On 3^rd April 2020, with the scorching sun just beginning to shine at its fullest with the onset of the summers, many across the world are at their homes in the united fight against COVID 19 by a Global Lockdown across the planet in many nations. We are currently in a one earth family that has come to realization due to the pandemic that humanity faces today. Despite the measures that are being taken to control the spread of the deadly virus and protecting human life has become the highest human right to be protected. However, in the larger than efforts of protecting this right, we are globally also negating the chaos that the failed systems we were living in that we failed to address during our good times are now affecting those who are less privileged. The less privileged have always been a testing phenomenon for the powerful and the decision-makers under who’s sheer ignorance the former always suffer. In India, with the population of 1.3 billion under lockdown, and a larger population who make their living out of the formal mechanism which we call the unorganized sector are the most vulnerable or per se the less privileged as cited. These people are very much visible in our day to day lives who play a pivotal role in making our lives powerful and independent as we see it. They are the workers who run the economy, keep our environment clean, make those delectable street foods that we enjoy during carnivals, help build our homes and offices that we work in, etc. they are far away from their own homes, to make our homes livable so that they are able to feed their families and build their homes.

Ajay Prasad is one such migrant laborer, a mason by profession from Latehar district of Jharkhand who was miles away from his home with a group of his fellow migrant laborers who hailed from a rich culture and heritage of the indigenous community in Jharkhand.

Post lockdown when the whole country abided by the request of the prime minister to put up a collective fight against the novel virus, little did anyone think of the possible conditions of such laborers and daily wagers across the country who were not home like any of us, as they live their lives struggling in inhabitable circumstances at times to make our lives easier. Half a Million of these laborers were stranded, and so was Ajay Prasad with a team of 40 members (26 from Bihar and 14 from Jharkhand) who were working in Sakoti Tanda of Meerut District for a contractor who had to complete Indian Railway underpass construction. With no option to go home or flee from the location as Section 144 was imposed, Ajay grouped the team and took stock of what they have for survival for a couple of days, as little did they know that this would be something that they have never heard, read or experienced ever. These men are rural migrants who survived in the nooks and crannies of different parts of their contractual jobs, picking up whatever work came their way – construction, plumbing, loading goods, pitching tents for events but had no idea what they would face in the next few days of the imposed Lockdown without work and when they would be depleted of their resources of food and money. As they were nearly completing their battle of survival towards the end of the 2^nd week into the Lockdown, they started to struggle as they were out of ration. Post 36 hours of no food Ajay finally with the responsibility of 40 men that accounts to 40 families realized that there is no one coming in search of them unless anyone knows that they exist in that part of their district. With their Contractor abandoning them the only tool he had in his hand was the power of a phone which he used to call his home and to watch all those funny videos during the night after a tiresome day and in the know-how that google is a bot that has answers to everything.

He used the help of the search engine and with the smartness of his choice of words that were mere outpour due to the instincts of survival looked up for the local NGOs in the region and started dialing numbers and was lucky to reach out to Meerut Seva Samaj – the Local Partner of Caritas India. Following the Emergency Protocol set by Caritas India with the support of the local administration arrived at the location within a response time of 4 hours to see do the initial assessment with some basic supplies for the evening and also to assure that Ajay Prasad and his team are now not alone. The next day with the support of Caritas India and a Back End Donor ARTI Foundation, all these 40 men were supported with a ration of Rice, Cooking Oil, Spices, Pulses, Wheat Flour, and Sugar as per the minimum calorie requirement prescribed by the ICMR and FAO to sustain comfortably for the next 2 weeks into the lockdown. And under the circumstances of an extension, as now the local administration has been notified, they would be re-located to the nearest district shelter administered by the District Administration for further support in time as on when it arises.

Ajay and his team have been immensely thankful for the goodwill of all those individuals who have been able to reach out to them and passes his blessings to members of Caritas India, Arti Foundation and Meerut Seva Samaj for their efforts in saving the bread earners of 40 families and securing the future of 40 generations their children. Sitting with his ghamcha ‘a cultural piece of stole’ on his shoulder Ajay today as he speaks to Suhana the daughter second among the three children, with assurance to her that he will soon return to his village which is scattered between dense jungle, mountainous and agricultural areas to feel the rich natural beauty, and its serenity with them. He says, “After overcoming the struggle of survival, he has the courage to hope to return to his home soon”.