Jhansi Police Hand Out Toys to Migrant Workers' Kids Video Wins Health Minister's Heart

To boost the morale of children of migrants who have been facing prolonged hardships due to the COVID-19 lockdown, police in Jhansi distributed toys to cheer them up at the Madhya Pradesh border.

Jhansi Police have been setting up camps across the border to provide shelter and relief to migrant workers, hundreds of whom are still trying to reach their home states on foot.

On Sunday, the cops decided to surprise the children of the migrant workers at the MP-Uttar Pradesh border with a gift of toys as they departed for their home states.

The police wanted to win over the confidence of the children, who had perhaps faced the worst of the hardships, to carry back home some happy memories of the border as well as Jhansi Police's hospitality.

The gesture won many hearts on social media including that of Union Minister for Health Dr Harsh Vardhan who shared a video of the incident on Twitter.

"Kudos to @jhansipolice that brought precious smiles on the faces of little children of migrant workers to whom they gifted toys. Tiny tots forgot the scorching heat of 43 degree Celsius. What a wonderful gesture by our police forces. Combining masks with toys for mother & child," the minister tweeted.

Despite nearly two months since the lockdown, migrant workers across states are still walking hundreds of kilometers to reach home. Images of hungry and tired children being pulled on suitcases or on the shoulders of their tired parents have flooded media. While the risk of COVID-19 is considered to be lower with children, the ensuing hardship of the lockdown has had a deep impact on children's health, education and mental well-being.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, a Jhasi Police spokesperson said that they only wanted to make the children as well as their mothers happier before they set out for their destination. Apart from toys, masks were also handed to mothers.

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