This policeman sets aside time towards charity work. M.S. Bhaskar, Inspector of Police at Neelankarai Police Station, has been touched by these words of Ronald Regan: “We can’t help every one but every one can help someone.” And, he has been acting on those words.
Bhaskar’s interest in social service began early, when he was a higher secondary student. Then, he would assist the police in night patrolling at his home town of Kumbakonam and also help in crowd management during temple festivals.
“I along with my schoolmates decided to level the street lanes ridden with potholes, in Cauvery Nagar,” says Bhaskar. When he went to college, he volunteered to help people during the Mahamaham stampede in Kumbakonam.
At school and college, he has held various offices in NSS, Rotaract Club, Youth Red Cross, and Canoe Club.
“We took out a cycle rally across Tamil Nadu to create awareness on the necessity of polio vaccination and identified children who were not administered polio drops,” he says.
Today, Bhaskar holds an influential post, but still finds time to help others. Whenever he comes across destitute women, children or aged people he tries to get them admitted in charity homes. In recognition of his good work, many organisations have honoured him, which included the recognition, in 2010, by the Social Welfare and Nutritious Meal Programme Department. On this occasion, he was honoured for taking special care of a leprosy patient and admitting him in a home.
“If I am able do all this now, I should thank my senior officials who have given me a free hand. We have frequent orientation programmes which insist that we should also have a humanitarian approach while fulfilling our duty,” he adds. Whenever he comes across men in an inebriated state, he along with his team counsels them on the ill-effects of consuming alcohol and how the habit could destroy their families. If they are youngsters, he calls their parents and advises them as well.