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Can’t thank these kind, humane officers enough: Specially-abled girl
Compassion makes this world a better place, says Virali Modi who got immediate help from Mumbai Police during the lockdown
On 24 March, as the government ordered a total lockdown of 21 days to fight the coronavirus pandemic, Virali Modi’s heart raced frantically. She had to act quickly to save herself from a dangerous situation – being trapped in her house without any help. The 28-year-old motivational speaker lives alone in Malad West, Mumbai. Modi has been wheelchair bound for the last 14 years after suffering paralysis from waist down due to a serious illness. Modi’s father lives in the US, and her mother passed away last year. Her domestic help and her driver take care of her daily chores. The thought that they wouldn’t turn up after the lockdown scared her a lot. In a panicked state, she wrote on Twitter that there was no way for her to survive the lockdown without assistance. To her relief, within minutes Modii got a message from Bhagwat Karad, an MP from Aurangabad, who assured her that she would not face any difficulties.
Soon, Modi got calls from police officers stationed at Malad, who told her to relax, assuring her that they would provide her all the help she required. “A team of police officers visited me next morning. They asked me to save their phone numbers in case of any emergency. They also issued letters to my house-help and driver so that they do not face any trouble in reaching my house,” says Modi. Her caretakers now visit her for an hour every day to look after her. Virali also gets calls from police officers who take regular update from her about her well-being. “I can’t thank Mumbai Police enough! They are the backbone of my city,” she says.
Modi says that while incidents of police brutality are being reported from different parts of India, compassionate and sincere police officers who go beyond their duty set an inspiring, heartwarming example. “While all citizens must act responsibly, kind and humane police officers make the real difference. There’s so much to learn from them,” she says.
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