
At home after years, migrants eagerly waiting for Raksha Bandhan amid Covid-19 gloom
Ajay Pal, a migrant labourer who returned from Mumbai to his village in Pratapgarh due to Covid-19 lockdown in early May, is happy.
“This Raksha Bandhan, it will be exactly 12 years since my sister tied rakhi on my wrist. All these years I had been away,” said Pal, who is eagerly waiting for Raksha Bandhan.
Pal, who worked as a mechanic in Mumbai, is using this time to meet the members of his extended family and relatives and replenish the old ties which he overlooked while working in Mumbai.
“I left home when I was 18. That was the last time I got rakhi tied by my sister. I have got this opportunity again this time,” said Pal.
He is third born among four children. Pal is two years younger to Rupa, the only sister among three brothers. Rupa was married two years after Pal left for Mumbai in search of work. He met Rupa on several occasions in the meantime, but never on Raksha Bandhan.
“I use to visit my village only during Diwali or Holi. I use to speak to my sister on phone on rakhi but never thought of visiting her on the day. I think I should have come every year just for few days around rakhi, after all she is our only sister,” said Pal.
As the day gets closer, Pal has started keeping a close watch on the notices of lockdown issued by the government.
“The house of my sister is some 15 kilometres away from here. It will be difficult for me if lockdown is declared due to rising Covid-19 cases. In that case I will have to think of some other way but I have made up my mind to meet my sister on rakhi which is on August 3 this year,” asserted Ajay adding that his younger brother will also accompany him.
Another migrant worker, Dinesh Verma, 36, in Prayagraj district is also looking forward to meeting his sisters on Raksha Bandhan.
“I will meet my sisters after five years on this Raksha Bandhan day. Though they used to post me rakhi every year, getting it tied by them will be special,” Verma said.
Both his sisters, Divya and Madhuri, are married in the same district some 20 kilometres away from his house. Verma has asked his wife to prepare some sweets at home which he would take as a gift to their house on rakhi.
“I use to send money for my sisters on rakhi in the past years but don’t have much to give this time. My wife will prepare something that I will take along with me,” said Verma, who worked as a waiter in a restaurant in Nagpur before Covid-19 pandemic hit.
He lost his job and returned home on one of the Shramik special trains. He now helps his father on the farms. “Like me there are many migrant workers who will meet their sisters after a long time on this festival, which has come as a brief glimmer in these gloomy times,” said Verma.

Cold wave claims lives of two nomad children in Kashmir
- The family of nomads had been living in a ramshackle shed covered with tarpaulin and polythene in a forest area of Devsar in Kulgam district.

Govt postpones 10th round of talks with farmers' leaders to Jan 20: Reports

Glitches in Co-WIN portal leads to drop in Covid vaccination percentage in Bihar
- Vaccination officers complained that the Co-WIN portal was slow in responding that made uploading information on it time consuming and tedious.

Stalin accuses AIADMK govt of putting on hold projects brought during DMK rule

14 people develop AEFI on second day of Covid-19 vaccination drive in Bengal
- The turnout rate dropped on Monday as Co-WIN glitches continued.

High level EC team on 3-day Assam visit to take stock of assembly polls
- The Election Commission team will hold meetings with the senior bureaucrats and police officers including state chief secretary and police chief to know about security arrangements.

Two Manipur journalists held for article, released after admitting to oversight
- The police claimed that the article openly endorsed revolutionary ideologies and activities.

Retired Odisha professor seeks to donate house for construction of police statio
- In a letter to CM's private secretary, he offered to donate his three-room newly constructed house in Balitutha village of coastal Jagatsinghpur district to Odisha police.

News updates from Hindustan Times: SC panel to begin work on farm laws on Jan 19

India, Japan sign pact to give skilled workers access to Japanese jobs
- Foreign secretary Harsh Shringla and Japan’s ambassador Satoshi Suzuki signed the memorandum of cooperation (MoC) on Monday.

Tandav makers say sorry after a torrent of criticism over web series
- The controversy around 'Tandav' has triggered demands that the government quickly enact a law to regulate content on OTT platforms such as Amazon Prime and Netflix.

SC panel on farm laws to begin work on January 19
- On January 12, after two days of deliberation, the Supreme Court had suspended the pro-reforms farm laws approved by Parliament in September.

3,81,305 beneficiaries received Covid-19 vaccine, says health ministry

Indian, French Rafale jets set to take part in war games in Rajasthan
- The exercise has been codenamed 'Desert Knight 21'.

Nitish Kumar says cabinet to be expanded soon
- Nitish Kumar had said earlier that the BJP was still to hand over the list of probable candidates to be included in the cabinet.