The Migrant Workers Of India
In My Project “The Migrant Workers Of India”, I Have Tried to document how the pandemic affected the lives and livelihoods of migrants in India.
I have tried to tell the story of 15 such Migrant Workers who had migrated long distances with or without their families to work in big cities but unfortunately, they were stuck and couldn’t return to their homes due to the pandemic and the lockdown imposed by the government. I was deeply moved and saddened by each of their stories, their frustration about the loss of income and all the struggles these people have faced. I really must admit that after the documentation, now I take life and things more seriously and try to value each and everything I have in my life.
This was indeed a long-term project, it took about a year for me to work on this topic.
This project was initiated during the unlock phase of the lockdown during the first wave of the pandemic.
In the wake of India’s 25 March 2020 decision to impose a national lockdown, domestic migrants took desperate measures to reach home amid the pandemic and policies taken to contain it, at both the central and state levels. Migrants’ often long treks home were made in the most inhospitable of conditions, frequently with tragic results.
Indian Migrant Workers Paid the heaviest price for COVID-19. The men who keep INDIA running. Labourers who do everything from constructing buildings to cleaning sewers. They come to cities from Rural India. In search of work. Every morning they wait on street corners, for contractors who might have a job for them. But the pandemic has struck a hard blow.
THE FEAR OF CONTRACTING COVID IS ECLIPSED BY THE BATTLE FOR SURVIVAL AMONG THOSE FAMILIES.
I had always been fascinated with people’s lives and their stories. Photography has given me a deeper understanding of humanity. And to do that I always have to interact with the people I am photographing so that they can accept me in that environment while following this process, I come across many people. And I experienced a little bit of their life while listening to their stories. And this is how I created this project. I strongly believe in the power of photography to change people’s perspectives on social changes and issues. My photographic journey is not only to capture the social, political and financial issues and conflicts but also to portray the artistic beauty and enduring power of the human spirit. I am on an endless journey of documenting untold human stories through my lens. All I wanted was to tell their stories on their behalf.
Shubhodeep Roy
