A 46-year-old man in Mizoram has been doing his bit for the situation by driving people home for free after their instituionalised quarantine period, reported IANS. Israel Lalremtluanga, who lives in the Lunglei district, is a pastor at a Baptish church in the area. Lately, he has become the area's favourite pastor, especially praised by suspect and recovered COVID patients whom he drove home.
For this selfless act, Lalremtluanga uses his own car that he got from his father-in-law, who died in January 2019.
He has reportedly redesigned it in a way that the front has only one seat for the driver.
At the back, the passenger seats are covered with polythene. There's also a plastic barrier to separate the two areas from each other and ensure social distancing.
Lalremtluanga has been doing this since March when he first realised that even after people came back home to Mizoram and completed their quarantine period, they did not have the resources to reach their villages. Social stigma had a lot to do with this. Many discriminated against them for being potential COVID carriers and so they were not able to take public transport. For patients who recovered from COVID also the stigma stayed.
Lalremtluanga told IANS that, "Their miseries and inhuman situations stirred my heart."
The pastor lives in Haulawng village (in Lunglei district). He has two children and a wife and they're all incredibly supportive of his actions.
There's no doubt about the fact that the world needs more people like Lalremtluanga who can contribute in the smallest ways.
(With inputs from IANS and Outlook India)
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