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HT Salutes: Odia actor helping migrants get home
The actor coordinated with the migrant workers and arranged their return from faraway states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Soon after the lockdown was announced in March, famous Odia film actor Sabyasachi Mishra received a message on Twitter from Dhariti Patra, a Mumbai resident. Patra’s mother was a cancer patient and was due to be operated in AIIMS Bhubaneswar on March 28, but before it could happen, the hospital turned all its resources towards managing the Covid-19 pandemic. Desperate, 21-year-old Patra tweeted to the 35-year-old actor to help her mother get the treatment she needed. She also tweeted to the Odia chief minister Naveen Patnaik and Odia actor-turned-Member of Parliament Anubhav Mohanty on March 28.
“Everyone thinks movie actors can work miracles in real life, but it does not happen that way. So I ignored the messages. But a few days later, I thought if I can help her in any way, let me try,” said Mishra, an engineer-turned-actor, who came into prominence with the Odia movie Pagal Premi in 2007.
Mishra contacted a private hospital in Bhubaneswar and arranged for the mother’s transportation from her village in Ganjam district, Odisha, to the capital city, where she underwent chemotherapy. “When [Patra] called up from Mumbai to say she can never forget the help, I felt I can be of some help to people apart from entertaining them in movies,” said Mishra.
“I had become desperate as AIIMS had refused to operate my mother. I was in Mumbai and could not travel due to lockdown. Though I had tweeted to CM and BJD MP Anubhav Mohanty, I did not get any help. Luckily, Sabyasachi bhai saw the tweet and decided to help out. I can’t be thankful enough,” Patra said.
Two and half months later, Mishra, who is known for his romantic lover-boy roles, has helped thousands of migrant workers. Turning his home into a control room, he coordinated the return of Odia migrant workers from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, among others, several of whom had already started their journey back on foot. Since May 11, the actor has helped transport close to 3000 people through buses, trains, flights and car.
“The biggest loss that [the migrants] have suffered is loss of willpower and dignity. They think they will die walking. It’s important to talk to them,” he said.
It started on May 11 when the actor received a message on social media from Rosalin Mishra, a student of Central Sanskrit University in Rajasthan seeking help for 80 stranded students there.
“It was beyond my imagination to handle the arrangements for buses, getting travel permits and passes for inter-state borders. Initially, bus owners were reluctant to travel to Odisha and they wanted more money. But that was sorted out eventually,” Mishra said.
Mishra hired two buses to ferry the students between Jaipur and Bhubaneswar on May 21, and paid the tickets of those who couldn’t arrange for their own fare.
People began to get in touch with Mishra over social media. Mishra said that keeps his laptop and mobile phone on at all times.
Rosalin now helps manage his social media profiles as well. Together with two other students, they trawl through Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and communicate with people seeking Mishra’s help. “Last week, I coordinated the return of 44 girl migrant workers from Odisha who had lost their jobs in Kerala and were desparate to come back,” she said.
On May 31, Pandarinath Bidar, a photo journalist in Bangalore saw a labourer named Pradip Tandi, sitting on the skywalk of the Majestic bus stand. Tandi had been out of work for two months, and his landlord had evicted him and his family. “I alerted the local youth Congress workers who made food and lodging arrangements for them. I also posted a video of the labourer and his family on Twitter which Sabyasachi Mishra saw and sought details for helping them,” Bidar said.
Mishra bought seven air tickets for Tandi, his paralysed mother, and other members of his family. Between June 10 and 14, he coordinated the return of 120 girls from three districts of Odisha who were working in garment factories in Tirupur and Coimbatore and were unable to return after the lockdown began.
Mishra said that he has set an expenditure target of Rs 20 lakh for philanthropic activities and he is about to reach that amount. Luckily, people are also keen to help out, and Mishra is directing them to his trust, which he set up last year.
“Though film actors do reach out to people in times of natural distress, Sabyasachi has gone several steps ahead. What is creditable is he has done it when the film industry has had no business and actors are unlikely to get any work for quite some time due to lockdown issues. He has set the bar high for everyone,” Odisha Cine Artistes Association president Kuna Tripathy said.
Noted sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik recently made a sand illustration in praise of Mishra’s efforts at the Puri beach.
Recently on Twitter, when someone tagged Sonu Sood – the Bollywood actor who had helped migrants leave the city by organising buses for them – another user tagged Mishra. “Brother.. when you have wishes of the entire nation with you then nothing is impossible. We will make sure everyone reaches back to their family. Yes bhai can’t wait to meet you. Keep the good work going,” Sood replied.
