Mumbai Police (India) have for sure gathered a reputation amongst the people they serve for being funny and informative at the same time. Their Twitter account not only imparts valuable information about the ongoings of the city, but it always manages to do so in a creative manner.
On 29 April 2021, the Mumbai Police Twitter account shared a video they called “Lyrics of Safety.” The aim was to remind people to follow the safety protocols with regards to COVID-19 and help break the chain of the spread of the virus.
The video was posted with the caption, “Thank you Mumbaikars for sharing your ‘Lyrics Of Safety’ with us. Mumbai Police, in collaboration with responsible Mumbaikars, is proud to present ‘Safety Remix - Volume 2’ #MelodyOfSafety #StayHomeStaySafe #TakingOnCorona”
The video was made in collaboration with the citizens of Mumbai. The Mumbai Police had recently asked residents to share their "Lyrics Of Safety" with them, to help create a fun and entertaining way to remind citizens of the protocols. The video is a result of the exchange, and it has turned out to be quite amusing!
This video mentions several famous music artists, including Taylor Swift, Charlie Puth, Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus, Ed Sheeran, and more. It was a meme-like, punny take urging citizens to stay at home.
It begins with a Swift-inspired one-liner saying, “Taylor Swift me ho ya dZire me, seedha ghar jaye.”
(Translation: "Whether you're in Taylor Swift or Dzire (a Maruti Suzuki car), you should go home.")
Other lines including famous singers went:
“Harry doesn’t go out in Covid, it is his style.”
“Don’t go out in the Linkin Park”
“Make sure you are home even on the Weeknd”
The video is very popular online, and has been shared many times over. People from Mumbai and around the world took to Twitter to express their appreciation for the effort.
Response to the video has been mostly positive, and people are showing support for Mumbai Police’s approach to keep Mumbai dwellers at home.
Though the video has been a bright spot for the country, it comes in response to a dark time. India is setting records worldwide, with 3.79 lakh fresh Covid-19 cases and 3,645 deaths reported yesterday. Maharashtra recorded some 60,000 cases out of those reported, and Mumbai alone contributed to some 5000 in a day.
All governments over the world have acknowledged that India is going through a grave crisis. There is an acute shortage of oxygen cylinders, Corona-positive patients are being turned away at hospital gates due to lack of space, and crematoriums are running at full capacity.
As per recent announcements, international help from the United States, France, Germany, and other countries will soon arrive in the form of medicines and oxygen cylinders. If you would like to help the cause, there are currently a number of charities accepting donations.