High Court, Columnist, Author & Former Resident Editor – NDTV 24×7)
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