Fearless MTNL Warriors Remained Unsung

A Draft Correspondent | Mumbai

During the national lockdown from 25 March 2020, it was a sea of Corona warriors who worked fearlessly on the streets of Mumbai, in crowded zones, in containment areas providing a host of services without which the city would have crumbled. Among those whose contributions went Unsung were Mumbai's Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited's (MTNL) personnel including linemen, technicians, telephone mechanics who hit the streets in performance of their duties despite the fears.

TOGETHER AGAIN: MTNL Divisional Engineer Kiran Jadhav with wife Jaya and daughter Vaidehi

Why, MTNL Divisional Engineer Kiran Jadhav who works at the Gamdevi Service Centre since 1995 witnessed his worst ordeal during the lockdown. After working endless hours with a staff of linemen, technicians, telephone mechanics and officers - 75 per cent strength in all, he contracted COVID-19 in October, mostly at work.

"Being diabetic, there were concerns to my health and with my family also having contracted COVID-19 from me, my entire family got admitted to Raheja Hospital in Mahim," recalls the officer. Within a week, "by the grace of God," the family was discharged and resume with rest at home. Mr Jadhav, like his MTNL counterparts, resumed work in the first week of November 2020 and continues to date. Wife Jaya Jadhav too is back on her feet, tending to her husband and 19-year-old daughter Vaidehi's BSc (IT) online studies.

The contributions of MTNL workers - both at grassroots and at officer levels - are invaluable. The contributions of their families that suffered shoulder to shoulder with their spouses in their service towards the nation and her people too cannot be discounted.

Look at Jeetbahadur Yadav, who works at City Telephone Exchange in Mumbai and worked without a day's break throughout the lockdown. He lives at Sion's Antop Hill with four daughters, son, wife and 72-year-old mother, who encouraged him to go to work despite the obvious reluctance.

UNSUNG: MTNL's Jeetbahadur Yadav is an Unsung Hero much like his counterparts

"I was petrified that I could contract COVID-19 and pass it on to my wife or mother who would suffer for no fault of theirs," says Mr Yadav recollecting the days of yore when he would remove his work clothes on a chair in the living room itself and step straight into a bath before meeting any family member.

Yadav worked for years at Colaba Telephone Exchange before moving onto City Telephone Exchange at Fountain in Mumbai. His exemplifies the work undertaken by thousands of MTNL employees, silently without accolades. They've all been CORONA warriors whose work remained Unsung yet priceless.

This story is part of #TheUnsungProject series. 'Unsung - The Film' captures the selfless dedication of those Indians whose contributions during COVID-19 times, would otherwise go ... unsung. The film was created by DraftCraft Films in conjunction with The Draft. Team Unsung spread across 20 States, 5 Union Territories and over 100 Cities and Villages in India, to document stories of hope, hard work and dedication of thousands, in the time of COVID-19. Watch the film here.

(Note: Some subjects may have removed their masks only to be identified in photographs to be used with this news report. COVID-19 appropriate behaviour has been maintained at all times)

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