BBC journalist Salman Ravi gave his shoes to an Indian migrant worker walking barefoot in the scorching heat.
A video of the journalist giving his shoes to the migrant worker went viral on social media. The migrant workers burst into tears explaining their plight during the coronavirus lockdown. Helpless, with no facilitation from the government, hundreds and thousands of stranded migrant workers are forced to return to their homes on foot.
Finally followed them n managed to find shelter food for migrant family. See the smile on the kids’ faces. Did my duty as a common man. Thanks to Haryana Police they promised to send them home safely. https://t.co/esZ6EbAqZh
— SALMAN RAVI (@salmanravi) May 15, 2020
The plight of Indian migrant workers
With limited food and water, these migrant workers are walking miles on their foot with children under the blazing heat of summer.
This photo is going to haunt me for the rest of my life 😥 pic.twitter.com/HyonF6sutW
— SALMAN RAVI (@salmanravi) May 16, 2020
One of the migrant workers broke down while talking to BBC journalist Salman Ravi. While interviewing the group of migrant workers BBC journalist Salman Ravi spotted a barefoot migrant worker. He asked him why he is without shoes. The migrant worker said that his slippers were torn. Overwhelmed by the predicament of these migrant workers, he offered him his shoes.
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BBC journalist Salman Ravi’s extraordinary act of kindness earned him appreciation on social media. Salman Ravi said he offered his shoes as a common man while he was on his duty to report the news.
Distressing videos of Indian migrant workers
The family of migrant workers decried no state assistance during the lockdown. This group of migrant workers walked from Ambala in Haryana to Chhatarpur district in Madhya Pradesh. They moaned that with no means of subsistence and money, Delhi Police beat them when they stopped in India’s national capital to eat food. Moreover, they accused that the Delhi Police did not let them cross the border. This group of migrant workers had to walk thousands of kilometers to reach home.
— SALMAN RAVI (@salmanravi) May 15, 2020
These migrant workers fear that they would die of starvation during this coronavirus lockdown. Disturbing photos of thousands of stranded migrant workers who are fleeing to their villages from across India are emerging on social media.
In another, heartbreaking video, the condition of a migrant worker was shown. He was pulling his pregnant wife and infant daughter for 700 Km from Hyderabad in Telangana to Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh on a wooden cart. While a child slept on a trolley bag as the mother was dragging the bag. The group of migrant workers reportedly started walking from Punjab and were headed towards Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh.
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His video gained immense attention on social media. Pooja Bhatt, sister of Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt said immense act of kindness of Salman Ravi moved her to tears.
Salman Ravi helps Indian migrant family
However, Salman Ravi soon after meeting the migrant family set off on a humanitarian task to assist them. Two days later, he traced the family and arranged food and shelter for them. Haryana Police assisted the migrant family at the request of Salman Ravi.
In the latest tweet, Salman Ravi informed people that Haryana Police have assured them to send them home safely.
“Finally followed them and managed to find shelter for the migrant family. See the smile on the kids’ faces. Did my duty as a common man. Thanks to Haryana Police they promised to send them home safely,” wrote Salman Ravi in a tweet. Again, Salman Ravi received appreciation for his humanitarian effort to assist the migrant family.