The lockdowns imposed by the governments of various countries across the world have had a detrimental impact on the economy. Unemployment is at an all time high, and, unfortunately, the lockdowns have been most devastating to daily wage labourers.
Such is the story of Janmoni Gogoi, a 20-year-old who hails from the Saphakati village in Dibrugarh district of Assam, a state in the eastern part of India.
Janmoni had dropped out of college a couple of years back to help her mother with their vegetable selling business. With their father being immobile, the mother and daughter were responsible for running the household.
However, with the Indian government announcing a lockdown due to COVID-19, daily business in the markets was also prohibited. It was then that this gutsy girl took it upon herself to sell vegetables door-to-door in her village by pedaling on a bicycle, becoming the only breadwinner for her family.
Photos of her toiling with her bicycle became viral on social media. And this is when the police from Assam sprung into action!
In a heartwarming incident to make Janmoni and her family’s life easy, the police in Dibrugarh district gifted her a bike!
The police also put up a post on social media confirming the news and saying, “Janmoni Gogo sells vegetables on a bicylcle to fend for her family. Inspired by her self respect & guided by our visionary @DGPAssamPolice Sir’s direction to transform ourselves from police force to facilitators of economy, DYSP HQ gifted the little entrepreneur a moped / bike.”
Janmoni Gogo sells vegetables on a bicylcle to fend for her family. Inspired by her self respect & guided by our visionary @DGPAssamPolice Sir’s direction to transform ourselves from police force to facilitators of economy, DYSP HQ gifted the little entrepreneur a moped / bike pic.twitter.com/kncyhRQEr9
— Dibrugarh Police (@dibrugarhpolice) May 11, 2020
Dibrugarh Superintendent of Police Sreejith T told The New Indian Express that they had gifted the two-wheeler to Janmoni to empower her and encourage others to take up entrepreneurship.
Janmoni, understandably, was ecstatic with her gift and said, “We will remain indebted to the police and others who helped us. I will now be able to carry a larger amount of vegetables. I know how to ride it (moped) but I don’t have a licence. I have to apply for it.”
Isn’t this a fantastic example of how the police are also serving as facilitators of the economy?
What do you think? Let us know your views in the comments section below.
3