Dear Reader
'Together, we shall overcome.'
In Kolkata's Uniworld City, residents didn't want the elderly to be left without any care. And so, they took it upon themselves to deliver the groceries — to their doorsteps.
And there's this heartwarming story that emerged out of the otherwise bustling Lokmanya Tilak Terminus in Mumbai's Kurla, as it came to a grinding halt last week. Most people had returned to the safety of their homes by then — but not all. A batch of migrant workers were forced to spend their nights at the railway terminal.
Though strangers to them, residents of a nearby complex in Kurla decided among themselves to do something. They reached the spot with drinking water and food — because, in their words, social distancing could use some social solidarity as well!
My Report — or the stories brought to us by our readers, such as the ones from Kolkata and Kurla — is something that The Quint has always taken pride in.
It isn't possible to have reporters everywhere at all times — and so we have citizen journalists reporting from all over the country and even abroad!
But this time around, it is different. The coronavirus pandemic has engulfed the whole country and the whole world. No matter who you are, where you are, the pandemic affects you — it does not distinguish.
In these times, we are listening — to each one of your stories!
A citizen journalist, whose graduate studies were affected at New York's Columbia University, narrated to us the stark contrast between Mumbai's preparedness compared to that of New York to keep its people safe.
But don't make the mistake of thinking it's all down to the state, either.
A brother-sister duo, upon their return to Pune from outbreak zones, self-isolated completely. They shared with us — and our readers — how to quarantine in the best possible way, so everyone can stay healthy.
A citizen journalist from Kashmir, who admittedly had the "misfortune of living under lockdowns, sometimes far more difficult to live in than this current lockdown," shared a six-point guideline:
My Report is sharing such stories to spread awareness, but, over and above, it has become a voice for the voiceless and the subdued.
Like this Bengaluru-based software engineer for whom things started going downhill when the Karnataka Health Department decided to reveal her address to all the people who were still under quarantine. Although her self-quarantine period is over, her flatmates are now looking at her with suspicion.
Doctors from various parts of India have trusted My Report as a safe platform, too, as they talked about the pathetic conditions in which they are being forced to work.
A junior resident from Kolkata exposed how they were not being given fresh masks, forced instead to reuse the same surgical mask day in and day out, despite dealing with patients who have contracted COVID-19.
Forget masks, even hand sanitizers were not provided by the hospital, she laments. Feeling vulnerable, she bought her own N95 mask.
Many other doctors joined in, saying they have been "left in the lurch" with flimsy raincoats and masks to be used as protective gear against a disease so virulent it has killed more than 30 people in India so far.
With doctors across the country working in hazardous conditions, India needs to do much more than implement social distancing. To that end, we want to thank our citizen journalists for bringing untold stories out into the open through our platform.
We promise to keep listening. Write to us or send your videos or audios to myreport@thequint.com or WhatsApp is at +919999008335.