MP couple names son 'Lockdown' to hail fight against COVID-19

A couple in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district has named their newborn son as "Lockdown" to celebrate the "collective resolve" shown by people of the country to defeat coronavirus on the appeal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The boy was born to Raghunath Mali and his 24-year-old wife Manju, both residents of Bachheri village in Sheopur district, at a private hospital on April 6.

When asked about the reason behind naming his son as "Lockdown", which evokes feelings of anxiety among people in view of the ongoing three-week restrictions on movement, Mali, a farmer, said it would forever remind them about this unprecedented period.

"My wife gave birth to a boy on Monday. When it comes to mention his name on birth certificate, I and my wife decided to name him 'Lockdown'," Mali said.

The farmer also said that his wife eagerly agreed to the idea.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given a call for a 21-day lockdown to protect the country from coronavirus. The entire country is united in this time of crisis and to make this event memorable, we have named our son 'Lockdown'," the couple said.

Around four days back, a couple from neighbouring Chhattisgarh had named their newborn twins as 'Corona' and 'Covid'.

The couple had said the names symbolises triumph over hardships. The twins - a boy and a girl - were born during the ongoing novel coronavirus-enforced nationwide lockdown.