An analysis has been conducted by the Union Home Ministry regarding the response of the police during the lockdown imposed due to Coronavirus. It has been revealed that the human face of the police has come to the fore during the lockdown. However, no information has been provided about the atrocities committed on migrant laborers during this period, who walked on foot to their original residence.
In a special compilation titled 'The Indian Police Response to Covid-19 Crisis' published last week, the Ministry of Home Affairs think-tank 'Bureau of Police Research and Development' (BPRD) said that police forces in the States / Union Territories and Central Paramilitary forces not only ensured a tight lockdown but carefully tracked Kovid-19 patients. Apart from this, these forces also played an important role in the delivery of supplies of essential services to migrant laborers and also donated plasma to corona patients.
In this report, BPRD said, on March 25, when the lockdown was implemented and due to this the livelihood of unskilled migrant laborers were affected. Lakhs of migrant laborers started moving towards their original residences on foot, which not only posed a threat to them but also put people in distress wherever they were going.
During this time, the police exercised restraint with the migrant laborers and arranged for food, accommodation, medicines, footwear, and transport for their return. Thermal screening of the workers was done and their corona examination was also done. It states that police officers went beyond the call of duty and also cremated corona patients.
This report said, some police officers also took pregnant women sitting in police vans and brought them to hospitals. WhatsApp groups were formed to communicate with pregnant women and provide them assistance in case of discomfort during the epidemic. In some instances, police personnel also bought birthday cakes and celebrated birthdays at the homes of children / senior citizens, etc.