The Indian Roti at Aurangabad
Date: 9th May 2020
The state said it had waged a war against a virus. Just within 4 hours the poor #MigrantWorkers realised it was turning out to be a war against them as well. They feared, hunger will kill them before Corona. It in fact did. The Roti that they somehow had gathered to fight against hunger turned out to be a useless weapon when the train crushed them. Now the state will ascertain the cause of death. Some have already raised the question as to why these fools slept on the railway track. Some asked, why were they walking for hundreds of kilometers even as all of us are advised to 'stay home, stay safe'? Genuine questions! But were not they trying to do exactly that: trying to reach home so that they can stay safe? Now, as the state is trying to ascertain the cause of the death, what would be the result: Suicide? Hunger? Corona? Apathy? State? Ask this question to yourself while ordering your Biryani from Zomato or flaunting your culinary skills on social media. Your answer has a lot to do with future of this country.
(Pic: Roti that were given as a matter of charity, and not as a Right to the migrant workers falling on the railway tracks as a goods train crushed 16/17 of them to death at Aurangabad. They were walking down from Maharashtra to reach their village in Madhya Pradesh as India failed in taking care of them.)
https://twitter.com/ranjanpanda/status/1258982676087762946?s=20
Nation’s Conscience lost?
Date: 8th May 2020
We as a nation have lost our conscience for sure. We have failed our #MigrantWorkers who build our dreams, our cities. We have left them to die in many ways. These 16/17 workers were run over by train, many have died of exhaustion on road and the nation has died several deaths! https://t.co/umIRxr1zax
(Both photos are from social media. Photographer unknown)
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Ranjan Panda
Convenor, Water Initiatives
Convenor, Combat Climate Change Network, India
Mahanadi River Waterkeeper (Member, Global Waterkeeper Alliance, New York)
Email: ranjanpanda@gmail.com
Twitter: @ranjanpanda
Skype: ranjan.climatecrusader
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ranjan.waterman
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