The COVID19 pandemic has claimed thousands of lives and left thousands in a deep state of trauma, depression and anxiety. All across the globe the battle for making the COVID vaccine is on and researchers are working day and night to come up with a solution to this menace. But till the time we have some concrete solution in our hands, the situation seems to worsen and the death toll keeps rising.
Kolkata has seen more than 20k cases over the past few months and the condition keeps deteriorating as the infection rate keeps on rising and so does the mortality rate. With everyday passing, we see numerous frontline workers, including healthcare workers and police officials, succumbing to the virus. On July 14, Kolkata Police lost one more of their civic volunteers, Subrata Das, who was working at the frontline right from the beginning of the corona fight. Also on 24th of july, Kolkata Police lost another braveheart, Constable Krishna Kant Barman in the Fight against Corona.
Like Das, many other brave hearts also sacrificed their lives for greater good. Abhignan Mukherjee, Inspector, OC Kolkata Police, (Traffic Equipment Cell) is one such. Mukherjee joined the police cadre in the year 1995 and has been an irreplaceable recruit right from his initial days. He has remained a part of the Traffic Unit, Metro Rail, and several other units as well.
He was not just a successful police officer but an athlete to boot. Throughout his journey in the police cadre, he was intricately associated with the Police Athletic Club and won several awards and accolades for his outstanding performance in different sporting activities. He represented Kolkata Police in the 100 meters race for more than 12 times and was frequently selected as the Meet Captain in the All India Police Meet. One major accomplishment of his life was when he was selected as the athletic captain of the East Bengal Club. As the captain of the rugby team, he bagged the Champion Trophy at the All India level and Asian Games twice during his term. In 1999, he represented Kolkata Police after almost 20 years at the All India Police Meet and bagged the Gold Medal. The list does not end here; he continued to participate in 100 meters race consecutively for four years at the All India Police Meet and remained a champion all along.
He also won the elections for the Calcutta Police Sergeants Associations eight times and had been an indispensable member of the unit, a pillar of strength for all. Behind every success, failure and achievements, he stood as a rock supporting everyone as a team.
He had won every match in his life and emerged a winner, but in the end he could not win the fight against COVID19. This brave soul and a fierce warrior battled with his life till his last breath, but succumbed to the disease at an unripe age of 38. His death while leaving the Police cadre deeply distressed, has also traumatized the civilians. And as he sets for his heavenly abode, we pray for his soul and for his family to have strength to bear with the loss.
These deaths deeply sadden us and leave us numb. May their souls rest in peace!
