Swara Bhasker is helping migrant workers reach home
Bollywood actor Swara Bhasker has come forward to offer a helping hand to migrant workers, who have been hit the hardest by the coronavirus-induced lockdown restrictions. The 32-year-old actor said that she felt ashamed to be sitting in the comfort of her home at a time when countless people are struggling to even reach their native places. Here's more on this.
India is facing an unprecedented migrant crisis
India witnessed an unprecedented migrant crisis after the lockdown was announced in March to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The lockdown rendered lakhs of migrants jobless. Further, with public transportation shut, they were forced to walk on highways and rail tracks to reach their native villages and towns. Reportedly, over a 100 migrant workers lost their lives due to accidents during the lockdown.
So far, Swara has facilitated return of 1,350 migrant workers
According to a report in Times Now, Swara has launched an initiative to help migrant workers reach their homes. Under the program, she and her team collect the data of migrants through a web form, contact them, and help them get tickets and board trains. The actor has so far facilitated the return of around 1,350 workers to their homes in UP and Bihar.
Swara termed the migrant crisis as the 'most shameful incident'
Swara termed the ongoing migrant crisis as "the most shameful incident of our times". She said it "exposes so many structural defects in our system and the dark reality of our society." Talking about her initiative, she told the publication, "I felt ashamed to be in the safety and comfort of my home when lakhs of people are being forced into destitution and hardship."
Swara thanked the Delhi government for support
Swara expressed gratitude to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Dilip Pandey for supporting her initiative and ensuring that migrants get train tickets easily. She said, "I'm so grateful to Dilip Pandey ji, his team, the Delhi Government and everyone working on the ground. They reaffirm my faith in our society." The actor added that she is "only amplifying their efforts".
She said fellow actor Sonu Sood is an inspiration
Swara said she has been inspired by organizations like Karwaan-e-Mohabbat, Khalsa Aid, Pushti Foundation, and also people like Sonu Sood, who have been relentlessly working on ground in relief efforts for migrant workers. Notably, Bollywood actor Sonu Sood has been deploying buses for migrant workers stuck in Maharashtra to help them reach their hometowns in UP, Bihar and other states.
