CORONA WARRIOR - 88 YEAR YOUNG PUNJABI LADY STITCHES  MASKS FOR POOR

Mohali: 88-years-young Mrs Bhupinder Kaur Bedi – a resident of Mohali – is on a mission. She has been following the COVID 19 crisis since the beginning. Being the mother of 3 doctors (and mother in law of another 3 and grandmother of one) she understands the medical part also to some extent. She was specially angry to know that quite a lot of doctors and healthcare workers were running short of masks as the general public had bought a large number. She is very good at stitching on her 70 year old – but still perfectly working  – Usha sewing machine which she got as a marriage gift. Once she saw a sample of a mask she realized that for her it was a simple task to stitch it.  She got some pieces of cotton which she had got recently for her dress and started stitching. 
“I can make upto 100 a day “ she says confidently . After her morning prayers and breakfast she sits down with her daughter in law ( a Senior Paediatric Surgeon) and works till lunch . Being unable to get new cloth as the shops are closed – she used some old cloth pieces and also some of her children’s cotton clothes. She initially gave the masks to her son (Dr HS Bedi - Director of Cardiac Sciences at Ivy Hospital Mohali)  to distribute in the hospital – but when that shortage was sorted by the Government – she has started giving the masks to poor people who come to the nearby Gurudwara for langar and to residents of Mohali village . Anyone else eg the safai workers, gas delivery drivers, vegetable and milk  vendors  has also benefitted.
She is very positive that the current crisis will blow over. “The Government is taking the right steps”. Her enthusiasm and activity are of a much younger person. She never stops her doctor children who are actively involved in the anti Covid programme from their duty. In fact as she is an Army wife (her late  husband was a Senior Paratrooper Officer and participated with valour in the Indo China and Indo-Pak wars) and she in fact exhorts all doctors to do their duty but to take due precautions. Their generation has seen the partition and  the Wars as children, wives of Army men and as mothers . Their lot is a tough one. Everyone must do their part and be resilient. She remembers how their generation looked after their children alone and managed house when their husbands were on border duty and how they have survived bombings and air raids.  “We shall overcome” – she says with a gentle smile as she continues her stitching - “I outrank Corona”.