Tribal women enact street play on COVID-19 to spread awareness among tea garden workers in Bengal
The awareness campaign through the street play gains significance as many migrant workers from the area are scheduled to return from other states.
The play 'Corona Bhagao Desh Bachao' (ward off COVID- 19, save the country) has been written by Maxima Toppo in Hindi and Sadri languages and is being enacted by other local women in the Gairkata tea estate.
While one woman dons the role of the novel coronavirus, others act as doctors and policemen.
"We are creating awareness about how COVID-19 spread across the globe. Through the street play, we are making the mostly illiterate people understand how the virus spreads and urging them to take safety measures by maintaining hygiene and social distancing," Toppo said.
"We are trying to make sure that COVID-19 does not spread among the people in the area as some returnees might be infected with the novel coronavirus," she added.
Rostang Vera, who plays the role of the novel coronavirus, said she is trying her best to spread awareness among the people about the dangers of the virus.
The initiative has been lauded by the district administration, which is also planning to give the women financial assistance for the cause.
"These women have taken a very good initiative in such a remote area. More such awareness campaigns by locals in their communities are necessary to defeat COVID-19.
"We will try to sanction the women some funds as they are spending from their own pockets for enacting the play," Jalpaiguri District Magistrate Abhishek Tiwari said. COR SBN ACD ACD