In times of pandemic, this cricketer-turned-neta plays Good Samaritan

Karnataka-born B V Srinivas is among the few politicians winning laurels on social media for managing a Covid-19 helpline that has helped thousands of people.

Until now, the Youth Congress president and his team have responded to about 20,000 distress calls. His twitter handle is acting as the primary helpline for SOS requests.

From getting people tested for Covid-19 to finding beds in hospitals and convincing recovered patients to donate plasma, Srinivas’ team has been engaged in crisis response. The helpline that he is leading has about 1,000 volunteers coordinating across India, Srinivas tells DH.

One of the most challenging tasks has been to seek plasma donation, Srinivas says. His team sat down with several recently-recovered patients, convincing them to donate plasma. “This was a challenging task as people are scared to go back to a hospital to donate after having just recovered,” he says.

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However, the efforts that are recognised today were built over a period of one year, he points out. “We have been working consistently from the initial lockdown in March 2020,” he says.

The Congress leader was once an aspiring cricketer and his entry into politics itself was circumstantial. An alumnus of National College in Basavanagudi, Srinivas hails from Shivamogga. He represented Karnataka in under-16 and under-19 cricket.

While training during his pre-university days, an accident on his college grounds left him indisposed. “A ball hit my eye and my retina was injured. It took me a full year to recover from it. Back then, the competition in cricket was fierce and owing to this accident, I was unable to get back on track in time,” Srinivas recalls.

However, he started actively engaging himself with the Congress-affiliated student body NSUI. “I was among the ardent admirers of H Narasimhaiah. I was influenced by him and the Gandhian thought to join politics,” he says.

From NSUI, he joined the Indian Youth Congress and contested the IYC elections for the post of state president in 2008. However, he was unable to win the polls. Nonetheless, he continued his association with the youth wing and became its national secretary in 2014. Last year, he became the IYC president.

However, Srinivas wishes to clarify that his Covid-19 relief efforts are distinct from politics. “I perceive our efforts as a response to the global pandemic. I do not wish to link it with politics.”

People in distress can reach out to Srinivas and his team on his personal number: [phone].