Partially sighted Magpie Robin

In response to the bird call of a Magpie Robin in our courtyard, another Magpie Robin arrived. I suspect that the cornea of its right eye appeared opaque. Was it partially sighted!

Yes, I have observed other avians with some other limitations- injured paws or missing limb, clipped wings, missing tidal...

Such birds get isolated or further harmed by the predators or other birds.

The weak and the disadvantaged among us are vulnerable to suffer more. 

As we watched hundreds of migrant workers with their families, especially children walking beside them or carried on their shoulders, leaving the national capital, New Delhi yesterday on foot, to their homes some 400 or more kilometres away, what went through my mind was their endless suffering. The weak are made weaker by the mindless and callous attitude of those in authority. Was not the Delhi government and the central government aware of this mass movement along the national highway! 

Why is that no measures were taken to transport them or shelter them or show human response of mindfulness, when they were pushed to such an extreme situation of distress!

It looks like that as a nation we are frozen in thought and action, when humans suffer, especially if they are people who are voiceless.   

I read the call for humanitarian response from Mr Harsh Mander; someone approaching the Supreme Court for an immediate remedial action; Ms Priyanka Gandhi asking her party to come forward to help these pedestrians at the verge of a calamity when they walk with baggage on their shoulders in the north Indian heat and humidity!

The government called for all of us to 'stay at home'! Should not these migrant workers who lived in temporary shelters be allowed to return to their families! Are they not stranded like those  stranded in air ports outside India, for whom the government arranged special planes even after the 'stay at home' order was passed!

Those who are weak, disadvantaged, or stressed need help to be enabled to move on in their lives! 

The awful distress of those who are alcohol dependent, people without an income because their daily wage is no more available, or those bed bound or stranded away form their families are too many to be ignored. We are fighting COVED19; but we are creating another distressing situation. 

It was affirming to hear the repeated appeals of the Delhi Chief Minister to people to use the night shelter and meals provided by the Delhi government! I wonder whether people trust the politicians to abide by their appeal!

The institution where I work made an on line appeal yesterday to those who are alcohol dependent to come to the hospital to receive emergency free treatment!

During the floods last year, the voluntary organisations and government ran community kitchen and offered temporary shelters for migrant workers! Why is that it is getting delayed now!

Unlike in an earth quake or flood, this corona viral epidemic is not an event; it is an ongoing challenge which might last months with enormous risk to the health of people and health care workers!

The economic stress would hit us terribly with the Words Bank announcing recession in 2020, worst than the one in 2009.

I wonder whether the churches, voluntary organisations and panchayats would evolve a plan of action to save our people from a precipice. We hear  alarm bell of suicide! It is an index of the underlying community stress!

To me the Magpie Robin with corneal opacity was a wake up call to look round to feel the agony that people are in!

I wonder whether each of us can save at least ten rupees a day to create a fund to help those who would be pushed to the brink of a disaster economically!

If we do not act promptly, decisively and vicariously, we too are partially sighted!

All these are happening during the lenten season, when the followers of Jesus of Nazareth are preparing for the passion week two weeks from now!

We live among those who suffer! Let us qualify our lent with compassionate action!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)