“I have received some thousands of rupees in my account today. I am really very thankful to everyone.”Satvir, Kulfi Seller
These were the words of an overwhelmed Satvir when The Quint spoke to him on Saturday, 23 May.
Hundreds of The Quint’s readers, not just from India and but from different parts of the world like Singapore and Australia came forward offering financial help to Satvir, after watching his ordeal in a video published on 22 May.
While reporting on the exodus of migrant workers at the Delhi-Noida border on 18th May, The Quint’s Poonam Agarwal spotted Satvir with his family along with his 'kulfi' cart.
While talking to Agarwal, Satvir broke down, as he described how his business had collapsed and he was in no position to repay the loan of around Rs 40,000 that he had taken to buy the 'thela'.
Satvir had told us that he wanted to go to Noida to his uncle who had arranged daily wage work for him on a farm. But Noida Police did not allow him to cross the border. When The Quint contacted him again, he informed us that he was on his way to his village in Badaun, UP.
He shared the details of how he was treated at the border. On the evening of 18th May, while Satvir was still waiting at the border, the Noida Police told him to leave his 'kulfi ka thela' at the border and board a bus that would take him and his family to a shelter home.
He told police that he did not want to leave his cart as it was his only source of livelihood. But police gave him no option. They were just not ready to let him enter Noida with the cart. So he had no option but to leave the cart at the border with an unknown person.
At the shelter home Satvir requested police to let him go to his uncle’s home, but all his request fell on deaf ears. He was left with no option but to head to his village in Badaun, which was facilitated by the cops.
Living with his family in Badaun, Satvir is worried as he has no source of income there. However, after watching The Quint's video on Satvir's ordeal, several of our readers and viewers have come forward to help the kulfi-seller financially.
Satvir's story is just one of many as migrant workers in India continue to face hardships, many still travelling miles on foot towards home. The Quint has partnered with Goonj in their Rahat COVID-19 initiative to help them. Donate to help India's migrant workers.
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