Arijit Singh joins hands with GiveIndia, Facebook to help those affected by pandemic in rural India

Arijit Singh is partnering with social media giant Facebook through its SocialForGood Initiative and GiveIndia to raise money for COVID relief in the hard-hit areas of rural India.

The singer-composer will host a live fundraiser to provide essential supplies like oxygen equipment, beds, medicines and food, and financial assistance to those affected by the pandemic in small villages and towns.

People can support the initiative by going to the GiveIndia fundraiser page to make a contribution. Singh will also host a Facebook livestream fundraiser from his hometown of Murshidabad, West Bengal on Sunday, 6 June.

Speaking about the campaign, Singh said in a statement, “I have grown up in a small town in Murshidabad in West Bengal and wouldn't be who I am if not for my small-town upbringing. Seeing how COVID is affecting the people of rural India and watching these regions lack the required infrastructure saddens me and improving things in these regions is of critical importance for the livelihood of crores of people.”

Facebook India’s director and head of partnerships Manish Chopra added, “Facebook’s SocialForGood initiative is focused on supporting large community causes by bringing together public figures and creators to raise awareness and funding. We are happy to partner with Arijit Singh and GiveIndia for this cause and enable people to come together on our platform through music in these times and help raise funds for those in need.”

GiveIndia CEO and founder Atul Satija said, “While the decreasing number of COVID-19 cases in the cities after a deadly peak is a ray of hope in these bleak times, the spread of the infection to rural areas is deeply worrying. These regions have inadequate health facilities and limited access to basic needs. It is critical to support our rural population with lifesaving medical supplies, put healthcare infrastructure in place where there is none, and help with nutrition and financial aid. GiveIndia is grateful to Arijit for his support through the campaign to minimise the negative impact of the pandemic in rural India.”

Singh lost his mother, Aditi, on May 20. The 52-year-old had been undergoing treatment for COVID-19 in a Kolkata hospital for a while and later tested negative. However, she later succumbed to a cerebral stroke, according to a statement issued by the AMRI hospital in Dhakuria.