jaipur

Updated: Apr 30, 2015 22:26 IST

Media cameras burst into rapid-fire clicks on Thursday as a 10-year-old commissioner of police stepped out of his red-beacon car at his Jaipur office, responding to salutes with a habitual raise of a hand, rushing into his office, clearing files, as his junior looked at him for his orders....

This was not a scene from a Bollywood movie shoot in the Pink City, but a critically ill Girish Sharma’s wish fulfilled by the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the Rajasthan police. The foundation grants a wish to young children suffering from critical illness. Girish has been receiving treatment for chronic kidney malfunction at the Sawai Mansingh Hospital for the past two months.

The foundation’s state coordinator Sunita Shah said that children usually wish for a cycle, a bike or a meeting with a film actor. “But, Girish, who is a student of Class 3 in a Sirsa (Haryana) school, wished to become the Jaipur police commissioner for a day. It was a little tricky at first, but the Rajasthan police responded to the idea positively and the child’s wish was fulfilled today,” she said.

The police cooperation was evident from the fact that Girish, in full official uniform, was allowed to sit in the commissioner’s chair and sign some papers.

Girish Sharma, dressed as a police commissioner, helped by commissioner Srinivas Rao Janga to sit on his chair. (Prabhakar Sharma/HT Photo)

When asked why he wanted to become a police commissioner, Girish said, “I want to arrest thieves.” His elder brother Aman said Girish would always choose to play the part of police while playing chor-sipahi .

Girish said he liked the guard of honour the most as it made him feel good and realise what it meant to be a police officer. Later, he sang the famous song ‘nanha munna rahi’ for the policemen present in the office.

Police commissioner Srinivas Rao Janga said, “It is a morale booster for the police department to know that children wish to join the force with a mission to serve the nation.”

Girish’s father Jagdish Sharma, a streetside vendor, said, “I have forgotten his illness and I am very happy. Girish became for a day what he wanted to.”



Later, Sunita Shah said that the foundation, which had been engaged in bringing smiles to the children’s faces for 10 years, had fulfilled the wishes of 2550 children.

The mission of the foundation is to see satisfaction on the faces of such children and their family members, she said.