Brain behind Neki Da Rath didn’t see his twins for a week
Aparna Banerji
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, April 10
Last year floods and a set of twins amid Covid pandemic this year — right in the beginning of his career, IAS Amit Kumar has witnessed a year which he thinks will go down as among the most tumultuous ones.
Whatever is happening is unprecedented. It hasn’t happened before. We handled elections previously and floods, too, last year, but this is way more different. Then we could go anywhere and do anything. Now, protocols impede us. The kids were born early and I was at a meeting when the call came. I hurried to the hospital but still couldn’t meet them because protocol had to be followed. I just saw them from a distance. They also stayed at the nursery for many days. And for a week, I didn’t come anywhere near my family. I only went near my family once they settled down at home.
Working day and night to assure ration and organise necessities for residents, Nakodar SDM Amit Kumar was met with the birth of his twins amid strict Covid protocol and demanding duty calls.
A modest IAS office of the 2016 batch, not one to popularise initiatives he’s taken, he started a Covid helpline and the ‘Neki Da Rath’ initiative in Nakodar, where a tempo traveller traverses across areas for collecting ration from donors and disbursing it among the needy.
The day his children were born – he rushed to the hospital to check on his family – but for a week was not able to see either his wife or newborn fraternal twins – a son and a daughter. Absolutely alone in Jalandhar, he was left to tend to his family amid the social distancing protocol. Still not having met them properly, it’s a price he is willing to pay both to keep the people of his area well-fed and ensure the protection of his newborn babies.
Kumar says: “Whatever is happening is unprecedented. It hasn’t happened before. We handled elections previously and floods, too, last year, but this is way more different. Then we could go anywhere and do anything. Now, protocols impede us.”
While his babies were premature (by a fortnight) and were born at a time when strict adherence of protocol was to be implemented among citizens, Kumar balanced it out by keeping away from his family. Showered with petals in an area a few days ago, he says it is appreciation like this which makes all these efforts worthwhile.
He says: “The kids were born early and I was at a meeting when the call came. I hurried to the hospital but still couldn’t meet them because protocol had to be followed. I just saw them from a distance. They also stayed at the nursery for many days. And for a week, I didn’t come anywhere near my family. I only went near my family once they settled down at home.”
He attended his family amid the protocol alone initially as his parents were in Chandigarh. Eventually, his mother also joined the family.
Even as things at home remained demanding, Kumar started a ‘Neki Da Rath’ initiative at Nakodar. A tempo traveller, whose number has been circulated to citizens, collects essential items from those willing to donate and disburses them among needy citizens. The donors’ photographs have been put in different collages and these ‘appreciation collages’ are shared on social media to encourage them. Officials also send out messages thanking them for their work.
Kumar says: “The idea came from the name Nakodar. I heard the name came from the phrase Neki Da Dar (door of good works), which eventually got distorted into Nakodar. From Neki Da Dar, I happened to ideate ‘Neki Da Rath’. The tempo thus disburses essential ration and collects it without requiring people to come out of their homes. We also congratulate and send appreciation messages and calls to donors to encourage them.”
