COVID-19: Small she is, big is her heart for the infected

Puducherry: The outbreak of COVID-19 across the country has brought out several latent humanitarianqualities and concern of people hit by the infection.

A two-and-a-half-year-old child Spoorthy in Villupuram in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, along with her parents S J Ragunathan, an auditor, and Shalini, a home-maker, was listening to the Prime Minister's recent address to the nation on the deadly virus.

The child was so moved by the current situation caused by the spread of the virus that she made an instant announcement to contribute her savings to the Prime Minister's fund.

Pleasantly surprised by the girl's resolve, her father asked her what was the source of her contributions.

Without hesitation, Spoorthy now in a play schoolsaid she had been saving the money given to her by her parents for the last two-and-a-half years in a small `hundi` (an earthen piggy bank).

She got her father's permission to break the `hundi` and the parents counted the amount saved by the tiny-tot, which was around Rs 4,400.

The child felt that the amount be divided equally and contributed to the Relief Funds of Prime Minister and the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswami.

Ragunathan told PTI over phone on Sunday that the girl made her announcement without hesitation that the fund be contributed to the relief works in the state and at the national-level.

The child developed the habit to save since she was one years old out of the small amount she was getting regularly from him.

"The amount may be small but the intention is big," the parents said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, in his recent address to the nation focussing on the serious nature of the spread of the coronavirus, announced establishment of a fund to which people can make their contribution.