In the history of human civilisation , 2020 will go down as a landmark year, for all the wrong reasons. The global pandemic unleashed by the deadly Covid virus has, in some cases permanently, changed the way we live, eat, travel, socialise, even pray. However, as we begin a new year, we may have grown used to the ever present threat of Covid and its impact, but my message to all of you would be – do not let your guard down.
Several parts of the world are still under lockdown as a second Covid wave looms on the horizon, and social distancing, sanitization, and regular use of masks are still the best ways to combat the virus. It is to reinforce these practises that Kolkata Police has intensified its ‘Mask Up Kolkata’ campaign, distributing masks in crowded areas and running awareness drives about why wearing a mask is absolutely essential when you step out.
As frontline warriors in the battle against Covid, Kolkata Police has also played a vital role in enforcing lockdowns, while ensuring that the city we serve and protect does not suffer any more than it needs to. We tirelessly continue to reach out to citizens in distress at every opportunity, supplying food and medicines, helping transport Covid patients to hospital, holding blood donation camps, and even feeding the city’s stray animals.
In the year gone by, we have battled our way through Amphan – the worst cyclone to hitKolkaca in living memory, marshalled the city through Durga Puja, Christmas, and New Year, and even as I write this, we are getting ready to take on newer responsibilities as the Covid vaccination programme is all set to get underway.
It has been an honour and a privilege to lead one of the finest police forces in the country, and I look forward to the coming year with hope and confidence. As I look back on 2020, I remember with pride and sorrow the esteemed colleagues we have lost in the battle against Covid, and I will cherish their memories for a lifetime. Happily, many more of us including yours truly have conquered the virus, and that is a thought that sustains us through this difficult phase.
The tough times have tested our resolve, but morale is strong as we step into 2021. The challenges have not disappeared, but 2020 has taught us to fight them, to survive.
Wishing our esteemed readers a happy, healthy and prosperous 2021
Anuj Sharma, IPS
Commissioner of Police, Kolkata
