As a police team led by an IPS officer entered the marriage venue of Linto and Kavya at Vadakara in the suburbs of Kozhikode in Kerala the other day, many may have feared that their wedding might be disrupted the way a Tripura policeman did.
But the team led by Kozhikode rural district police chief Dr A Srinivas handed over a certificate of appreciation and a token gift to the couple for conducting the wedding by strictly adhering to the Covid-19 protocols.
While the action of an IAS officer disrupting a wedding function in Tripura for not following Covid-19 norms has been widely condemned, at Kozhikode the police are giving certificates of appreciation and token gifts to newly-wed couples provided the marriages are conducted by strictly following Covid-19 protocol.
Srinivas introduced the novel scheme on Wednesday and already presented certificates of appreciation and token gifts to around 15 couples.
The medical graduate turned IPS officer told DH that it was indeed the viral video footage of the Tripura incident that prompted him to initiate a 'civilsed' form of implementing the Covid-19 protocol. "Restrictions over Covid is likely to be there for some more time and hence people's cooperation is very essential for maintaining self restrictions. Enforcing the restrictions in uncivilised or anti-people manner would only trigger resentment. Hence the scheme of giving certificates of appreciation was initiated," he said.
Srinivas directed the police officials to give wide publicity through social media and other means to the note of appreciation being given to couples so as to motivate others too.
At present, the maximum number of people allowed for marriages in Kerala is 50. But there have been widespread allegations of the norms being flouted. On Thursday alone, 21,630 persons were booked in the state for not wearing a mask and 10,695 were booked for flouting social distancing norms.