COVID-19

Translated by Sandhya Raju கோவிட்-19 தொற்றை தடுக்க பிறப்பிக்கப்பட்ட ஊரடங்கு உத்தரவால் பலர் தங்கள் குடும்பத்தினரை பிரிந்திருக்கும் சூழல் ஏற்பட்டது. அனைத்து போக்குரவரத்துகளும் நிறுத்தப்பட்டதால், வேலை நிமித்தம் வெளியூர் சென்றவர்கள் தங்கள் வீட்டிற்கு திரும்ப முடியவில்லை. அவசர காரணங்களுக்காக மட்டுமே பயணம் அனுமதிக்கப்பட்டது அல்லது சொந்த வாகனம் வைத்திருந்தவர்கள் பயணிக்க முடிந்தது. ஒவ்வொரு ஊரடங்கு நீட்டிப்பின் போதும் சில தளர்வுகள் அளிக்கப்பட்டன. பல்லாயிரம் கி.மீ தூரம் உள்ள தங்கள் சொந்த ஊர் நோக்கி விருந்தினர் தொழிலாளர்கள் நடக்கத் தொடங்கியதும், மாநிலங்களுக்கிடையே ரயில் போக்குவரத்து ஏற்பாடு செய்யப்பட்டது. மேலும் தளர்வுகள் அறிவிக்கப்பட்ட சூழலில், மே மாதம் 25-ம் தேதி முதல் குறிப்பிட்ட சில நகரங்களுக்கு உள்நாட்டு விமான சேவை தொடங்கப்பட்டது. மாநிலங்கள் கடைப்பிடிக்க வேண்டிய நடைமுறை மற்றும் இயக்க முறை குறித்து விரிவான நடைமுறையை மத்திய சிவில் விமான போக்குவரத்து அமைச்சகம் வெளியிட்டுள்ளது. விமானப் பயணம் மேற்கொள்ளும் முன் கடைப்பிடிக்க வேண்டியவை…

Removing her thali (mangalsutra), Kripa (name changed), a staff nurse left for her workplace at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) a fortnight ago. That morning remains etched in her mind: it was the first time she removed the thali in over ten years of marriage and left home to be away from her family for fourteen days at a stretch. Kripa is a senior nurse tending to critically ill patients at the COVID ward of the government hospital. “We have to remove all jewels and accessories when we report to duty, as the virus can stay longer on…

Rajeshweri S. Silambarasan V. Krishnamurthy P. Not names you would be familiar with, but just a few among the thousands of street vendors in Chennai who have survived the lockdown. Around two and a half months ago, Rajeshweri used to sell flowers at Nesapakkam; Silambarasan ironed clothes at Mugalivakkam and a small roadside juice shop at Nanganallur won bread for Krishnamurthy. What ties them together today is poverty and uncertainty; the lockdown and the apathy of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) have thrown their lives into disarray. However, what saw them through the travails of the period was the monetary…

The percentage of deaths from COVID-19 in Gujarat is among the highest in the country, even as the number of tests remains among the lowest, government denials to the contrary notwithstanding. Numbers apart, the fact that the state was consistently trying to cut down on testing got some credence, when on May 10th, it made it mandatory for all private hospitals to get government approval before testing patients, admitted for treatment of other ailments, for the coronavirus infection. The Gujarat High Court however rescinded the order on May 29th, in response to a PIL. Another evidence of the Gujarat government’s…

For weeks, thousands of migrant workers who had started on their arduous journeys back home, trudged past Devanahalli cross. The sight, Mukkham Ila says, made her weep. “We can understand the hunger and desperation. They just wanted to go home. We couldn’t bear to see them hungry,” she says.   Some time in the first week of May, Mukkham asked her son to buy wheat, vegetables and groceries. The family’s income from a mutton shop and from daily-wage labour had been hit by the lockdown. Still, they managed to spare over Rs. 2,500. "We wanted to feed at least 80…

The famed Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Center for Herpetology, or simply, the Crocodile Bank for many locals, has been hit hard by the lockdown. Visitors to the park bring a major source of revenue and this stream has been cut off due to the stringent restrictions on travel. Recent travails The Crocodile Bank is an iconic institution that has been engaged in conservation of rare species for over four decades. It is a popular attraction for tourists and locals alike, with summers bringing in many visitors. The site is situated away from the bustle of the city, in Mahabalipuram.…

“Hum Corona se nahi, bhook se marenge!”  (“I’ll not die of Corona, but will definitely die of hunger!”). This is the poignant cry of many migrant workers left without work, wages and food in labour camps across Bengaluru during the COVID-19 lockdown. After the endless wait for trains to their hometowns as well as the State’s failed promise to deliver them food/ration kits, migrant labourers preferred to walk more than 1000 km home, carrying their elderly, children and meagre belongings. It shows their desperation, as no one, if they had enough to eat, would have embarked on such journeys. One…

They have been among the frontline corona virus warriors since March 25th. And also among those badly hit by the virus. With Mumbai in particular showing record daily jumps in positive cases, its policemen have suffered too. Take just one day, March 26th. According to the state health department, Maharashtra had a total of 3,041 new coronavirus patients on that day, of which 1889 were police personnel (207 officers and 1682 other ranks). Also, 20 policemen have died so far from the infection. Yet, they remain on the frontlines, manning high risk spots like containment centres and railway stations. And…

They have been among the frontline corona virus warriors since March 25th. And also among those badly hit by the virus. With Mumbai in particular showing record daily jumps in positive cases, its policemen have suffered too. Take just one day, March 26th. According to the state health department, Maharashtra had a total of 3,041 new coronavirus patients on that day, of which 1889 were police personnel (207 officers and 1682 other ranks). Also, 20 policemen have died so far from the infection. Yet, they remain on the frontlines, manning high risk spots like containment centres and railway stations. And…

The initial stringent lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 left many stranded far away from their hometowns and families. Those who had moved for work found themselves unable to return home as all forms of transport were suspended. Emergency travel was allowed only for those with pressing reasons and availability of a personal vehicle. With each extension of the lockdown, some relaxations were accorded. Inter-state trains for guest workers were operationalised after a large number of guest workers began travelling by foot to their homes which were hundreds of kilometres away. After more easing of lockdown norms, domestic air…