Content Warning: These are some stories from the lockdown in India. Please feel free to bookmark and read later if this adds to anxiety.
My heart breaks when I hear of a woman who have birth on the road. The hospital was so far that they could not reach. She was on a cart and her husband pulled her for kilometres with no medical center in sight. The labor pain grew, the water broke and she delivered. On the road.
My heart breaks when I hear of men and women trying to reach their homes. Their jobs are gone. They have been labeled migrants but not citizens. They never were. They were the electricians, the plumbers, the delivery person, the help at home who cooked and cleaned.
My heart breaks when I hear of a little girl who died of hunger. Her father was working in a city and could not send money to them. His job was gone. Her mother used up her savings to feed the family for as long as she could. After five days on water, this little one gave up. Hunger killed her before the virus.
My heart breaks when I hear of a friend who lost her father. She took the harrowing journey by road to see him for one last time. The two days of non-stop drive to reach and bid goodbye. And then trying to get back home with the grief that he left too soon.
My heart breaks when I hear of a family who almost made home and then a truck lost control. No one in the family survived though they made it home.
My heart breaks when I hear of a man whose harvest is going waste. The middleman hasn’t come for over two months now to buy vegetables. The hard work of growing and taking care of the vegetable shows up in the harvest but not on the pocket.
My heart breaks when I hear of an old man who has blisters on his feet, he can’t walk any further and reach his village. All he needs is a two hundred bill to pay and walk away. But if he had that money would he eat or pay to leave?
My heart breaks when I hear of innumerable stories like above but I don’t have enough words. I am leaving these stories out here to say we are not okay. We are not safe.
My heart breaks.
We have failed our our people. Miserably.
Writing a non fiction today for YeahWrite #475.
happiness and food 
Really these true incidents make me cry .
One day while watching TV I was having my dinner and believe me I could not eat seeing my hungry brothers.
What is this ? Who is responsible for these situations?
Who will solve all? When things will be normal? And many more questions .
But no answer .
I simply pray as I know only He can do and will do .
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It really is heartbreaking. We were so busy stocking up essentials and looking out for our own selves that nobody thought of the plight of migrant workers. Nobody realised how essential they were/are for our existence. Now it has burgeoned into this huge problem. If/when they reach home we have no clue when/if they would ever want to get back.
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We are going through such difficult times.
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These news are heartbreaking and at the same time there are spots of hope too, with common people rising up to help others.
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This was truly heartbreaking 😦 every time I read stories like the ones you shared in this piece, I feel more and more grateful (despite the difficulties I might be going through) of my “privileges”.
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Thank you for sharing these stories. It’s important to know these tragedies are happening. I wish there were some way people could be saved and the vegetables distributed to the hungry rather than going to waste. I send hope from my heart to yours and wish you moments of peace amidst the sadness.
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Thank you for sharing these stories. The scale of this tragedy is unprecedented in our time, but much of our news focuses too much on statistics and politics. We need this glimpse of reality.
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I’m glad you used a content warning (not so much for myself, but it’s always a good thing to consider one’s readers). I like the way you used repetition in this to drive home the message. It also had an unintended consequence of highlighting that I wanted you to go to the next step — it’s clear that this is distressing and causing you heartbreak, but now (as a reader) I want to know what steps you’re taking to help these people, what organisations you’re supporting, how you’re approaching legislators. These stories are definitely distressing, and present globally for the most disenfranchised from society, and it’s good that you’re shining a light on the plight of those who are least represented, but I feel it’s also important to highlight (or start) good works that aim to help folks in such situations. It would also be interesting to take the focus off how these tragedies make us feel personally, and shift it to either the absolute social injustice, or to how it affects the communities being discussed.
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We are a privileged lot who can read the stories of others pain and shed a tear from the comfort of our homes. Our biggest worries are but a pin prick while the majority groan in agony but their cries are drowned by our privileges. Beautifully written Parul.
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Thank you for these vivid descriptions. I live in America where things aren’t quite as bad and I needed to read these. The little girl dying of hunger broke my heart.
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Heart-breaking, heart-wrenching.
You’ve portrayed the grim picture we all are witnessing as a nation.
We can shed a tear, say a prayer, lend a helping hand, while expressing gratitude for the privileged bubble we live in.
I’m just grateful for all the people I know who are lending a hand in this challenging time. And doing my two bits where I can, as well.
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There is much suffering out there that we prefer to turn a blind eye to. It’s indeed heart-breaking, very.
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Oh my god Parul- this is indeed a heart wrenching summary of the misery we have been seeing since the Lock down. They are migrants not citizens; such a hard truth to how they have been treated. Each incident was more shocking than the last. I was drowning in this pain too till I started to look out for positive stories and be a part of one.
Residents of my township colony decided to pool in resources and feed to support he 500 + construction labor staying on the umpteen number of sites in the colony. Most of the big contractors were also helping out and now we have been trying to send them home since the trains started. These guys were given rations on a weekly basis for almost 10 weeks.
News of Good Sams like Salman Khan, Sonu Sood and Vikas Khanna have been warming my heart to no end.
The story on Khaira Babaji ka langar is another instance of humanity working on every possible level in our world out here.
The worst villian in all of this chicanery has been the Indian govt; but then why do we expect them to ever step up when we never check up on accountability with them. They are used to being corrupt and complacent – this has been highlighted hugely by the Labor crisis but you know what – we will still vote for them as we dont have a choice.
Take heart from the positive stories and leave the rest to God – you also need strength to survive yourself too. Hugs and love XOXO
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