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Seriously, what has a single virus done to the whole world! Christmas, New Year – the most exciting time of the year is here and we all are still holed up or going out with apprehension in our minds.

In such a scenario, a man from Mumbai dressed as Santa has broken the age-old tradition of making merry with gifts and chocolates. Instead, he has set out to distribute face masks and carried out a sanitation drive across the city to spread awareness.

The sanitizing Santa, Ashok Kurmi, works in a pharmaceutical company and additionally serves as the president of the Sion Friend Circle. To do his bit in spreading awareness regarding the pandemic, Ashok decided to carry out the initiative.

Speaking to LifeBeyondNumbers, Ashok said that he has been dressing as Santa for the past 6-7 years and distributing toys and chocolates to children. This year, however, he heeded the call of the hour and modified his way of spreading love.

“I used to celebrate Christmas every year by distributing toys, chocolates, and gifts to underprivileged kids in hospitals and slums but this year due to the massive spread of COVID-19, I decided to sanitize bus stands, autos, and other places,” said Kurmi.

Ashok Kurmi mumbai santa — Ashok Kurmi, the Santa we all need

Ashok started the drive on the 7th of December covering several areas of the city, each day till the 24th of December. Sion Friend Circle has been doing a lot for the city during the pandemic. There are around 18-20 members in Kurmi’s circle who contribute to the initiatives.

“By now we have covered 150+ buses and stoppages. We have sanitized around 10-15k public transports to date since the beginning of the pandemic. Besides that, we have sanitized 15-20 slums,” Ashok says.

The friend circle has also visited the houses of policemen who contracted the virus and sanitized their homes.

On being asked if they were scared of being infected, Ashok explained, ”Initially we all were scared but then we realized that if we didn’t stand up for our fellowmen, who else will do it.”

His friend circle also sanitized and provided masks and soaps to migrant laborers who were fleeing from Mumbai. They didn’t keep their work limited to sanitization. In the month of June, Sion Friend Circle set up a book van for kids who did not have access to the internet.

In the initial months, Ashok created a huge painting for the awareness of corona which is perhaps one of the largest to date.

Moreover, they used to travel the whole city on a cycle named Hungry Animal Savior feeding the strays.

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“We had been doing all this rigorously up until the month of October. Then on Christmas, we decided to modify it a bit. Due to all this work, I had been away from home at a stretch for 27 days. At that time, my family has been a huge support. They have understood my work and managed things while I was away,” Kurmi said emphasizing his close one’s role.

On asking about the flow of funds, Ashok said, ”I am getting only 60% of my salary. Likewise, everyone has suffered a loss in the pandemic but we all are managing and contributing. We were offered help from a few politicians but we refused it. We want to be independent and keep up the good work. But of course, we are thinking about crowdfunding in the future.”

Kudos to Ashok and Sion Friend Circle for being the light in these dark times. The horror hasn’t yet evaded people. The struggle is on. There is still much to see and bear. Let’s help each other and lift our spirits.

Merry Christmas and a Safe & Happy New year!!!