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For almost 13 years, Mumbai has been a second home to 48-year-old Pramod Yadav and his younger brother who came from their native village in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, to work at construction sites and earn a living in the country's financial capital.

However, due to the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown, tens of thousands of migrant workers, like Pramod, were forced to undertake a long and painstaking journey from Mumbai and other metropolitan cities in order to return to their native places.

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Daily labourers like us are hit the hardest by the outbreak, driving us deeper into hunger and poverty, shared Pramod in an agonised voice as he waited in the queue for his turn to receive food and facemasks distributed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.

Also Read:Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases

Besides labourers like Pramod, some were young children and women, carrying with them the life they had built for themselves packed into their small bags.It will take us around three days to reach Gonda and a few more days in a quarantine camp until we finally meet our family, said Pramod.As the Covid-19 outbreak battered Mumbai and other parts of the country, many vulnerable sections including daily wage-earners and migrants lost their livelihoods, leaving them with no other option but to return to their hometowns.

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Indian Railways and Maharashtra Government arranged special Shramik Express trains which continue to ferry distressed migrants back to their native villages.Hundreds of such special trains were arranged daily from Mumbai and suburban areas, Pune, Nagpur and Nasik. Besides taking these special trains, many helpless migrants also travelled hitching rides on buses, vans, cycles or on foot; often hundreds of miles away braving heat, hunger and the scourge of the virus.

In such testing times, Dawoodi Bohra volunteers joined hands with the BMC to make the long journey of migrants a tad less arduous by serving them food, fruits and water at railway and bus stations.

This effort to serve migrants was undertaken by the Dawoodi Bohra communitys global philanthropic initiative - Project Rise. While fresh meals were cooked at the communitys Faizul Mawaid al Burhaniyah kitchens in Mumbai and Nagpur, the distribution of food packets at the respective stations was taken up by the communitys volunteer corps, Burhani Guards.

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We know the situation is really bad for these workers who are both monetarily and emotionally in a very difficult position. This is the least we can do for them to ensure they have something to eat on their way back home, said Yusuf Hakimuddin, spokesperson of Project Rise which has been providing food, water and other essentials during the lockdown period in coordination with the BMC and other local authorities.

Acknowledging the Bohra communitys kind gesture, Assistant Municipal Commissioner of BMC, in a letter to Shahzada Husain Bhaisaheb Burhanuddin stated, Your father His Holiness Dr Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin has always guided your members to serve fellow citizens and this charitable service of your community people in the hour of crisis is highly commendable and appreciated.

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Watching Raj Kapoors 1951 classic Awara, I realised that how you think of that word depends entirely on your privilege. When I was in school in the 80s and 90s, awara was used to describe kids who hung out with members of the opposite sex. It was what teachers called kids who bunked class to go to the canteen or, if they felt more daring, exit school to go watch a movie at the theatre. Awaragardi was something to aspire to because all the cool kids were doing it.

It was never, to our naive, privileged minds, about money or social status.

But Raj Kapoors movie was made in the 1950s, when India was struggling to emerge from the shadows of British rule, when the wounds of Partition were still wide open, when independent India was starting to develop its complicated relationship with money, wealth and education. In this context, the word awara was not something indulgent parents and exasperated teachers said to errant students. It meant a vagabond, someone with no sense of home or, therefore, values, a tramp. It was used to tell you your place in the socioeconomic hierarchy and it was never an aspiration.

Watching this movie in the wake of the massive humanitarian crisis that has gripped India since the lockdown was imposed, one realises that Raj Kapoor was the original showman not only for the style and flair with which he made movies, but because that under that showmanship, he showed us what India really was.

Earlier, the words Gharbaar nahin, sansaar nahin, mujhse kisi ko pyaar nahin in the title song brought to mind the ironically cheerful Charlie Chaplin-esque persona that Raj Kapoor introduced in this movie, but watching it today, it feels almost as if he was foretelling what thousands of workers struggling to get home, many not making it, would feel, almost 70 years later.

In the week of Raj Kapoors death anniversary, it feels only right to revisit what is arguably his greatest movie, which feels all the more relevant today.

Also read: With Bobby, Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia set the bar for young love in Bollywood

Awara opens with Raj (played by Raj Kapoor) on trial for attempting to murder Judge Raghunath (Kapoors real-life father, Prithviraj Kapoor). The judge (played by Prithvirajs real-life father, Dewan Basheshwarnath Kapoor), realising that Raj has not hired a lawyer, is about to get one appointed when a lawyer named Rita (Nargis Dutt) enters the courtroom, stating that she will defend Raj. She is not only Rajs childhood friend and now lover, but has been in the care of Judge Raghunath ever since her father, the judges friend, died.

During the interrogation, Judge Raghunath repeatedly invokes one idea that those who are born to criminals will become criminals, while those who are born to shareef log will end up on the right side of the law and the tracks. This concept of nature versus nurture is a running theme of the film, because, as Rita digs deeper into the interrogation, we find out that years ago, the judge, then up for magistrate-ship, had convicted a criminals son, Jagga (K.N. Singh), for rape without any evidence, using this very logic.

Jagga escaped and kidnapped Raghunaths wife, Leela (Leela Chitnis), but upon finding out she was pregnant, let her go, because he realised that casting suspicions about the father of the child was his way of getting revenge. Raghunath, who had once bucked tradition to marry Leela, a widow, against his familys wishes, then found himself unable to shake the thought that the child wasnt his, threw Leela out of the house. That child was Raj.

On her own and living a hand-to-mouth existence, Leela manages to just about send Raj (played by a young Shashi Kapoor, the directors younger brother) to a good school even as he polishes shoes on the roadside to help make ends meet, but he gets thrown out. He falls into the company of none other than Jagga, who grooms him and mentors him into a life of crime. Years later, Raj, now an adept criminal, tries to steal a womans bag. That woman, it turns out, is the one friend he had in school, Rita, whom he has never forgotten.

Rita and Raj fall in love, but her guardian, the judge, who has no idea that Raj is his own son, disapproves of him for being a worthless awara. Raj, meanwhile, keeps trying to quit his life of crime, but finds that it is difficult, for when employers find out about his past, they dont give him a chance. This vicious circle of poverty and crime throws Raj into a spiral of despair and further crime, made worse by his insecurities about not being good enough for Rita.

Also read: Amar Prem tells the story of relationships that have no name but the power to break hearts

In fact, even though the film is about Raj, it is Rita who is, in many ways, its soul. Her girlhood photograph, which Raj has kept all these years, is his reminder and his advisor to be good, it is what, at a crucial moment, stops him from committing a gruesome crime. She was his one ray of hope in his childhood, and she becomes that again when he needs it. But she is far from a manic pixie dream girl, whose sole purpose in the film is to support the leading man. She is a talented lawyer and a strong woman who stands up even to her imposing guardian, Judge Raghunath, who has taken care of her all these years.

Even her romance with Raj isnt something flighty, although it has its moments of fun. Its deep and passionate from the word go, and its not feel-good. Raj takes his insecurities out on her and its what makes their romance uncomfortable to watch but also beautifully portrayed in all its bruised, traumatic, brooding glory. This is what real human relationships are messy, unpleasant, vital, painful. This, then, is the real message of the film that everyone, whether a wealthy judge in his mansion or a tramp on the street, just needs a bit of love.

Also read: BR Chopras Naya Daur is still relevant for an India fighting age-old labour problems

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Raj Kapoors Awara is all the more relevant in the context of Indias migrant crisis - ThePrint

Written by Vivek Deshpande | Published: June 4, 2020 7:55:34 pm Mehta indulges in the positive versus negative reporting debate while arguing in the Supreme Courts suo motu case in the matter.

VULTURES are natural scavengers. For some, however, they are symbolic of opportunistic predation, at least in a manner of speaking. So, are journalists covering the plight of migrant labourers in the times of a terrible human tragedy unfolding before their eyes akin to vultures? Should they as Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta would like them to restrict themselves to helping the migrants in trouble instead of shooting photos and videos, and narrating their plight in reports? The jury is still out on the matter, but Mehtas elucidation of his point using the example of the much-debated Pulitzer-winning news photograph by the late photojournalist Kevin Carter it depicts a vulture waiting in anticipation of a starving Sudanese childs death is factually misplaced, and hence deeply problematic.

Mehta indulges in the positive versus negative reporting debate while arguing in the Supreme Courts suo motu case in the matter. He also tells his legal rival, Kapil Sibal, to not bring politics into the matter. According to him, the government is doing a lot of good work too, which is not being appreciated. This argument has both neutral and subjective dimensions. When journalists were covering the alleged corruption scandals during the erstwhile Congress-led government, should they have balanced it out with positive stories, if any, that their inner calling probably failed to notice, deliberately or otherwise? How would the party, whose government Mehta now represents, have perceived such journalism?

An interesting media experience is worth mentioning in this context. Both the national and international media were focused on farmers suicides in Vidarbha during the previous decade. This attracted huge government focus on the region with several packages being declared and the whole administrative machinery put to work to ameliorate the farmers lot. The obvious angle of reporting after that was whether the suicides continued at the same rate, or if there was a drop in numbers. This papers investigation suggested that the numbers had indeed started coming down from 2007 from 1,449 suicides in 2006, the numbers dropped to 805 in 2013 in the regions six cotton-producing districts. However, this work was scoffed at by the parties in power today, which were in the opposition then. At least two of the prominent opposition leaders then, who hold key ministerial portfolios in state and Centre today, had openly rebuked this paper on public forums in very disparaging terms. The same leaders started preaching farmers to think positively and not commit suicide when they came to power in Maharashtra in 2014 and when the suicide numbers had started shooting up again.

While a falling or increasing suicide count is an important facet of the farmers suicide saga, it doesnt mean that the farmers were also fluctuating in and out of agrarian distress. It only underlined fluctuations in distress levels. That the farmers continued to live a life in distress was an undeniable fact.

A reporters job is to highlight the positive/s, if any, in the aftermath of measures initiated to tackle the problem, not before it. In the migrants case, Mehta wants us to see the arrangement of transport for migrants as a positive story. He invokes the symbolism of the vulture in Carters photo to vilify the journalists highlighting the misery of the migrants. Mehta should know that the real measures to mitigate migrants sufferings will have to be initiated after they reach their homes. Because whats happening now is just the trailer. Suffering will continue even after they complete their reverse migration. The government will need to undertake the salvaging act then. And, it will be a while after that for the impact of those mitigation measures to unfold. Therefore, Mehta can reserve his anguish against journalists for a later time, if and when they fail to report the positives then, if any.

For now, theres scope to say the current pain of the migrant labourers is largely the making of the government that Mehta is defending. Let alone any bare minimum acknowledgement of government failure, Mehtas labelling of the journalists and activists highlighting migrants pain as prophets of doom is like the pot calling the kettle black.

It is fine for Mehta to call for neutrality and positivity in reporting the migrant crisis now thats his job but to attach political motives to those raising the issue or reporting on it is going beyond the scope of his brief.

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The Supreme Court on Friday refused to allow, at this stage, an intervention application filed by TMC Member of Parliament Mahua Moitra stating that it will be chaotic to allow a respected Member of Parliament like her to submit arguments on the issue. The Supreme Court was hearing the submissions on behalf of the Centre and states on the steps being taken by them to resolve the long-standing migrant crisis that has hit the country during the nation-wide lockdown. Severalintervention applications were filed before the Supreme Court after the court decided to take suo moto cognisance of the case, bringing the issue to light before the top court for the second time.

Read:180 Migrant Workers Return To Jharkhand From Andaman On Chartered Flight

Applications were filed on behalf of several migrant worker associations along with the NHRC and certain individuals including the TMC MP. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta making arguments on behalf of the Centre objected to the intervention applications stating that none of the interveners should be entertained at this stage to minimise the confusion during the hearing. The bench agreed with the Solicitors arguments, while also allowing the counsel for Moitra to put forth their stand. Advocate Jaideep Gupta, appearing for Moitra, told the Supreme Court that she had filed an application earlier before the Supreme Court as well, but at that time, her application was dismissed because the Supreme Court had left it up to the government to decide what needs to be done to solve the crisis.

Read:'Kerala Economy Struggling, Cannot Pay For Return Of Migrant Workers': State Govt Tells SC

Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul told Gupta ,Moitra is a respectable member of Parliament and if we allow this, it will become a chaotic situation. We have the assistance of the Union and the states for now.

Justice Kaul went on to say that they dont want this to become a jamboree right now by allowing everyone to argue. The application filed by Moitra, however, was not dismissed at this stage, with the Supreme Court reserving its order for June 9.

Read:Coronavirus Live Updates: SC Suggests '15 Days To Transport All Migrants'; Cases At 226770

Read:Bihar Police ADG Recalls Letter Warning Districts Of 'law & Order Issue' Due To Migrants

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Allowing TMC MP Mahua Moitras intervention into the migrant crisis will be chaotic: SC - Republic World - Republic World

Written by Kailash Satyarthi | Updated: June 4, 2020 4:25:55 pm Passengers wait for their train at New Delhi Railway Station in New Delhi on Wednesday.

During and in the aftermath of catastrophes, crises and wars, the collective way of the life of citizens is impacted hugely. In todays interconnected world, Covid-19 is not just a health, an economic or a humanitarian crisis. Its also a crisis of civilisation. Civilisations evolve as a result of a collective response to historical events and changes in human ecology, and despite differences, have some elements universal in nature. During the last few decades, globalisation and unprecedented advancements in communication and technology have further increased the commonalities of human civilisation.

The ongoing pandemic has the potential to weaken the foundation and the very fabric of our civilisation. This may alter not only the way we live and work but also deeply impact our interpersonal relationships, our core values and the nature of state and governance.

Even as I write this, I am haunted by horrific images of dismembered fingers clutching the last morsels of rotis, belonging to 16 migrant labourers who laid down to rest on train tracks during their long walk home, only to be run down by a train, in Aurangabad. They were among a few of the millions of men, women and children who are walking on the roads, desperate to return to their villages without any means of available transport. I also cant forget 16-year-old Cheng, a resident of Hubei, China. Living with an extreme form of cerebral palsy, Yan Cheng died all alone when his father was taken away after contracting Covid-19.

Similarly, hundreds of child labourers were found abandoned inside dangerous gold mines in South Africa whose employers ran away to safety. In India too, my organisation along with the authorities, continues to rescue and help child labourers who were locked up and left to die. Neighbourhood after neighbourhood of immigrant daily wage earners in large cities of India, Brazil, Nigeria, Thailand and many other places are being left abandoned, resulting in demographic imbalances.

On the other hand, people who are safe but forced to stay indoors are scared and grappling with a multitude of mental issues such as depression and anxiety. There is ample evidence of an increase in domestic discord and violence. There is also a horrific rise in online child sexual abuse and child pornography. Its worrisome to see our children facing many psycho-social problems such as anger, anxiety, loneliness, loss of motivation and focus. Phone and television screens are not a substitute for meaningful social interactions and physical activity.

These are some indications of a crisis of civilisation but there are other crucial factors at work. Collectivism is the foundation of any civilisation. Collective thoughts, experiences, actions, beliefs, perceptions and traditions contribute to building a civilisation. Efforts for sustenance and survival, a quest for freedom, a pursuit of knowledge of the unknown, a search for happiness and a desire to create and innovate are also among the key propellers of a civilisation. These manifest themselves in the creation of language, art, sculpture, habitat and help define citizenry and governance. Therefore, civilisations are not built through knowledge, wisdom and intelligence only, but are also a result of a wealth of shared human emotions. The state response to fighting the pandemic, reviving the economy and protecting law and order are all fine. However, equally important is the emotional response while dealing with the most vulnerable.

Why are millions of migrant workers feeling so helpless and fearful that they are literally running away from the cities to the perceived safety of their homes? Is it only the fear of Covid-19? I believe they have lost faith in the civilised world of the city they entrusted with their livelihood, including employers and the state.

The pandemic has exposed and deepened, perhaps the ever-existing emotional disparities between the makers of the infrastructure of our civilisation and its elite custodians. Further, this highlights the differences of perception and the grave cognitive dissonance. Also, there has been blatant social discrimination and visible divisions based on religion, caste, gender and race even among the relief efforts to combat Covid-19. There are many potential dangers and threats to our civilisation.

First, in this crisis, existing massive income inequalities, based on an economic system focused on profit-making and wealth creation, will be exacerbated. This will further marginalise and deprive the vulnerable sections of society, pushing them to chronic poverty, hunger and deprivation.

The ever-increasing dependence on modern technology which will reduce more and more workers as liabilities. This will not only dramatically result in massive lay-offs but in increased demand and worth of highly specialised and productive human resources. Obviously, this small class will emerge as the new Brahmins, out-casting a larger unproductive section, i.e. the elderly, uneducated, disabled and others.

This could further lead to an upsurge in extremism, escalation of tensions between different sections of society, violence and crimes affecting our way of life. Advanced security measures, robust vigilance and policing will become the new normal. This may also lead to discrimination and profiling of criminals on the basis of religion, caste and colour and divide us further.

Secondly, divisive politics based on populism, hate-mongering, individualism, protectionism and hyper-nationalism has already damaged the foundations of inclusion and collectivism. The existing leadership of different countries may become even more powerful now. Certain decisions taken by leaders for public interest and security may end infringing the rights and freedom of individuals and citizens resulting in further neglect of the disadvantaged. Paradoxically, massive political instability, chaos and even anarchy may also surface in countries with indecisive leadership.

After the industrial revolution, our civilisation has evolved significantly. The struggle for democracy, liberty, protection of human rights and efforts towards inclusive development have all been steps in the right direction. Given the current state of affairs, we may end up undermining these efforts and fail to protect democracy, human rights and social justice for all. This will contribute to a crisis for our civilisation.

Thirdly, the nexus between the state and corporates is so deep that those in power view everything through an economic lens. The conditions created by Covid-19 is enabling them to view labour and industrial reforms with the profit-making maxim under the garb of legal amendments. This essentially means that the workers lose their collective bargaining power. The easiest way to do this would be to force them inside the unregulated and unorganised sectors by replacing formal production processes and deregulated supply chains. This will also be done to attract foreign investors.

We must not forget that the role of the working class through the course of history was not only industrial production and rendering services through selling their manual and mental labour, but they have since contributed immensely in establishing and strengthening democracy, freedom and gender equity. The post-Covid-19 world may destroy this hard-earned progress made over many centuries and further contribute to the crisis of civilisation.

Fourthly, the principles and norms of morality and ethics of any civilisation are carved out over a long time period. They are not necessarily applicable everywhere and at all times. However, some core values act as the moral compass through the course of civilisation. We have already been experiencing a moral deficit for quite some time. Now, the combined forces of media, technology and markets construct and establish moralist figures for their own vested political and economic interests. These forces may emerge stronger and further weaken universal moral values that help sustain human civilisation.

Fifthly, the post Covid-19 world is bound to become unimaginably digital and virtual. During the lockdown, hundreds of millions of people across countries are forced to work from home while their children have to take online classes. This will become the new normal for most of us, abandoning places of socialisation and human interaction. Relationships forged through social media are largely superficial and can never replace the depth of human connections.

Furthermore, Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things and yet-to-be-invented technology will control education, health, government and businesses, leaving teachers, doctors, priests and mentors increasingly irrelevant. Physical interactions as well as sharing feelings of excitement, love, joy, anger, frustration and grief with our loved ones are vital to human existence and the shaping of a society. This situation may cause serious damage to our civilisation.

However, challenges and uncertainties also pave the way for innovative solutions. The current scenario is no different and can certainly be turned into an opportunity for strengthening our civilisation.

I have a four-tier approach in mind that can help us deal with the above challenges. My thought is based on four elements Compassion, Gratitude, Responsibility and Tolerance. I am proposing nothing new here. All these elements are already present and are rooted as basic human values across cultures and religions. The attainment of liberty, dignity, justice, equality, sustainability and peace should be the key goal of our civilisation. These are not merely ideals and principles but are achievable realities.

I keep emphasising that unless we feel others pain and suffering as our own and make endeavours to alleviate them, a truly civilised society cannot be created. This is Compassion. This compassion should be the backbone of our political, economic, religious and social lives. To save our planet, this compassion should be extended to animals, birds, trees, rivers, oceans, mountains and deserts too. This is why I strongly advocate the globalisation of compassion.

Also Read | Its not too late for governments to ensure that vulnerable get cash in hand for next few months

Secondly, we should adopt Gratitude in interpersonal relationships, industrial management, governance and administration. It is inherent in all of us and will be uncovered if we are true to ourselves and our surroundings. From the moment we are born to using food, water, clothing, housing, education, health, entertainment, security and all other facilities; there is someones contribution in every wake of life.Business leaders in their boardrooms and politicians in parliament should feel grateful for the hard work and sacrifices of many others in contributing to their wealth and power.I strongly feel that building a supply chain of gratitude is essential for cultivating mutual respect, love and harmony in all facets of life.

The third element is creation of an Internet of Responsibility. Since, our problems and solutions are interconnected, we must practice living with shared responsibility.The spirit of globalisation has already been under attack for quite some time. The fast emergence and acceptance of neo-nationalistic politics, violent extremism and anti-immigrant and anti-refugee sentiments, monopolies of few countries and companies on advanced scientific knowledge and technology and events such as Brexit are some such indications. Looking at current trends, not only WHO and other multilateral agencies, even the United Nations may face serious financial and political challenges.

If public life, the cut-throat competition in acquiring desired jobs or earning money and tearing apart the familial and societal fabric will be exacerbated in a post- Covid-19 era. Therefore, equally important is to reinvigorate the sense of mutual responsibility. If we can create an internet of things, an interconnected and inter-propelling world of invisible virtual realities, why cant we craft an Internet of Responsibilities?

The Fourth element is creating a Universe of Tolerance. Intolerance has been the most common reason for clashes within civilisations. On the other hand, tolerance has nurtured co-existence among diversities and differences. During wars, pandemics or other catastrophes, there is a certain rise in feelings of empathy, charity, relief and help but they hardly sustain once the crisis is over.Then, the world of citizenry and states start shrinking in ever smaller circles of nationalities, colours, races and identities of religions, giving rise once again to deep-seated intolerance. The existing disrespect for other faiths, cultural and linguistic plurality, ideological differences and political dissent is likely to grow.In spite of different celestial objects exerting various electro-magnetic and other forces upon each other, our universe exists because they are able to find a state of balance and harmony. We must build a Universe of Tolerance to save our civilisation.

In Indian mythology, the creator of the world Lord Brahma is said to have four faces. These are symbolic of creation, protection and progress in all the four directions. We can interpret them as Globalisation of Compassion, Supply Chain of Gratitude, Internet of Responsibility and Universe of Tolerance. There is no substitute to a shared future of humankind. How we shape it is up to us.

The author is a Nobel Peace Laureate. Views expressed are his own

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Resetting civilisation in post-Covid-19 world - The Indian Express