Dil Se! A Sanitation Worker, an 82-Year-old Retired Prof Win Hearts with their Covid-19 Donations

You don’t have to be on the frontline to join the fight against Covid-19. All you need is a big heart. India’s everyday heroes with their grand gestures show you how it’s done. As the new coronavirus cases rise in the country, help seems to be coming from the most unexpected corners of the country.

A sanitation worker from Telangana has donated two months worth of salary to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, and has won praise for his sincere act of kindness. Taking to Twitter, Telangana IT Minister KT Rama Rao shared a picture of Bontha Sai Kumar and lauded his gesture to help fight the ongoing crisis.

“My #CitizenHeroes today is an Adivasi teenager called Bontha Sai Kumar, who works as a sanitation worker in Utnoor. A very active and socially conscious young man. He contributed his salary for two months ₹17,000 towards CMRF as #TelanganaFightsCorona,” Rao wrote on the social platform.

My #CitizenHeroes today is a Adivasi teenager called Bontha Sai Kumar, who works as a sanitation worker in Utnoor. A very active & socially conscious young man

He contributed his salary for two months ₹17,000 towards CMRF as #TelanganaFightsCorona 👏🙏#Respect pic.twitter.com/fhS06GiGgL

— KTR (@KTRTRS) April 11, 2020

The post has since gone viral and Kumar’s selflessness has touched many hearts.

Salute to Mr. Bontha Sai Kumar, we need to learn from him #respect. https://t.co/X4nn1xtMHd

— Savitri Singh (@Savitri38497958) April 11, 2020

@KTRTRS Thanks for recognizing these people as #citizenHeroes, and this is definitely encouraging others to do similar activities. Please call them to your office, after this pandemic is over. As they are the ones who have donated when our society is in need.

— Rahul (@Rahul13039627) April 11, 2020

Legend , “Not he who has much is rich, but he who gives much.” …

— My Music My Country (@MyMusicMyCount1) April 12, 2020

As part of his #CitizenHeroes hashtag, KT Rama Rao shares positive stories highlighting the efforts of multiple individuals in the fight against Covid-19. Another citizen to leave her mark in Rao’s series of tweets is Uma Devi. A tailor from Telangana’s Gadwal district, Uma Devi has been feeding over 40 migrant workers each day since the lockdown, and has also distributed over 350 masks to sanitation and health workers in Ieeja.

“May your tribe grow,” Rao wrote.

My #CitizenHeroes today is a lady tailor Uma Devi from Gadwal district

Since the announcement of Lockdown, she has been feeding 40 migrant workers every day & she has also supplied 350 masks to sanitation & health workers in Ieja town

Kudos Uma Devi Garu 👏 May your tribe grow pic.twitter.com/gRkfb4RCBB

— KTR (@KTRTRS) April 12, 2020

In a noble contribution to “flatten the curve”, 82-year-old Shri Subhash Chandra Banerjee, a retired college professor from Kolkata, has put forth a humble donation toward the relief fund. Banerjee, who stays alone in the Dumdum area of Kolkata, lives by his moderate pension, most of which is spent on his medication. However, on Sunday, the senior citizen reached out to police officials doing the lockdown rounds around his building, and handed over a cheque for ₹10,000 for the state Covid-19 relief fund. He apologised to the cops for asking them to run the errand on his behalf, as he was not familiar with online transactions.

The incident has left netizens in complete awe of Baneerjee, dubbing him as a hero for “displaying extraordinary character and citizenship”.

If those of you stuck at home need any inspiration, it’s right here.