On Sunday, the Indian Air Force and Navy helicopters showered flower petals on hospitals fighting COVID-19 across India as a gesture of gratitude towards Corona warriors (doctors, nurses, and other workers) who are on the frontline fighting the deadly pandemic, which has so far taken more than 1000 of lives in India.
While some appreciated this gesture and said that it would help boost morale, many others were of opposite views. Twitter users in particular were not happy with the gesture, questioning its relevance. Some even ridiculed the idea of showering flowers.
Many questioned the government, asking why the taxpayers hard earned money was spent on showering flowers while it could have been used for more pressing concerns such as buying personal protection equipment for healthcare workers, or paying for the travel expenses of stranded migrant workers who are being forced to pay from their own pockets to travel back home.
Can the IAF planes airdrop testing kits & personal protective equipment across the country during the nationwide fly-past on Sunday?
At least that’d justify this otherwise utterly pointless exercise.
— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) May 1, 2020
Something to think about -food or flower petals? PPE or banging pots? Think about political choices bec they are also health choices @BiBeKDeep @vinodjose @inchbyinch_rbr @anshul_tewari @dawalelo @BDUTT @tajmahalfoxtrot @paimadhu @lata_MIRROR https://t.co/ctIaprFuAI
— SATB1231 (@SATB1231) May 3, 2020
One user questioned whether this feel-good measure was for the Corona warriors or was it just for show.
Another user questioned the point of PM Cares fund, asking whether the donations are for combating the pandemic or for showering rose petals. One user suggested using the Armed Forces for more practical tasks such as transporting migrant workers home or to enforce quarantine.
You would donate to PMCares fund to let army drop rose petals on hospital or to someone directly who is urgent need of essentials?
Think over it!
— Tarique Anwer (@tanwer_m) May 2, 2020
Irony is that the sanitary & cleanliness workers, the Covid warriors, for which the flower petals were showered, will be the ones who will have to sweep it off the streets. 😭
— Gabbbar (@GabbbarSingh) May 3, 2020
This was third such gesture to thank the corona warriors. Earlier, PM Narendra Modi had asked the countrymen to bang pots and thalis in their balconies and to light diyas at their homes as a gesture of gratitude towards all those who are working to keep the coronavirus at bay.
