As India fights the COVID-19 amid the nationwide lockdown, police officers in various states have launched unique campaigns aimed at spreading awareness on social distancing and urging people to stay at their homes and remain safe to contain the virus.
Police are also taking all measures to prevent fake news on coronavirus on social media platforms and advising people to avoid handshakes apart from using sanitisers and keeping their surrounding clean and hygenic.
Cartoons and caricatures have become a mean to inform people on social media about the toll-free numbers and avenues to reach police and medical staff in case of an emergency.Some police personnel are also exhibiting their singing skills to tell people about do's and don'ts of quarantining and measures against COVID-19. Police are patrolling on roads and making frequent announcements on loudspeakers, asking people to stay at home.
In a crackdown against fake news, the Delhi Police has added a tab to its website where citizens can submit news articles which they find to be misleading or fake."To counter the spread of rumours, a fake news verification module has been launched on our website. Citizens can report any suspected fake news and upload content for its verification and clarification," the Delhi Police tweeted.
In Andhra Pradesh, police in Kasibugga town hired some artists and made them as Yamraj, his army and Chitragupta. They dressed up as the 'God of Death' and the 'God of Justice' in Hindu mythology to make people visualise the dangers of coronavirus.
Hyderabad Traffic Police held a rally to spread awareness about COVID-19 in Malakpet in which cops were seen wearing helmets inspired by the structure of the novel coronavirus that has placed half of the world's population under lockdown.The police personnel were seen sporting 'coronavirus helmet' during the rally in an effort to stop people from stepping out and making them aware of how the disease spreads.Punjab Police has taken to social media to appeal to people to stay at home and cultivate their hobbies by making the best use of the relatively free time during the lockdown.Appealing to people on TikTok, Sharechat, Facebook and Twitter, Punjab Police is trying its best to educate the masses on the precautionary measures to be undertaken during the lockdown.Sharing fascinating posters on Twitter, Punjab Police gave several messages to people such as -- Hello, Patiala Kuch Din Outings te Lagao Taala (Hello Patiala, please put a hold on outings for somedays), Benefits of staying at home, during a pandemic- you become a Biryani Specialist!
Among many of the videos shared by the Punjab Police -- 'Deepu di Biryani' animation series tells people about the benefits of staying at home. This series gives a message that people can use this lockdown period to explore their hidden talent of writing poems, making videos, paintings, and even take up cooking and explore culinary skills.In states like Jharkhand and West Bengal, police officers, through a musical performance, appealed to people to beware of the deadly virus and greet people with 'namaste' instead of a handshake and adhere to social distancing.
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An officer in Jharkhand took to the streets singing 'Bohot tedha hai corona, teri himmat aazmaega' - an adaptation of the classic 'Hai apna dil to awara' from the 1958 film 'Solva Saal'.
In Kolkata, cops sang 'We shall overcome' to generate awareness among people with respect to the coronavirus spread and instill confidence in them.
In Uttarakhand, Assam, Kerala, police are monitoring the situation by using drone cameras and ensuring that people are staying inside their homes and not flouting norms during the lockdown.
Not only this, police officers were seen making lockdown flouters to do squat on the road and sit-ups as well as making them pose with pamphlets admitting their fault.
Following similar awareness tactics, the Maharashtra Police posted a video on social media in which at least nine people were made to do sit-ups near a traffic signal, evoking both laughter and appreciation for the officials.Uttarakhand Police resorted to the age-old 'murga' punishment where sit-ups are done by holding ears to teach the defaulters a lesson. The cops also made them pose with pamphlets that said, I'm enemy of society; I won't stay home.
Violators in Punjab were asked to either crawl on floor, or lie down flat on the road.
In Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh, cops are resorting to 'Gandhigiri' to ensure that people are indoors. They are gifting flowers and garlanding people and shopkeepers who are adhering to social distancing principles in their outlets. The violators were advised not to roam unnecessarily.