Dayaram Kushwaha, a migrant worker, carries his 5-year-old son, Shivam, on his shoulders as they walk along a road to return to their village, during a 21-day nationwide lockdown to limit the spreading of coronavirus, in New Delhi in 2020. | Danish Siddiqui/Reuters
When I saw photos by Danish at the time of migrant crisis, something moved in me and led to a chain reaction. I and an amazing woman called Nandini set out to do something small yet something that changed us forever.
1) We found a kind bakery owner who, with the help of his whole family, would make food packets for us:
2) We funded this food from money pooled in through our friends and family
3) These food packets were distributed to migrants who were on their way back home
4) During these food drives, concerned people around us would pitch in to help. This one time, kind auto drivers helped with distribution without us even asking. I guess they felt happy to be a part of something good.
5) One day we landed up reaching Bengaluru train station where we met activists who were doing bigger and bolder things. They were providing each train passenger with enough food and water to last through their whole journey. And when the train would be ready depart the workers were given send-off by police and volunteers. This was the most moving part of the whole experience. All passengers (mostly migrant workers) would come to the window to thank us and wave goodbye.
So the simple act to giving food and water was seen as us telling own fellow humans that we care. However, thousands and thousands migrants didn’t get this support. They walked back home for days without food/water. Women gave birth on the way, few people died and many felt invisible. It is photographers like Danish who captured their stories triggering many many chain reactions.
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Conclusion:
I wish Danish was still around to share more beautiful stories. But he is not. However, there are many journalists who are alive and being hounded by the state. One of them being Siddique Kappan. Let us speak out for them, let us make sure they can work without the fear of persecution, …..
Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan
Thank you for everything Danish. Rest in power….