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Eeb Allay Ooo is presented by acclaimed filmmaker Anurag Kashyap.

Ever since I saw Prateek Vats'social satire Eeb Allay Ooo!, something stayed with me. I don't know what. Eeb Allay Ooo!, which I watched as a part of We Are One: A Global Film Festival by YouTube, explores the plight of migrants and their vulnerability. With the migrant crisis coming to the surface during the lockdown, Eeb Allay Ooo! is an insight intothe life of the working class and their desperation to earn a few bucks. Young unskilled youth, who march their way to Delhi and other metro cities from their villages, are mostly unaware of the challenges they will be facing. Eeb Allay Ooo! reflects how the working class of the country has continued to engage in petty works with no job security, low pay and absolutely little or no respect. Prateek Vats' film draws a sharp line between the two worlds that exist. Without passing judgment, Eeb Allay Ooo! traverses from the Lutyens' Delhi to narrow lanes of those areas thatwe see (or say, prefer seeing)only from a distance.

Eeb Allay Ooo!, presented byfilmmaker Anurag Kashyap,premiered at Pingyao in China before it was shown at the Mumbai Film Festival.

Vats' film is on the monkey menace in Lutyens Delhi, North and South Block, the prime location of all government offices. This monkey problem,common in Delhi, created a job opportunity in which one is required to make the sound of 'Eeb-Allay-Ooo' --the sound of langurs (natural enemiesof the macaque monkeys).

Likeable Shardul Bhardwajplays the faint-hearted migrant Anjani,who is compelledto do this contractual 'government' job as he doesn't have any other skills. Despite not being able to put his heart and soul into the work, Anjani keeps on findinginnovative methods to shoo the monkeys away. Unfortunately, only to find himself in trouble each and every time. The desperation to earn livelihood in a different city drives Anjani into despair, gradually transforming him into another world--a liberating one.

Below I have listed five reasons (I know there are more) why Eeb Allay Ooo! is not a film you shouldmiss.

Eeb Allay Ooo! reflects how vulnerable we all are and most importantly quite easily replaceable. With tens of thousands of youthjuggling for a handful of jobs comes exploitation of workers (includingthose working in high-rise corporate offices). Anjani is made to feel guilty forhaving a tea break during his working hours. He tries to put his points before guruji (his contractor),only to give up due tohis own vulnerability. Eeb Allay Ooo! leaves you uncomfortable by portraying the sheer value of human life, especially, those who have been pushed to the edge of the social diagram.

Through the story of a city's power corridor rattled by monkeys, Eeb Allay Ooo! talks about the disparity that is deep-rooted. The disparity that goes unnoticed. The workers rendering their services in these posh areas (or any other location) often facethe bitterness and humiliation. This comes from thelack of empathy. When Anjani tries to convince a government employee not to feed monkeys, the 'Sarkari babu'threatens him by pretending to dial up his contractor's number. One more scene that depictshow humans are failing on the very humanitarian ground is whenAnjani's pregnant sister (played effortlessly by Nutan Sinha) requests some more time to complete the delivery orders. Thatsense of pride, whichcomes with such acts of oppression is the by-product of insensitivity.

The divisive nature of the society also comes to the forefront when Mahender (played by real monkey repeller Mahender Nath) and Anjani are at a fancy party to assure no disturbance by simians.

Humans are desperate and the desperation grows when one is left with no choice. Well!for the working class, it is a desperation to meet their daily needs. It is an everyday struggle to have something on their plate when they go back home. Anjani, who doesn't know how to cook, has no skills to be a plumber or electricianand doesn't want to be a sweeper, go through the congested lanes of Old Delhi to find any odd job. The desperation to makeends meetcanbe also seenwhen Anjani's brother-in-law (played by Shashi Bhushan), who works as a security guard in an amusement park, has to keep a gun for araise of Rs 1500.

Eeb Allay Ooo! sums up the world of the marginalised section and their helplessness.

From New Delhi's government buildings to narrow colourful lanes of Old Delhi, Sahi beautifully captures the locations without altering theirauthenticity. The expressionof kids in the langar scene (towards the end of the film) is one such momentwhen it becomes difficult to differentiate between the reel andthe real. Andhow can I forget monkeys, who looked as if they were responding to the camera.

The background music of Eeb Allay Ooo! hits hard, especially in thescene where a traumatised Anjani is sitting hopelessly with a mithai ka dabba in his hand.

Last but not the least, the subtle performances by Shardul Bhardwaj who plays Anjani, Nutan Sinha and Shashi Bhushan who play the lead's sister and brother-in-law,earn the credit of lifting up this well-written and beautifully-captured film. The pride with which Ajani's pregnant sister tells the doctor that he has a "government job" makes my heart melt.

The women characters of Eeb Allay Ooo! are strong. They are not there to toe the lines but to make their stand clear. Anjani's friend (Naina Sareen) doesn't hesitate to chide him and leave when he disrespects her.

Special shout out to Mahender Nath for playing himself which only he could have done. Am amazed!

Eeb Allay Ooo! is a thought-provoking film, which initially looks like asocial satire but then surprises you by endingon adarknote. (PS: Anjani's devilish Joker-like smile will haunt you in more than one way.)

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Eeb Allay Ooo!: Five reasons why you should watch this audacious film on migrant crisis - India TV News

BANGKOK, Thailand The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) are partnering in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic to help curb the spread of the virus and mitigate the impacts among the most vulnerable populations in Thailand, such as migrants and their families, and stateless ethnic minorities.

USAID has provided UNICEF grants totaling $700,000 to address the pandemic in Thailand. The COVID-19 crisis is upending the lives of the most vulnerable populations in Thailand, such as low-income populations, migrants, ethnic minorities, and transient workers, who often have limited access to critical health and hygiene information, as well as quality and affordable health services.

Migrants and other vulnerable groups were already facing a number of challenges even before the pandemic because of their status, language barriers, social stigma and discrimination, said Thomas Davin, UNICEF Representative for Thailand. The fight against COVID-19 must not leave anyone behind, young or old. Ultimately, this support protects the whole society. It is our collective responsibility to support the most vulnerable, regardless of their legal or ethnic status, and ensure that they are safe and have access to services to survive and stay healthy. The generous contribution from USAID is helping us reach more children and families who need support the most so that no one falls through the cracks.

"Beyond the immediate health impact, the COVID-19 pandemic is threatening the livelihoods and social wellbeing of communities across Asia, said Peter A. Malnak, Mission Director of USAIDs Regional Development Mission for Asia. These burdens can be particularly acute on our most vulnerable populations, with disruptions to youth and adolescent education. USAID is pleased to partner with UNICEF and the Royal Thai Government in providing immediate assistance to mitigate the pandemic's social and economic impacts on the most vulnerable communities across Thailand. Together, working in solidarity, we will forge a new path to resilience, health, and wellbeing in the months ahead."

Under the USAID-UNICEF partnership, UNICEF is working with stakeholders including the Migrant Working Group, civil society organizations, international organizations, as well as the Royal Thai Government to provide coordinated and impactful support and ensure that adequate and timely assistance reaches children and families in migrant and non-Thai communities.

Among several initiatives under the USAID-UNICEF partnership, UNICEF is working with Raks Thai Foundation and World Vision to conduct community outreach and disseminate information materials on health and hygiene practices to some 120,000 migrants and ethnic minorities living in 22 provinces across Thailand. The materials are available in Burmese, Khmer, and Lao. Program partners are also providing psychological support and guidance for parents and caregivers to promote mental health and wellbeing in these communities.

Program partners also trained migrant youth to support their communities on COVID-19 prevention and anti-discrimination and are establishing emergency grants to help such young people continue their education and skills development.

The grant from USAID will help UNICEF and the Royal Thai Government in mitigating the short and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children by providing social services in the health and education sectors.

UNICEF is also distributing digital thermometers to 3,000 institutions, including early childhood development centers and schools in the southern border provinces, as well as residential care facilities and youth training centers nationwide.

USAID will support UNICEF in promoting increased access to essential services including mental health and social service hotlines. USAID will also support UNICEFs efforts to strengthen child protection at the community level, through increased capacity to detect, report, and refer cases of violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation of children which may increase during COVID-19 lockdown and restrictions.

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COVID-19: United States and UNICEF join forces to protect the most vulnerable including migrants in Thailand - Thailand - ReliefWeb

When the restaurant where 30-year-old Santosh Kumar worked had to close because of the government-mandated coronavirus lockdown, he had no choice but to make his way back home to the eastern state of Jharkhand. The five-day journey back by bus, from his workplace in the city of Hyderabad, was excruciating.

I survived on tea and biscuits. Sometimes, we would get some rice. Now Im home, and theres still no word, and soon, the grains in my home will also run out, he told VICE.

Rajeev Rai, another migrant worker, travelled four days from Surat, in the eastern state of Gujarat, to reach Jharkhand after the lockdown. Rai talked about the discrimination he and other migrants faced during their journey. We had packed almonds, chappatis and water, even a stove. But once we ran out, we tried to get things from shops on the way, he said. The shopkeepers would shoo us away, or throw items or money at us because they thought we might be the carriers of the virus.

He added, We heard of other migrants, who walked back to Jharkhand, being chased away by people if they tried to sleep in empty buildings at night. There was no facility by the government to fall back on.

Stories like Kumar's and Rais exemplify the neglect and brutal treatment of migrants under one of the worlds strictest and harshest lockdowns. India's nationwide lockdown, announced on March 25, effectively demanded 1.8 billion people to stay at home. The order saw a sudden shutdown of the economy and sealing of the borders in as little as four hours, and brute force being used by the state police against anyone seen outside. Migrants like Kumar and Rai, who were forced out of jobs once businesses and workplaces shut down, were suddenly forced to go home on gruelling journeys that were fatal for many.

Even today, after lockdowns have eased in many states across the country, reports of migrants dying of hunger and exhaustion continue to trickle in. The causes range from walking hundreds of miles, to poorly arranged special trains meant to transport migrants home, to neglected quarantine centres, to joblessness.

But now migrants have had enough.

We want justice for our fellow migrants who died, said Kumar. And answers for those who survived but are still facing a bleak future.

Kumar and Rai are a part of hundreds of protests that have erupted across India. On June 1, migrants in over 700 rural and urban towns and villages staged a peaceful protest to demand justice for the workforce that forms the backbone of the country's most thriving cities. They wore masks, maintained social distancing and carried placards with messages like Why should my child stay hungry? We also voted for you, and Stop this cruelty on migrant labourers. We will remember this.

In other parts of the country, protests turned violent. In Chennai, 500 stranded migrants staged a protest after they reportedly did not get anything to eat for three days, at the construction site they were employed at. In Gujarat, clashes included stone-pelting and violence against paramilitary forces. In Mumbai, migrants who ran out of rent money and food clashed with local police. Similar incidents erupted in other states.

Villagers in Bihar observed a two-minute silence for the migrants who succumbed to hunger and exhaustion during the lockdown. Photo: Right to Food Campaign

The plight of migrants and the hunger problem is not just one states problem right now. It is the same across the country, said Ashrfinand Prasad, an activist in Ranchi, Jharkhand, who works with non-profit Right To Food Campaign, which is focused on food security.

Jharkhand is one of the worst-hit states in terms of poverty and hunger under the lockdown. It is also one of the many battlegrounds for the migrants staging their protests.

India already ranks poorly in the global hunger statistics, so the pre-existing problem of malnourishment has been made worse by the lockdown-induced mass starvation. A study found that 90 percent of workers lost livelihood under the lockdown, while 94 percent dont have access to the central governments compensations such as food relief. Some experts say that theres actually no way of knowing how many died due to starvation, although conservative reports show it is at least a few hundred.

The crisis is now impacting other aspects of migrants lives too. Apart from the hunger and deaths, the migrants are also traumatised. There is a huge mental health crisis in this section of society. Some migrants are committing suicide, Prasad told VICE.

In May, the Indian Psychiatry Society observed that one in five Indians showed signs of mental distress under the lockdown. In rural pockets, this has been caused by reverse migration. Prasad added that hunger and suffering also led to increased cases of conflicts within homes.

Right to Food Campaign, which has been mobilising migrants for work in their native towns and also providing them with relief, notes that the situation is too alarming to ignore. Weve been doing relief work and petitioning since 2001, but this has been going on for too long. The government response has been inadequate, said Dipa Sinha, the organisations convener. We have started campaigns across the country wherein migrants feel safe and comfortable to raise their voices, and not remain passive agents in this scenario.

As a part of this campaign, Right to Food has been posting protest visuals from the ground on Twitter as well as pushing the issue to policy officials and governments. Even though the crisis is unprecedented, it doesnt mean that the authorities stop being accountable, she added.

The Indian government claims it has provided substantial relief distribution, but activists say the majority of migrants slip through the cracks of the social welfare system because they lack adequate identification papers or bank accounts. Rupesh, an activist in Patna, in the east Indian state of Bihar, warned of a looming debt crisis in one of the poorest regions in India.

Here, the state government promised Rs 1,000 ($13 USD) to be deposited into peoples accounts. But we found that 60 percent of people didnt get that because they dont have bank accounts, he said. Theres also another problem. People are taking loans to cover for the loss of livelihoods during the lockdown. Very soon, this will blow up and we will have a debt crisis in the state.

At the beginning of the lockdown, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a relief package for daily wage earners saying, The government does not want anyone to remain hungry. As of writing, government officials have yet to acknowledge the crisis, even going so far as to deny it is happening.

Despite the mass exodus of migrants after the lockdown in March, Solicitor General of the Supreme Court Tushar Mehta claimed, No migrant person was walking on the roads in an attempt to reach his/ her home towns villages. Last month, the highest judicial body also declined a petition to help stranded and hungry migrants, stating, It is impossible for this court to monitor who is walking and who is not.

As the situation worsened, more relief schemes were promised in the form of housing and food for migrants. Yet the crisis remains unchanged.

India is not alone. In Chile, food shortages caused by the pandemic and the lockdown led to social unrest and even violence. The same happened in Venezuela, while in Colombia, impoverished families hung red rags outside their homes as an SOS for the hunger crisis. But in India, theres a unique problem. Here, the starvation is juxtaposed with an unsettling amount of excessive food that are lying in Indias government warehouses. A recent report found 6.5 million tonnes of excess grains, meant for the public, allowed to rot during the lockdownan amount that is said to be more than what was distributed through the government food distribution scheme.

The Food Corporation of India denied allegations of food wastage.

Jayati Ghosh, a professor at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, emphasises that the government, not the virus, is to blame for the hunger crisis. The first point to note in terms of this hunger crisis is that this is not related to the virus. It is 100 percent policy-driven when the complete and brutal lockdown was imposed without notice, Ghosh told VICE.

We have 95 percent informal workforce, 50 percent are self-employed, and 80 percent of the rest depend on daily wages. These are not new facts. The government knew this, and despite that, the lockdown was imposed and drove people to starvation. Ghosh called the hunger crisis a betrayal under the pandemic. The nature of this betrayal [of the migrants] is unprecedented in Indian history, and unmatched by any other country in the world, she said.

But the worse may be far from over. Sitaram Rai, a 24-year-old migrant worker from Jharkhand, said that the current unemployment and hunger problems may just be the beginning.

Theres definitely more to come over the next three to four months, he said. We will be jobless in our native villages. And our only other option is to return to the cities where we worked. Who knows if we will come back alive, whether due to the virus or not.

Ghosh reiterated the concern. We will realise the extent of this damage only once the lockdown lifts. Many activities will not exist, along with many jobs, and sources of livelihoods. Its a terrifying prospect, and its clear that the government does not have a grip on this basic reality.

Follow Pallavi Pundir on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on VICE IN.

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Indians are Protesting the Hunger Crisis and Migrant Deaths Triggered By the Coronavirus Lockdown - VICE

The migrant crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic is the worst humanitarian tragedy seen in India since Partition. Nothing illustrates that more than the heartbreaking video of a toddler trying to wake up his dead mother on Bihars Muzaffarpur railway platform which has gone viral across the world. The mother and the child had arrived at the station on one of the migrant trains from Ahmedabad. Initial media reports said that the mother, Arvina Khatoon (23), died of heat, thirst and hunger as passengers were not served food or water inside the train.

Railway authorities were quick to deny the reports. East Central Railway tweeted that Arvina had a health issue which was the reason for her death. Their denial, on May 27, was backed by the newly-introduced fact-checking wing of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) which termed the media reports incorrect and imaginary. According to PIB Bihar, Arvina was suffering from an illness before she boarded the train and this was corroborated by her family. In an earlier tweet, the PIB Fact Check section had stated that the cause of the death cannot be determined without an autopsy. PIB did not provide any details on the alleged statement by Arvinas family members or the type of illness she was suffering from.

Indias most credible fact checking platform, Alt News, has put out a report based on investigations by their reporter, Pooja Chaudhuri, which separates fact from obfuscation and makes for fascinating reading. Alt Newss report says that Arvina came from a poor family from Srikol village in Katihar district, Bihar. She is survived by her parents and six sisters, three of whom are yet to be married. Living under the same roof, the family barely managed to make ends meet. To add to the hardship, Arvinas husband divorced her about a year ago. To support her two children, she moved to Ahmedabad, with her children, to work on a construction site where one of her sisters and her brother-in-law were employed. Following the lockdown, Arvina and her family members in Gujarat lost their jobs and were running out of money. On May 23, they were finally able to board a special train from Ahmedabad to Katihar. However, Arvina passed away during the journey on the afternoon of May 25. This was about two hours before the train reached Muzaffarpur station.

After her death made headlines and the video went viral on social media, the authorities were quick to cover up the tragic event. While PIB claimed that Arvina was previously ill, others shared a police complaint allegedly filed by Arvinas brother-in-law, Mohammed Wazir, who was travelling with her on the train. The complaint stated that she was seriously ill, physically and mentally. However, JDUs Rajiv Ranjan Prasad released a video where Wazir can be heard saying that they were given food in the train and denying that Arvina was suffering from any illness. The BBC also quoted Wazir as saying that they were given a meal once during the day and served snacks and water at intervals. He told BBC too that Arvina did not have an existing medical condition.

In order to get at the truth, Alt News contacted various individuals who live in the vicinity of Srikol village where the family comes from. The Vice-President of All India Student Association, Bihar, Kazim Irfani, agreed to pay them a visit and ask a list of questions prepared by Alt News. Speaking with Irfani, Wazir gave a different statement than the one he had given to BBC and claimed that they were not given food and water in the train. However, he maintained that Arvina was not previously ill, consistent with his statement to BBC and the video posted by JDUs Rajiv Ranjan Prasad.

However, the official complaint filed at Muzaffarpur police station states that Arvina was both physically and mentally unwell. When asked if Wazir had written the complaint himself, he said that he cannot read and write but only knows how to sign his name. The police complaint carries his thumb impression. A policeman had written the complaint on his behalf. However, it wasnt read out to him before his thumb impression was taken, said Wazir. He reiterated that Arvina was not psychically or mentally ill. In a phone conversation, Wazir told Alt News that his initial statements were haphazard because he was in a distressed state of mind: She (Arvina) had just died and they were asking questions. I said whatever came to my mind.

However, Wazir was not the only person accompanying Arvina. A video statement was given by Arvinas sister and Wazirs wife, Kohinoor Khatoon, who was also on the Shramik train from Ahmedabad. She said that Arvina did not complain of any illness when they left, adding that she was yearning for water in the train. While Wazir stated that Arvina had eaten before taking the train, Kohinoor said she had not. However, both stood their ground that she was not unwell at the time of boarding.

Kohinoor further said that they had visited a doctor for a check-up before they got on the train and the examination found that Arvina was fine. Wazir made a similar statement in a phone conversation with Alt News. This is an important aspect of the story because as per government guidelines, only people with no Covid-19 related symptoms are allowed to travel on the special trains. Since Arvina was allowed to board the train, it is evident that she did not have any such symptoms.

Even if she was suffering from a long-term disease, PIB does not specify the type of illness serious enough to take her life, neither were any medical records shared. The government did not conduct a post-mortem of the body that wouldve ascertained the cause of death. If media reports that Arvina died of heat, starvation and dehydration are discounted because, according to Railway officials, only an autopsy can determine that, how then can the government assert that she did not die of the above mentioned reasons?

Alt News also spoke to another one of Arvinas sisters, Parveena, who confirmed that she did not have an existing ailment. Her father, Mohammed Nehrul, said the same. His statement says: She wanted to take care of her children and had shifted to Ahmedabad. It had been eight months but in the last two months, she had trouble making ends meet and borrowed about Rs 3,000 for food. He added that they had spoken to her half an hour before she had boarded the train when his daughter told him: We are all okay, dont worry. We are going to get on the train. The family found out that she had died after Kohinoor called and informed them.

Mohammed Nehrul was also contacted by NDTV. He told the channel that Arvina could go to Ahmedabad and work as she was mentally and physically sound. Arvinas mother gave a similar account. She too said that Arvina wasnt sick and wanted to come back home because the lockdown had rendered her jobless. A local journalist from Katihar, Dainik Bhaskars Noor Parvez, had visited the family a day after Wazir and his wife returned with Arvinas children. Parvez told Alt News that the family members informed him that passengers were not given food in the train and Arvina was not suffering from any illness before boarding.

Expert medical opinion

Alt News contacted Dr Sylvia Karpagam for her medical opinion on the death of several migrant workers travelling in Shramik trains. Dr Karpagam is a specialist in community medicine with over 15 years of experience. She has worked in Right to food and Right to health campaigns. She supports lawyers in looking at post-mortem reports in medico-legal cases. She stated: These deaths of migrant workers in trains cannot have a single reason. The post-mortem should include underlying causes and pre-existing conditions as well. Even if some of the 80 people who have died had an existing medical illness that is just one factor. The question is what aggravated the problem which caused them to die on the train. The problem of poor nutrition is already there in the country. This affects the poor migrant workers more than most people and they often do not have reserve stores of energy. During the lockdown, this became worse as we have seen that they have been driven to travel long distances by foot because they had nothing to eat as their incomes were suddenly lost.

Dr Karpagam further added: On top of food deprivation, you have dehydration due to the long journeys in hot weather. If hydration was ensured, this could have prevented many of the deaths. Some already sick and starving patients could still have been saved if they had good access to water. Dehydration is more deadly than starvation. These people clearly suffered both. First the heat exhaustion sets in and given the duration of the journey, this can easily become a heat stroke. Heat stroke is a medical emergency and can only be handled in good hospitals. This could not have been addressed in the train by anyone but easily prevented by ensuring adequate water supply for everyone at the very least.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal recently claimed that all deaths in trains were due to pre-existing conditions. However, Dr Karpagam pointed out that people with chronic conditions fly and travel in trains all the time. Doctors allow their patients to do that with the necessary precautions. They dont just die at the end of long journeys in such large numbers. The people with chronic conditions are usually aware of their issues and would do what they can to take care of themselves on a long journey. But if they have died in such large numbers, we have to consider the effects of starvation, hypoglycemia (low sugar) and dehydration on top of the medical issues and prolonged starvation during the lockdown they were already having.

The tragic incident raises a lot of questions, none of which were cleared by either the Railways or PIB Fact Check.

In conclusion, there was no evidence provided by Railway authorities that Arvina Khatoon died of a pre-existing condition. Furthermore, PIB Fact Check, which has emerged as the latest tool for bullying journalists and media organisations, did not do a thorough fact-check. In fact, PIBs investigation into the death of a migrant worker was barely two sentences. In contrast, it took Alt News almost a week to establish the facts.

By India Legal Bureau

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Dying of the Light - India Legal

80 percent of the small and marginal farmers said that their income is reduced after Covid-19 outbreak, says to the rapid research conducted by Caritas India in 18 different states of India. In an online meeting on 06 June 2020, Caritas India shared its two rapid research findings conducted on migrants and small and marginal farmers during COVID -19.

The meeting was attended by President of Catholic Bishops Conference of India, Presidents of Regional Bishops Council and Forum Directors across India. Caritas India took the opportunity to also present the consolidation of the regional meeting discussions on COVID-19 response and the data collection format with the participants.

The pandemic has created an unprecedented situation which has impacted every section of the society, but the migrants and small farmer communities had to pay a lot in this crisis. Livelihood loss was not only seen in the urban areas, but the rural areas also suffered its impact during this lockdown. It has created serious implications on the lives and livelihood of the people.

Caritas India, the social development arm of Catholic Church in India has been proactively reaching out to the most marginalised and, in this regard, organised several webinars with faith leaders, interfaith leaders, experts from varied discipline to understand and plan the action, shared Fr. Paul Moonjely, Executive Director. He also informed that collectively the Catholic Church has reached out to over 1.1 crore people in this COVID-19 with different types of support.

There is a strong need of experience exchange to reflect and communicate because there is a need of good documentation of our work, shared Cardinal Oswald Gracias, President of Catholic Bishops Conference of India. This documentation is important to preserve our work in history and to reflect on our successes and areas of improvements so that other countries, conferences and institutions learn from us. He shared though Catholics are very few in numbers, but we can help so many people in need.

Archbishop Sebastian Kallupura, Chairman of Caritas India congratulated all for reaching out to the most marginalised in the most powerful way. Citing Pope Francis, he shared that though no solution to the real problem is found, all are trying what they can. This gives new hope to the society in general. He suggested to network with local administration and CBCI office for labour to make adequate plans focussing our target group and map the migrant workers in the area. We also need to work with CCBI officer of environment projection to care of our common home and live Laudato si moto. Lastly, he also suggested to organise mass health awareness campaigns along with CBCI Health.

Caritas India presented the rapid research on distress migrants to gauge the extent of severity and to understand the impact of the pandemic on the livelihood of the migrant community. The study focused on basic needs, livelihood, the rights and entitlements, discrimination and exploitation of the migrants. The research was conducted in 10 most impacted states of India including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Assam.

The research revealed that 28.7 percent migrants do not want to come back to the cities, whereas 32.1 percent showed their willingness to return when the situation gets alright, other 31.3 percent are still in a dilemma. There is a huge loss of education recorded for the migrant children, around 46.4 percent had to discontinue their studies. Majority of 95.2 percent migrants has lost their means of livelihood and the around 10.6 per cent have lost their family members in the pandemic. Talking about the employment opportunity under MGNREGA, only 6 percent have received jobs, whereas 37.8 percent could not get the work due to lack of job cards.

In another rapid research, Caritas India has presented the Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on smallholder farming sector. Around 424 farmers were contacted for this research across 18 states through 45 Diocesan partners. The research focused on the impact of the pandemic on agricultural production, distribution, availability of food & nutrition, income generation and expenses.

The research states a shocking revelation that 80.4 percent farmers have reduced income. The Farmers have serious apprehensions on upcoming harvesting season as great financial losses have been incurred in the previous season and hence are fearful to invest in the next season. The research says only 55.4 percent of farmers have received support from both Govt and NGOs whereas 9.4 percent have not accessed any support either from governments or NGOs. The food security is greatly threatened as 49 percent of the surveyed household have limited availability of food stock and around 16.5 percent respondents skipped their meal in the last 10 days due to lack of food availability.

Caritas India has conducted several meetings with the Regional Forum Chairman, and directors of Forum and Diocesan Social Service Society of all the regions to understand the Covid-19 relief response. Assistant Executive Director of Caritas India, Fr. Jolly Puthenpura shared the consolidation of series of consultations to understand and plan the strategies of present and future for short term and long term. He presented various activities and support extended to the vulnerable in terms of the community kitchen, food kits, hygiene kits, PPE kits, Shelter and quarantine support, psychosocial support etc. He presented the new pastoral approach in life after COVID-19 pandemic. He also shared the three-tier social intervention approach at national, regional and diocesan levels.

Focusing on the accountability of each and everyone, Executive Director of Caritas India, Fr. Paul Moonjely emphasised the need for good documentation of the COVID-19 response. Emphasising on documenting the experiences and faith responses, he shared that it is important to share the message that the Catholic Church is vibrantly serving the people inspired by its faith. He presented the framework to collect and collate different pieces of information and converting into qualitative and quantitative results which can be a great expression of our faith in action.

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Caritas India presented research findings of Covid-19 impact on migrants and farming sector - India - ReliefWeb