03 May,2021 11:35 AM IST | Mumbai | Harit Joshi
The Bharat Army during a 2019 ICC World Cup match in England.
With India gasping for oxygen as COVID-19 cases in the country skyrocketing in the last few weeks, the Bharat Army, a dedicated UK-based fan group of the Indian cricket team, have teamed up with British Asian Trust (BAT) to raise funds for oxygen concentrators which will be supplied specifically in small towns and villages of India.
As of Sunday night, the Bharat Army have raised 21,881 pounds (approximately Rs 22.5 lakh) in just over a week since the campaign 'Oxygen For India' kicked off.
"We started this initiative last Wednesday (April 21). The proceeds will go towards procuring oxygen concentrators to provide relief in this emergency situation in India. We are seeing everyday the plight of the Indian people due to the second wave of COVID-19. So, through our global Bharat Army community, we decided to initiate this process of raising funds," Bharat Army founder Rakesh Patel told mid-day.comfrom London on Saturday.
When asked how the needy will be helped, Patel said: "BAT is using local vendors on the ground so the Oxygen can reach the rural villages."
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Patel chose to focus on rural areas assuming the Metro cities of India would not face accessibility issues as much as smaller towns and villages would be facing considering their fragile healthcare system.
Bharat Army boasts of over one lakh members globally and are known to rally behind the Indian team wherever they travel. Thanks to the vociferous Bharat Army, Virat Kohli's men never felt away from home due to their strong presence during the 2019 World Cup in England.
"The Covid pandemic has hit India for a six. It is destroying Indian families and communities and we must do everything to help and support them as quickly as possible. There has been a huge amount of desire by our members to support those in India in real need. I do hope we can pull together and make a significant contribution to help," Patel said.
