Odisha: Youth as 'Silver Gandhi' creating awareness on Covid-19

Minati Singha | TNN | Updated: Apr 14, 2020, 23:55 IST

24-year-old student Mohan Mohapatra of Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya is also popular as "Silver" Gandhi.

BHUBANESWAR: A 24-year-old student Mohan Mohapatra of Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya also popular as "Silver" Gandhi is distributing masks and hand sanitisers among the people from his pocket money to keep the coronavirus at bay.
"I am trying to cover rural areas in the outskirts of the city and creating awareness about the various aspects of the deadly infection of coronavirus and how to protect themselves from being infected of the disease," said Mohan.
Painting his body in silver colour from head to toe and wearing a knee-length white dhoti and covering his body with a white gamchha, donning round-shaped glasses and holding a lathi, Mohan resembles a lot with the father of the nation. He never forgets to carry a tiranga with him.
"I have been dressing up like Gandhi for several years and managed to attract public attention. People give me a patient hearing seeing me in the dress of Mahatma Gandhi and I think they also get convinced to some extent," said Mohan handing over cloth masks and hand sanitisers to commuters and people in a slum in Patrapada area of the city.
He had earlier launched many such campaigns on various social issues like anti-liquor, swachha bharat, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, say no to drugs and others. "The world is passing through a difficult time and all of us must contribute in whatever way to save this world from the pandemic. At least we can protect ourselves from the disease by following the guidelines during lockdown and maintaining social distance. I have spend Rs 10,000 from my pocket money to buy masks and hand sanitisers," said Mohan.
A biopic film on him titled as Silver Gandhi' is under production, where his efforts to promote Swachh Bharat Avbhiyan have been depicted.