Social media and misery of migrant labour under Corona Pandemic

            There is no doubt in anybody’s mind about the misery of throngs of migrant labour heading home hundreds of miles away and that too on feet. Instead of help, words of sympathy and hope, spreading messages on social media magnifying their distress with icing of caustic and inciting remarks is nothing short of callousness. It amounts to adding more load on people who are already reeling under the heavy load of personal and social misery during this universal calamity. That includes migrating throngs and their kin waiting at home as well as masses, quarantined in their homes throughout the country.

            The way they are worded, it becomes apparent that such messages are aimed at subtly slandering administrative machinery or the ruling party without any constructive suggestions or help. And all this is done under the misplaced guise of the professional obligation of giving news or the ethical duty to spread the truth or just for fun. Why conveniently forget the primary humane duty to curb or, at least, postpone giving shocking news to one who is already traumatized by agonizing misery he is suffering at the present moment and waiting for a ray of hope in the bleak looking future.

            If at all they are so worried about their duty and professional reputation they can easily take recourse of sending their messages directly and specifically to individuals or groups they consider culprits. Why make mass agony an instrument of political or personal gain.

Here is a couplet with the hope of evoking the sentiment of empathy for such tortured masses in the minds of the Overlords of Social Media, whoever and wherever they are —

                       

Chaahe tan par daaliye yaa man par ati bhaar,

Jeevadaya ki raah par dono atyaachaar.

(चाहे तन पर डालिये या मन पर अति भार,

जीवदया की राह पर दोनों अत्याचार।)

Whether you overload the body or the mind;

On the path of compassion for the living, both are called oppression.

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