‘Today, politicians have made us run for beds, oxygen’
With the second wave of coronavirus taking a deadly turn, it is all about saving lives. And Suniel Shetty feels politicians are not doing enough and that should be remembered while casting our votes, next time. “Every elected politician is thinking of the coming five years and ways to make money, but not about giving back to the system,” says Shetty, who has launched an initiative to provide free oxygen concentrators to Covid-positive patients. He angrily adds, “We are the ones who elected them. Today, they are making us run for beds, and oxygen.”
“Now, let’s vote for a hardworking human being, who is making a difference. He could be across any political party,” he shares.
Accepting that the times are tough, the actor says it is important to stick together as a family.
Drawing a comparison between the pandemic situation last year and now, Shetty explains, “Back then, it was about hunger, jobs and salaries. This time, it is about life”. The thing that is still snuffing out lives at a fast pace is, the lack of oxygen.
On April 28, he announced his initiative to provide free oxygen concentrators on social media. “A lot of people have also been calling from places other than Mumbai and Bengaluru. Hopefully, we can start something in Hyderabad soon,” says the actor, who admires the unbelievable power of social media in these trying times.
He goes on to add, “I’m calling people in Delhi asking for help. The person receiving help thinks Suneil Shetty made the call. In reality, the person I called is actually helping out”.
And Shetty doesn’t want to take credit. “Celebrity efforts are written about all the time, but honestly, I have not even done 0.1 per cent of what even a basic worker is doing,” he signs off.