Pheidippides had run from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens to deliver the message of the Greek victory over the Persians.
Far removed from Greek mythology but in the world of adrenalin-pumping mean machines, a group of men are negotiating difficult hilly terrain to deliver live-saving medicines at the doorsteps of people confined by a deadly virus.
Penchen D. Bhutia, Wangyal Tshering Lepcha, Tenzing Sherpa and a few other members of the Darjeeling Enfielders — a group of Royal Enfield riders who are businessmen — have been reaching medicines to every nook and corner of the hills, including tea gardens and villages, since March 28, the early days of the lockdown.
“After the lockdown was announced, we began selling hand sanitisers at discounted rates so that the needy could afford them,” Bhutia said.
However, the group soon realised that since communications had come to a halt, many villagers were finding it difficult to access life-saving drugs.
“We then found out that a medical store in Darjeeling, Jan Kalyan, was offering home delivery of generic medicines, that too at half the price,” Bhutia said.
The store was finding it difficult to deliver all orders, and the Darjeeling Enfielders volunteered to help.
On the first day, the enthusiastic group covered nearly 90km, travelling from one end of the Darjeeling hills to another.
“We were excited and our first day's route was Ghoom-Oaks tea garden-Dilaram-Sukhiapokhri-Pulungdung-Mim tea garden, before returning to Darjeeling,” Sherpa said.
Orders are placed by villagers either directly with the medical stores or with the Enfielders. The group is also distributing pamphlets with the members’ phone numbers when they visit a place.
“In many villagers the roads are really rough. There are also restrictions on the entry of outsiders, but everyone is cooperating and the joy one sees on the face of villagers when they receive the medicines is most satisfying,” Bhutia said.
Most of the medicines that are being ordered are for high blood pressure and diabetes.
