NEW DELHI: With his shows cancelled due to the lockdown, magician Raj Kumar is playing "corona warrior" by displaying his tricks at several shelter homes in Delhi to keep the stranded migrants and other occupants motivated and entertained during the period.
Kumar's day starts at 7 am, where he first performs at Yamuna Vihar sports complex, which has been turned into a shelter home in view of the lockdown imposed across the country due to coronavirus pandemic.
The occupants are made to sit in circles marked to ensure social distancing, as Kumar performs magic tricks drawing applause and cheer.
Kumar is a famous magician and performs across the country.
He also runs the Delhi School of Magic where three short term courses are offered.
"This is a very sensitive period and also demotivating.
Earlier, I was spending time at home during lockdown as all shows were cancelled and the institute was also closed.
I realised that while the government is taking adequate care of people by providing them shelter and food but they must be very depressed due to the uncertainty as well as the sequence of events.
I then decided to approach the Delhi government and we started this at various shelter homes," Kumar told PTI.
"I do not charge for these shows and also in my tricks I try to incorporate messages like importance of hand washing and maintaining social distance besides good habits like saving and staying away from alcohol.
We also hold motivational talks for them to keep the spirit high that the future will not be dark due to this period," he added.
Kumar, then proceeds to a shelter home in a Delhi government school and later to a shelter home in Dilshad Garden.
"There are healthcare professionals, sanitation workers, volunteers who are all helping others fight the pandemic.
I will be contributing my bit this way.
Delhi Police has also approached me for a similar show at a shelter home in Lajpat Nagar.
These are tough times and we must motivate each other that we will sail through," Kumar said.
The Delhi government has converted 113 of its schools into shelter homes for stranded migrants, while over 1,500 schools, including the MCD run schools, have been converted into 'hunger centres' where food is distributed to the needy.
Delhi Police organised a magic show at a shelter home for migrant workers in Lajpat Nagar on Thursday.
Over 250 people, including 30 women and 42 children, are staying at the shelter home According to Sohanl Lal, Exceutive Magisterate at Yamuna Sports Complex, the show is being loved by the over 900 residents at the shelter home.
"At present 906 residents are staying and we have space to accommodate 2,500 people by maintaining adequate social distancing.
There were many residents who were showing signs of being depressed and demotivated as there were no means of recreation, so the magic show is being loved by them.
We ensure that they sit in the circles marked at a distance and then enjoy the show," he told PTI.
The country is in a lockdown due to the COVID-19 situation since March 25 and it has now been extended to May 3.
When the lockdown was first announced, an exodus of migrants started and to prevent that Delhi government set up shelter homes to accommodate these people during the the period.
According to the Union Health Ministry, the death toll due to coronavirus rose to 437 and the number of cases to 13,387 in the country on Friday, While the number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 11,201, as many as 1,748 people have been cured and discharged, and one had migrated, it said.
The total number of positive cases includes 76 foreign nationals.
In Delhi, the total number of coronavirus cases in the national capital went up by 62 to 1,640 cases, according to Delhi government authorities.
Six death were also reported, taking the toll in the national capital to 38.