Articles

The Hands that Rocked the Cradle fought Covid-19 with Grit

by Sheetal Akhade

As her eight-year-old son didn’t want her to go out, she used to leave home while he was asleep. Despite the fear that she would bring the Covid infection while returning home, police woman Neelam Karpe continued to perform her duty during the pandemic.

Neelam Sachin Karpe is a police naik at Mundhwa Police Station in Pune. She has been working at the police station for the last four years now. Neelam is also a mother of eight- year- old Sharvil. She has her old mother-in-law at home who looks after Sharvil when she is on her duty. Neelam’s husband Sachin Karpe works in a corporate company and needs to stay away from the family due to his own work.

During the lockdown period, Neelam had worked with utmost dedication. Every day this selfless warrior is giving her best to her duty while cutting herself off from her family and her loved ones. Further talking about the challenges she faced while serving her duty, she said: “It initially was too difficult for me to do the duty. There was a fear of my family getting infected due to my being outdoors.”

Having an older member at home, Neelam used to fear her catching the infection quickly. As a result of which she used to maintain social distancing in her house itself. Young Sharvil is unable to understand this sudden change in his mother’s behaviour.

Being a woman, she had to do the monotonous housework after coming back from the duty. “It makes the work more hectic while taking complete precautions against the virus,” says Neelam.

Pic. 1: Police Naik Neelam Sachin Karpe

She describes her job as unconventional during the lockdown period because she was asked to perform tasks that were not there in her charter of duties. She had been many times asked to guard the containment zones and needed to make sure that the supply of essentials in the area is streamlined.

But even if she was handling so many works and responsibilities, she never gave up. While the majority of people were busy protecting themselves from virus, Neelam and many Covid-19 warriors fought the battle on the ground. The police mother performed her duties for the nation and her family with determination.

About the Author:

Sheetal Akhade is student of  Journalism & Mass Communication, BA, Second Year, Vishwakarma University Centre of Communication for Development, Pune. Her article is the award-winning entry  in the Empowerment Story Competition organised in December 2020 by Vishwakarma University Centre of Communication for Development. 

15 Comments

  1. Police life really tough. but much appreciated

  2. Great article. much appreciated. Thanks to Police for making a safe society

  3. Very nice and empoerment story of Lady Police Naik Neelam Karpe who performed her duty with fearless and selfless in very difficult situation as frontline covid varriers. Due to this story, all socities knew that how to worked by All Frontline warriers (i.e. Doctors, Nurses, hospital cleaning staff Police Dept etc. ) in pandemic situation for Nation. Salute to all Covid Yodha and also to Sheetal who being written this type empowered story. Thanks.

  4. Congratulations Sheetal?? , exceptional vocab plus precise writing and there isn’t even a single punctuational error as well . Outstanding article well done ????

  5. Very Much appreciable.

  6. The story is own madeup story. it’s not look like as it is real story. she written the story on her own imagination. Sheetal akhade should be punished and strict action should be taken against her for writing fake story specially madeup fake story.

  7. Sheetal akhade is a cheater

  8. Delete my comment. I was joking. the article is very nice and lovely

  9. Inspirational. I love it

  10. If you have mentioned about some examples of her duty, then it will be much better. but in all aspect, very good Sheetal

  11. Loved it

  12. Good article with covering most of the points. well done Sheetal

  13. Inspirational story. My morning is looking inspirational now. haha