On duty, he guards the nation. Off duty, too, he is helping to fight a formidable foe.

As the country battles to keep the coronavirus at bay, Manab Kalita, a CRPF jawan from Barpeta district of lower Assam who is posted in Jammu and Kashmir, is distributing masks, food products and vegetables among the poor to keep them safe and fed amid the nationwide lockdown which began on March 25 and has been extended till May 3 to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Not only that, he is imparting free yoga sessions to about 20 children of his village to mould their energy positively.

Kalita, a resident of Gobindapur village under Bajali subdivision, had come home in February this year to tie the nuptial knot but got stuck because of the lockdown.

“Yoga is a stressbuster and boosts immunity. Everyone must practise it, especially during the lockdown when we have plenty of time on our hands and are mostly indoors. Children must also be encouraged to play indoor games and activities,” Kalita said.

“I conduct these sessions in the morning by diligently maintaining the norm of social distancing,” he added.

Truly, a soldier is never “off duty”.