Coronavirus lockdown | Activist praised by PM Modi in Mann ki Baat alleges harassment by Mumbai Police for helping migrants

Environmental activist Afroz Shah (Image: Twitter)

Environmental activist Afroz Shah, who was praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Mann Ki Baat address two years ago for his beach clean up drive, was allegedly harassed by Tilak Nagar Police for hours on May 19.

In a series of Twitter posts, Shah, who has been feeding the poor, helping migrants, and taking care of street dogs amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown, wrote that he was detained by the Mumbai Police for ferrying migrant workers to their destination in Mumbai.

Notably, a curfew has been imposed in Mumbai, which means the movement of individuals is being strictly regulated and monitored at present. The restrictions are in place to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus disease, which has affected more than 35,000 people in the maximum city alone.

Detained by @CPMumbaiPolice @MumbaiPolice

— Afroz shah (@AfrozShah1) May 19, 2020

Destined by @CPMumbaiPolice @MumbaiPolice for ferrying migrant workers to their destination in mumbai.

God bless this country. @AUThackeray @CMOMaharashtra @OfficeofUT pic.twitter.com/HQRiuJBWFA

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

View more

How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

View more

Show

Related stories

• 
  OPINION | Why self-reliance in UAVs is a strategic imperative for India
• 
  OPINION | India must not build a climate finance architecture on shifting grounds
• 
  India-EU FTA may exclude CBAM, talks on carbon tax concessions to continue separately

— Afroz shah (@AfrozShah1) May 19, 2020

Harassed for 2 hours by Tilak nagar police

Taken to the police station

Let off by saying please leave

Story continues below Advertisement

Remove Ad

Suspending all my activities to help the poorest of the poor

Sorry migrants - the system doesn't allow me to work for you

Broken heart. Broken soul

I cry and I am in pain pic.twitter.com/jxWTuo9Ddf

— Afroz shah (@AfrozShah1) May 19, 2020

After the trauma - at the hands of tilak nagar police station - last night

Emotional, physical and mental distress

Will not be able to provide food to following injured and sick person :

Umesh

Mataji

Micheal

Manoj

Laxmi

Need home cooked food and little caring.

Request. pic.twitter.com/iT4K3DzrDf

— Afroz shah (@AfrozShah1) May 20, 2020