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travel  /  June 30, 2020

On Migration

by kitchenpostcards

In 2017, we were contacted by Manisha Anil Rita to contribute to a small independent publication called Carry On. A student at the Art Institute Chicago at the time, Manisha had already published an issue of Carry On around stories of travel. This was the Migration issue of Carry On. Manisha was looking for stories and experiences from people who have moved to different parts of the world. We quickly started brainstorming ideas of what stories we could share.

What followed was a three part contribution– a photo essay of objects we brought with us, a short story about loneliness in a new land and a personal essay reminiscing trips to a local Shani bazaar.

Migration Issue of Carry On styled as a passport

Looking back in 2020

As we write these words in July 2020, the word migration only brings to mind vivid images and stories of Indian workers struggling to return home in dire conditions precipitated by a swift, poorly executed lockdown due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Many lives have been lost on these journeys, with yet others struggling to survive on meagre meal donations and their savings.

Some might think the word migrant in this context is a misnomer since they are all Indians moving within India. And that, in our opinion, is correct. But these Indians, referred to as Migrant Workers, are internal or domestic migrants. Much like those from a higher income bracket, they moved where jobs were available.

We, city dwellers, have enjoyed their labours while denying them any right of ownership of the cities they have nurtured.

Migration through the COVID-19 lens

Images of migrants walking with their belongings – treasured, functional pieces that were part of the homes they’d just left – have forced us to take a hard look at everything that we deem essential. When both of us moved to new cities on different continents, we had the comfort of carrying a certain guaranteed allowance of luggage the airline would transport with the promise of delivery at our destination. That allowance was ample and meant we could plan and stuff it to the seams.

View this post on Instagram

Miles to go before i sleep

A post shared by Sameer Kulavoor (@sam_kulavoor) on May 9, 2020 at 6:28am PDT

Of the things we brought, some are featured in this photo essay below. These functional, beautiful objects provide vignettes of the kitchens we left behind – those run by our mothers and grandmothers. But now, in 2020, when millions have been suddenly stripped of their basic rights, our indulgences seem frivolous. Sentimental to a fault.

This is the first post in a three part series. We thought it was timely to share these stories now, since we have had the privilege of migrating without concerns for safety, hunger and livelihood.

Each day since the lockdown was announced and the exodus began has provided opportunities for reflection – refocusing our needs, examining our privilege and apathy. Even though the news cycle may have changed several times since then, the crisis still looms.

A Masaal daan, a Barnee, a Chakla belan set and a Hamaam Dasta/Okhli: some of the things we featured in this photo essay on Migration in 2017. We wonder how many such things people either carried with them or left behind during their mass exodus from Indian cities in 2020.

  • Masaal-Daan: A box of spices
  • Barnee: A ceramic vessel/canister mostly used to store pickles, jams and preserves
  • Chakla belan: Chakla is a rolling board and Belan is a rolling pin for making chapatis/rotis
  • Hamaam-Dasta/Kunda-Ghotna/Okhli: Traditional Mortar and Pestle called by different names in different parts of India

These images might reflect some of what you see around you or stir memories. But we hope you will look to the agency You have to exert changes on the ground.

As a food blog, we find it hard to look away while this humanitarian crisis unfolds amidst a pandemic, forcing many to deal with hunger.

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Sapna, 8, a daughter of migrant worker, walks along a highway with her family to return to their village in Purnia district of Bihar during an extended nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease, in Sonipat, Haryana on May 19,2020. Migrant workers are walking home, hungry and scared of the police. #storiesofmigrants #migrantcrisis #corona #covid19 #delhi #india #reportagespotlight #everydayeverywhere #documentaryphotography #coronainindia #photojournalism #migrantworkers #worldphotoagency #coronavirusoutbreak #migrantlabourers #lockdown #vijaypandeyphotography

A post shared by Vijay Pandey (@vijaypandeyphotography) on May 20, 2020 at 6:30am PDT

How can WE help?

If at all, it makes you curious and concerned about what migration and hardship could actually mean in the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic, please consider some of the resources mentioned below.

PARI or People’s Archive of Rural India

SATHI or Support for Advocacy and Training to Health Initiatives (Maharashtra)

Trust for Reaching the Unreached or TRU (Gujarat)

Jan Swasthya Sahyog (Chhattisgarh)

Sambhawna Trust Clinic (Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh)

Goonj

Association for India’s Development or AID

Stay informed; share reliable news

To follow stories from the ground we would recommend following some of these sources; freelance photographers and independent news websites:

Scroll

The Wire

Mojo Story

The Print

Scoopwhoop

Freelance Photographers:

Vijay Pandey:

View this post on Instagram

Daily commuters flout social distancing norms as they board a bus at Anand Vihar, in New Delhi, India. In an alarming rate of increase, India's coronavirus tally crossed 5 lakh cases on, June 26, 2020. The jump from 4 lakh cases to 5 lakh cases has come within six days. #dailylifeindia #covid19 #newdelhi #india #everydayeverywhere #everydayindia #dailylife #gettyreportagespotlight #commuterlife #streetphotography #vijaypandeyphotography #socialdistancing #quarantine #publictransport

A post shared by Vijay Pandey (@vijaypandeyphotography) on Jun 26, 2020 at 10:19am PDT

Biplov Bhuyan

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Amid the coronavirus outbreak, Uttar Pradesh (UP) Government today organised bus services to facilitate the travel of migrant workers from Delhi to several cities/towns in UP. Thousands of workers waited to board buses while carrying their luggage at Anand Vihar Bus Terminal. However, some families were still walking on foot towards their respective hometowns: 1. Workers wait at the jam-packed Anand Vihar Bus Terminal. 2. Ranjit Rajput, 28, walks with his 4-year-old son Prince towards his hometown Bareilly, at Ashram. 3. Workers are seen wearing protective masks while waiting in queues at Anand Vihar. 4. Sandeep,10, poses for a photograph while walking towards his hometown Jhansi with his father, near Ashram. 5. Jina, 70, poses for a photograph while walking towards her hometown Jhansi with her family, at Mathura Road. She said that she is not carrying any money. 6. Workers try to cross a railing to join queues at Anand Vihar. 7. People board buses at Anand Vihar #MigrantWorkers #Exodus #CoronavirusOutbreak #SocialDistancing

A post shared by Biplov Bhuyan (@biplov.bhuyan) on Mar 28, 2020 at 11:10am PDT

Kanika & Sakshi

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  • blog
  • coronavirus
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  • immigrants
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Arbi ki Sabzi in the Instant Pot
On Migration: Part Two: On Buying Groceries

2 comments

  • Taranjeet
    July 15, 2020

    very good article

    Reply
    • Kanika Samra
      July 18, 2020

      Thank you!

      Reply

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Gajar ki Sabzi Two Ways – Cooking Together with Kanika & Sakshi

https://youtu.be/uPW-JIf09Oc

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