Jagdeep Dhankhar beats drum to thank people in essential services

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday beat a drum at 5 pm during the "Janata Curfew" to thank people in essential services for working during the COVID-19 outbreak. As Dhankhar beat the drum at the balcony of the Bhavan, his wife and First Lady of the state Sudesh Dhankhar rang a bell.

In a video posted on the governor's official Twitter handle, several other people who were around them were seen clapping. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lauded the hard work of medical professionals, sanitation staff, airline crews, delivery persons and media personnel and others during the coronavirus crisis, and asked people to express gratitude to them at 5 pm on Sunday by clapping hands, beating plates or ringing out bells.

"This is the time to unitedly fight the battle coronavirus. Coronavirus will be defeated, India will win," Dhankhar said.

He said while "social distancing' has been recommended to fight the outbreak, there should not be any "emotional distancing. As we are all together at this hour." BJP state president Dilip Ghosh and former football great Shyam Thapa also joined the ovation for people in emergency services. Ghosh blew a conch shell on the balcony of his Salt Lake residence.

In houses across the city and elsewhere, people came on the balcony and started clapping and ringing bells to acknowledge the work of personnel in essential services during the crisis. "Go corona, go", many of them chanted. Fireworks were also burst at several places for a brief period.