Sonu Sood Takes On The Savior Role Again: Airlifts 177 Odia Girls Stuck In Kerala
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For migrants and daily wage workers, the Coronavirus lockdown has turned their worst nightmare into reality. Migrants from villages across the country are known to flock to the city of dreams, looking for a better life. However, they are met by unwelcoming cities that often exploit and manipulate their labor to build its metropolitan towers. After the lockdown was announced, many migrant workers were left trapped within the very cities they came to build. They are now stuck in unventured territories and with very little savings if indeed there is any. Many of the migrant laborers in Mumbai live within closely confined homes inside slums and are thus highly vulnerable to being affected by the virus. Many have reached out to the government requesting assistance and safe passage home. A few celebrities have taken the plight of migrant workers into their own hands and helped them out actively. Sonu Sood is one of the many who have been doing so. Read on to find out how he answered the prayers of many who were stranded in different parts of the country.
In This Article
Rescuing Migrant Seamstresses
Sonu Sood recently did the extraordinary feat of arranging for around 177 young women to be airlifted from the Ernakulam district of Kerala. The factory workers were from Bhubaneswar and Sood managed to get the governments of Kochi, Bhubaneshwar, and Karnataka to agree to the emergency rescue. A special aircraft from Bengaluru was called in for this rescue mission. According to news websites, Sonu got to know about the girls from a close friend from Bhubaneshwar.
Amar Patnaik who is a Rajya Sabha MP, tweeted his gratefulness to Sonu for his kindness. He said, “@SonuSood Ji, your helping the Odia girls to return safely from Kerala is commendable. Kudos to your noble efforts. It’s incredible to see how you are helping the needy reach their homes safely. More strength to you.”
The philanthropic actor has started a scheme called “Ghar Bhejo” and it aims to arrange 100 more buses for migrant workers to go home in the next ten days. The generosity of this incredible actor is saving the lives of countless workers and helping them reach their homes safely. Sonu Sood has collaborated with a close friend, Niti Goel and they have sent hundreds of migrant workers to their home state of UP and Karnataka. Since the 11th of May, the pair have sent around 750 migrant homes through 21 buses and on the 21st May they had applied for clearances from the governments of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Assam. The pair have been cautious of the health of the migrant workers and have ensured that they get them tested.
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
The kind-hearted actor requested permission from the states of Karnataka and Maharashtra to arrange for 10 buses to transport migrant laborers from Mumbai/Thane to their hometowns of Gulbarga in Karnataka. The Happy New Year actor had revealed that he believed every Indian deserves the right to be with their family and loved ones during such extreme times of crisis. The actor commended both the Maharashtrian government officials as well as the Karnataka government officials for speeding up the process and being of immense help. He mentioned that he was delighted to see the Karnataka government welcome it’s people back with open arms. He spoke about how he was extremely moved after seeing images of migrants walking on highways back to their hometowns with their old parents and little children in tow.
The actor had earlier donated over 1,500 special PPE kits to doctors across the states of Punjab and he had even arranged for his Mumbai hotel to be provided as accommodation for those in the medical forces. The actor’s statement mentioned that he had also been feeding thousands of underprivileged people and providing meal kits to migrants during the holy month of Ramadan.
Migrant Worker’s Son Named After Sonu Sood
The actor had earlier revealed that a migrant worker he helped reach home had named her newborn son after him. People all over the internet and the country have been praising the actor for his incredible initiatives towards drawing light to the troubles of the migrant workers and actively helping them reach home.
Sonu Sood has also been the star attraction of the internet and many people are now huge fans of the actor. A man recently tweeted about Sonu Sood helping him reach the liquor store from his house and the actor hilariously stated he would definitely help him reach home from the liquor store. People shared hilarious memes of the actor all over social media and we cannot help but laugh out loud at the reactions.
Celebrities Who Are Helping Out
Many celebrities across the world are doing their bit to help out during this time of crisis. From Hollywood to Tollywood and Bollywood, celebrities are taking the plight of the less fortunate into their own hands. In Bollywood itself, celebrities like Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan are doing their very best to lend a helping hand to those less fortunate. The actor and his wife have been helping out through their foundation, The Meer Foundation. Sources revealed that The Meer Foundation will be providing around 3 lakh meal kits to over 10,000 underprivileged and migrant laborers. They will be doing so in collaboration with the Roti Foundation.
Actress Vidya Balan had earlier collaborated with the Roti Foundation to raise awareness about feeding the underprivileged. Many celebrities have also provided monetary aid and have furthered the cause and asked people to social distance during these times. It is quite inspiring to see some of the most privileged people in this country perform everyday household tasks like the rest of us. The virus has turned out to be a great leveler during these times.
Celebrities like Priyanka Chopra have been vocal about helping other countries as well. Priyanka, who is a UNICEF ambassador, donated funds to essential organizations across the world. PC and her husband, Nick Jonas donated money to organizations like Doctors Without Borders, Feeding America as well as Indian organizations like Goonj, Give India, and Friends of Aseema. Many celebrities have also been spreading the word through their social media handles and asking their fans to help in any way they can during this time.
The Plight Of Migrant Labourers
Migrant laborers often leave nice homes and families back in their hometown and move to major cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, and Delhi only to live in slums. Due to the lack of opportunities in these major cities, they often resort to taking up menial jobs and jobs that pay daily rather than guarantee a fixed working hour or monthly salary. Due to this, during times of crisis, they are often out of work and since they are often unskilled, they cannot shift to working in other sectors. They often live in extremely poor conditions in these cities and are hence vulnerable to catching infectious diseases like COVID19.
Recently, the entire country was sent into a state of shock when it was discovered that 16 migrant laborers had died on railway tracks after being run over by a train. The government has been trying to take active efforts to help out but is it enough? End of the day, every bit counts and if you are able to, you should definitely try to help out the needy in any way you can. Let us know your thoughts on the article in the comment section below.
