New Delhi [India], Mar 23 : With a spurt in COVID-19 cases across the country, people under self-isolation are using online short video making platforms like VMate to spread awareness and laud the 'corona warriors' like the local mask makers.
The usual entertainment platform VMate, which is often dubbed as rural India's TikTok, is now being used for a social cause in the light of the coronavirus outbreak.
Ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked people to hail the 'corona warriors' by clapping for them, netizens have been circulating the videos of such heroes on the platform.
Among others, mask makers have also emerged out as saviours for mankind in the current times. Recently, several videos of people making 'Made in India' masks have gone viral on VMate.
Surf through the trending page of the platform shows several videos of Indian tailors stitching masks in bulk at cloth factories and even at small workshops. There are also a few videos wherein creators are providing information on how a simple piece of cloth or handkerchief can be used to make a mask.
The rise in the number of cases has caused people to panic buy masks and sanitizers leading to a disparity between the demand and the supply. And in these tough times, small scale workers making masks are making it a whole lot easier for people to cope with the situation.
Besides the circulation of videos of 'climate warriors' people are also using VMate to make informative videos and share to spread awareness about the dos and don'ts of tackling the situation.
A short video creator Prity has used a parody of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's evergreen 'Mere Rashke Qamar' to communicate the dos and don'ts.
"Sanitizer lagao ab tum haath mein, mask pehno hamesha tum mooh naak mein...Corona hai zeher, ban ke chhaya qahar," says the parody song by the user.
Similarly another user, Komal Gugnani from Panipat is spreading the message of cleanliness using a popular handwash commercial jingle.
Another type of content that is trending on the platform is the one that is urging people to us 'Namaste' for greeting people instead of handshakes.