New Delhi: Noted Hindi poet Dr Kumar Vishwas has made headlines through his innovative efforts and initiatives to help people amid the coronavirus crisis by developing Covid Care Kit and Plasma App. Speaking exclusively with ETV Bharat Delhi State Bureau Head Vishal Suryakant, he opened up on various challenges he faced during his journey in supporting helpless people.
Read the full interview here:-
Question: Without any external support how are you managing to help people amid the Covid crisis?
Dr Kumar Vishwas: Valour is an integral part of my life. Whether it is Uttarakhand tragedy, anti-corruption movement or justice to Damini, I have stood by the people. A poet has a responsibility towards society. The reward of serving society is given to him in some way or the other. Amid the second wave of the Covid epidemic, we have seen how the entire system has collapsed. The system has disappointed the people very much as the government is unable to provide oxygen to its people. Not only the Central government, but the state governments have disappointed the people during the pandemic. In such a situation, I decided to help the people in distress along with my friends. We have been able to help people to the best of our ability.
Question: Tell us something about your recent innovations. Where did the idea of developing Covid Care Kit and Plasma Donor App come from?
Dr Kumar Vishwas: We saw the people were able to arrange hospital beds and oxygen by helping each other but they were struggling to get plasma. So I appealed to the people to donate plasma by releasing a video. We convinced people to donate plasma and our team built a network of plasma donors across the country. With the help of the people, we also managed to open Covid-19 care centres in villages where Covid kits were distributed. The village sarpanch was attached with a team of 10 volunteers to create awareness among people over Covid-19.
To provide treatment at the centre, we added a team of four doctors to each centre through WhatsApp call. So far we have reached 50 villages and our target is to cross over 100 villages shortly.
Question: Like your other fellow politicians you have not been questioned so far. What would you like to say about it?
Dr Kumar Vishwas: See, inquiry is not a new thing. Even those who have done similar works during the previous governments have been questioned. I consider myself fortunate as I do not have to worry much following the trust and respect of my people which they have in me.
Question: You said that the mistakes of the ruler are not discussed during the war; but it is also true that if not warned at the right time, then it will take note of everyone’s faults. You are doing good work but why are you avoiding speaking about it?
Kumar Vishwas: Looking at the current situation it seems that the fault is not of our rulers. There is no fault in our leaders. The fault is with our people who elect such leaders again and again. We will learn a lot from this pandemic. You try to save your family and even then they are dying in front of your eyes. Nothing can be worse and more saddening than this.
Question: Your family has suffered because of coronavirus. There are many acquaintances and friends of yours who are no longer in the world. There is a tide of anger in the wake of the tragedy triggered by the coronavirus. Only a poet can describe the situation in words. Have you written anything on this tragedy?
Kumar Vishwas: I am feeling like an injured soldier who is surrounded by the fallen bodies of his fellow comrades on the battlefield. I wanted to write about many people but nature is not giving me enough time. I wanted to write about Rajendra Raj, Rajan Mishra. I had to write a full article on my Guru Kunwar Bechain.
Question: You have started an initiative against the system. Don’t you think if you had not distanced yourself from politics, people would have known you at a large?
Kumar Vishwas: See, some people have the power to help others and still do not want to, I fail to understand how they could sleep at night? According to me, politics is a service to your nation and if the nation calls me I will join politics. But at this moment our focus is on helping the people; we have to save lives.
Question: The second wave of coronavirus has not yet been over. The government is telling us that the figures of infection have come down. You are working in the villages. What is the ground reality?
Kumar Vishwas: The condition of the people in the villages is very bad. People are not able to get tested and the figures that are coming do not include the people from villages. The cure for democracy is only democracy. One day we will see when the people will vote for health, education and a good lifestyle.
Question: The social service which you have started is just for the covid period or will it continue beyond that?
Kumar Vishwas: While working for the last two months, I have found that I want to open a super speciality hospital. Rest I am not in a position to think of anything further. All I think day and night is how to get plasma delivered to the people and how to help the poor and needy.
Question: In the end, please share a few motivational lines with us to give people some courage.
Kumar Vishwas: In the end, I would just like to say that people should not fear and instead gather courage and fight against this virus. The gloomy night is scaring people but the sun will shine again. My only request to the people is to wear a mask and follow Covid-19 protocols to stay safe.
