‘Non nobis solum nati sumus’- Not for ourselves alone we are born, this quote by Marcus Tullius Cicero, a Roman statesman who played an important role in the politics of the late Roman Republic, means “humans have been created for the sake of others of their kind, indeed, to benefit each other as much as possible”.
Today, when we are in the middle of a pandemic, it is required that every single person contributes to the greater good of humanity, apart from looking out for their own interests. Many people have been at the forefront and aiding people beyond their duties. Such people include this IPS officer who is also known as the Sonu Sood of Chhattisgarh.
Mr. Dipanshu Kabra, the officer, has been assisting the distressed and the needy not only in his state but across the whole country.
HELPCHAIN CAMPAIGN ON SOCIAL MEDIA
During the Covid lockdown, when people were being hit drastically by the repercussion of the pandemic, Mr. Kabra started a social media campaign by the name of HelpChain. The main motive of the campaign was to connect with distressed people through various tweets and provide them help wherever needed.
This initiative picked up pace as it became quite popular among the people. From providing books to the distressed students in Odisha to helping a disabled couple, Mr. Kabra has been trying to serve three genuine needy every month.
Similarly, a disabled husband and wife in Banaras who were until now begging to make ends meet, have been provided with a tri-cycle through which they can commute, a sewing machine and trolley through which they can now earn money.
Due to this initiative, a man was able to clear off his mother’s debt for a study loan. At around the same time, a cargo full of notebooks and stationery items were provided to an entire village in Bhubaneshwar.
Speaking with Indian Masterminds, Mr. Kabra said, “Serving in the Indian Police Service (IPS) itself gives us the opportunity to assist people, mostly who are distressed and are in need of help. It then depends on a particular person as to how he takes it, as a part of a normal service or a feeling of satisfaction? The most important thing is the happiness which you receive after helping a distressed soul.”
Mr. Kabra said, “Help cannot be provided by only offering money. It requires a big heart to assist people and help them in various parts of life.”
HEPING PEOPLE DURING PANDEMIC
“During the pandemic everyone was affected drastically, mostly the middle- and lower-class people. People are going through a lot of stress as they have lost businesses and jobs. Even education of children have been affected in many areas.”, said Mr. Kabra.
However, the police and the health workers came out like super heroes in protecting the community from the virus as well as the other issues. Mr. Kabra being a philanthropist himself came to the aid of many people.
Here are some of the commendable works done by Mr. Kabra during the pandemic. A family who lost their sole earner was stuck in Punjab during the pandemic. When Mr. Kabra got to know about the distressed family, he spoke to the Punjab and UP administration and arranged a vehicle for the family so that they could reach Chhattisgarh at such an unprecedented time.
Apart from this, he also came in aid of a 22-day old girl who was suffering from a heart disease. Initially, the girl was not getting admission in the hospital. But after the family reached out to the police through Twitter, instant help was provided to her and she got admitted in a hospital.
Mr. Kabra took many such initiatives were taken during the pandemic. These included providing medicine to a 65-year-old lady who was suffering from kidney and heart problems. Due to the unavailability of medicines during the lockdown, she had been facing difficulty in purchasing the medicines.
INITIATIVE FOR WOMEN PROTECTION
During his stint as the SP of Durg, Mr. Kabra initiated a ‘Mahila Commando’ initiative to promote women empowerment and prevention of crimes such as drug addiction and other social ills. A team of 100 women commandos was formed, and they were made Special Police Officers (SPOs). Besides discharging their household duties, these women were also engaged in social services.
From 2015 to 2016, the ‘Raksha Team’ was formed in which constable, head constable, and officers were selected who had empathy and understanding about child psychology and were pro-active in crime against women. The main motive of forming this team was to make children aware of the offenses which are committed against women and child. Various helpline numbers were publicized so that victims could contact the team immediately. The Raksha Team members who were on the field would swing into immediate action as soon as they received any information from any civilian.
Mr. Kabra is a 1997-batch IPS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre and is at present serving as the Inspector General of Police at Bilaspur Range. In his 23 years of service, he has served six times as the Superintendent of Police and as an IG at various ranges like Durg, Bilaspur, Raipur, and Surguja.
In 2014, Mr Kabra was honoured with President’s Medal for Meritorious Services for his utmost dedication towards public service.
