By Purushottam Nayak

Ganjam, May 15, 2020: Lockdown has given Lilly Moharana an opportunity to show her patriotism.

The 25-year-old tailor in Singhipuro village of Odisha’s Ganjam district now sews masks in green, white and orange to stress that every citizen has the spirit to fight against Covid-19 in their own capacity.

These colors make up the tricolor Indian flag.

“I saw the trio-color of Indian flag in the WhatsApp and Facebook profile of one of my friends. I thought it was the best way to express my patriotic feeling in fighting coronavirus,” Lilly told Matters India over phone on May 15.

She says she cannot prove her patriotism like soldiers, healthcare and social workers, who risk their lives to fight Covid-19.

“I can contribute in my limited way. Neither coronavirus nor any threat can stop me from showing my love for Mother India,” she asserted and added that patriotism fosters unity, fraternity and brotherhood among all castes, and creeds.

Jinoti Sabot, her schoolmate, says Lilly has fostered love, devotion and sense of attachment to the country even as a child. During her school days, Lilly made thanksgiving cards to show her gratitude to soldiers, national leaders and freedom fighters, he recalled.

The youngest of the four children on Prafula Chandra and Laxmi Moharana had dropped out of school after eighth grade.

She married Anil Moharana, a carpenter, in 2013 and the couple has a son who is now in the first grade.

Lilly got the sewing machine from her mother as a dowry item. She learned sewing from her sisters, who worked as tailors in the village.

She began sewing seven months after her son joined the school. She stitches mostly women items such blouses, and skirts. But she stitches only masks these days. She works for eight hours a day.

She has already made 1,000 masks. One mask costs 15 rupees, which is cheaper than what is available in the market.

Anil Moharana, her husband supports her. “Small lily flower has great smell. Similarly my Lilly has a great patriotic feeling in fighting Covid-19,” he told Matters India.