Heroes without borders

“According to me, heroism does not always mean an act of bravery. Heroism is also staying strong during the harsh times and taking care of responsibilities,” says Shubhodeep as he recalls the horrendous experience of Ram Das, a migrant worker from a small town in Bihar, told him. 

Ram Das had migrated with his family to work as a casual construction labourer. During the COVID-19 lockdown in Kolkata, his family and him were stuck for 40 days with little food or money.

“In my eyes, Ram Das is a hero, who fought hunger and poverty along with the virus. His anxieties about returning to his hometown in Bihar reflect those of the large numbers of migrant workers who migrate from remote, rural regions of Bihar to large cities in West Bengal & Assam."

“Not all heroes wear capes, and not all heroes get recognized by society," says Shubhodeep.

According to him, a hero is "someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with freedom, such as a worker working in harsh conditions even during the pandemic risking his own life for the sake of his responsibilities as a father, a son, and a husband."

“His blindness did not become his obstacle,” says Soumyabrata who is in awe with Idris Ali Sheikh’s resilience who has a vision only in one eye and drives a car for a living.

A sharp sickle had torn the cornea of ​​his left eye in childhood, and he had been unconscious for 36 hours. At first, he went to Tehatta Sub-Divisional Hospital and from there he was transferred to Shaktinagar Zilla Hospital.

“I was traveling to Valparai on one of the rainy days of the Southwest monsoon this year when I captured this scene. The tea plantation workers stood very close to each other to warm themselves and guard themselves against the big chilly droplets of rain,” says Nithya, who considers these agrarians as her heroes. 

Valparai is known for its tea estates and is one of the earliest places where colonial rulers planted cash crops like tea, coffee and rubber, around 150 years ago.

“These workers brave odd climates and harsh weather to ensure that our early morning tea is brewed well. They work every single day, from sun-up to misty evenings, and earn just Rs. 331.43. Even COVID and its induced lockdown didn't give them a break.”

"While doctors, health workers, scientists as well as those providing essential services are undoubtedly the heroes during the ongoing pandemic, it would be also worthwhile to spare a thought for those who were taking pains to maintain normalcy in their personal life in these abnormal times," says Vijay Jodha.

"To me, the sight of these working-class migrants from Bengal celebrating Durga Puja in a congested street in distant Haryana, while adhering to the safety norms imposed by Covid, eloquently represent this fragile idea."