Slum boy, who scolds tourists, turns police mascot for Covid rules

A five-year-old slum boy, who hogged social media attention for teaching Covid-appropriate behaviour to holidaymakers with a stick in hand, is now being employed by the Himachal Pradesh police to make people follow the rules.

The state has seen a major surge in the number of tourists escaping the heat of the plains, causing doctors to warn that their Covid-inappropriate behaviour may just trigger a third wave of the pandemic.

The boy, Amit, whose parents earn their livelihood selling balloons, was caught on a video in the streets of Bhagsunag near McLeodganj asking people to wear a mask by poking them with a stick.

When the video went viral, the local police, realising how effective Amit was, provided him with food and clothes. Donning a new Himachali cap and clothes, the boy, sitting on a police vehicle, is now the new mascot for Covid-appropriate behaviour.

"This little kid was seen on the streets of Dharamsala, asking people to wear masks," read the caption of the video shared on Instagram. "He doesn't even have shoes to wear. See the smirking faces of these people. Who is educated and who is uneducated here?"

In the video, Amit, who was wearing a mask and holding his now-famous stick, asked everyone who passed by him, "Tumhara mask kahaan hai? (Where is your mask?)"-IANS