Tapash Pramanik, Phalguni Mandal, Rekha Singh or Animesh Dey are ordinary citizens who were made “special” by the residents of up-market Mandeville Gardens area in south Kolkata.

“They are special as they did a special job,” explained Bharati Biswas, a local resident.

“While we are relaxing at home, they are working outside risking their lives so that we are not touched by the coronavirus,” said Ms. Biswas.

Mr. Pramanik and Ms. Mandal are accredited social health activists (ASHA), while Ms. Singh cleans the road, Mr. Dey works for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC). The local residents of ward number 68, where Mandeville Gardens is located, handed over sweets and red roses to the health and sanitation workers, and garlanded them. Elderly residents, who could not come out of their apartments, showered them with marigold petals from balcony or rooftop.

“Every building in Mandeville Gardens came out, participated in the felicitation one way or the other, acknowledging the relentless service of these women and men, who serve us throughout the year but particularly now when we all are in dire straits,” said ward Councillor Sudarshana Mukherjee. Some other health workers, KMC engineers, policemen and sanitation department employees were also felicitated.

“When in many places, health activists are ostracised for being exposed to COVID-19, we decided to congratulate them. I hope the rest of the city will come out, maintaining norms of distancing, to felicitate workers in their areas,” said a senior citizen.

Ms. Mondal said she has “never been so happy as [I] was never felicitated.”