Every story has a picture that defines it and, in most cases, the picture can so much more than the words that are written to describe it. Take some of these examples: In famine-hit Sudan, it was a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph of a vulture stalking a malnourished child that left us heartbroken.
During the 2002 Gujarat riots, there were two: one of a man brandishing a sword and ready to kill the next person who came in front of him, and the other of a man in tears begging for his life to be spared.
In Syria, the picture of a child who had died while waiting for a refugee boat became the page 1 picture in newspapers across the world.
The migrant crisis in India during the novel coronavirus has been one of the biggest stories in the country after the virus itself. It has told India stories of heartbreak, resolve, horror, and sadness, and while pictures of thousands of migrant labourers struggling to move from Point A to Point B has affected us, a new image circulating on social media has left us questioning humanity.
In the picture, a child, who has been compared to the child in Syria, is seen lying face-first on a suitcase, pushing it with every last ounce of strength he has. The suitcase is also being pulled by a woman, who is presumably the child’s mother. According to The Times of India, the incident was reported somewhere in Punjab.
Earlier, a 9-month pregnant woman who walked 196 kilometres on foot, from Ahmedabad with her husband, son, 1, and daughter, 2, for 6 days to reach her native place in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam. This woman, with her family, including husband and two kids, reached Dungapur checkpost on Monday evening. The staff at the location was stunned to see her feeble condition as she looked quite tired and lacked energy. When asked if she had food, she simply refused. It also seemed as if she was in pain
