#Thread: When the state has failed its people and left them to die at the mercy of their immunity, there are people of all age and gender who've dedicated themselves in more ways than they can afford to provide help to those who need it urgently, it is truly, 1/n
to quote Charles Dickens, the best and the worst of times. Community led organisations, particularly those run by Muslims and Sikhs, coming forward with plans like Oxygen langar (case in point, the Hemkunt foundation) and creating a 100 bed COVID hospital in a week's time 2/n
(case in point, Jamat e Islami Hind in Nagpur) to control the situation is the graceful gesture this country should start appreciating more. Not long ago, these organisations and the community they represent were at the center of dirtiest of accusations like terrorism & more. 3/n
At a time when government was repeatedly denying the viral apocalypse (using the phrase from Time's latest article), students trying to facilitate and procure Oxygen, food and medicines for people they didn't knew existed until that SOS message appeared on Twitter using their 4/n
own savings and risking their own lives is the only thing this country can take pride in at the moment. Having taken an insignificant part in such actions, I know this is a very difficult as well as a dangerous task. I am amazed at the bravery of our friends, many of whom we 5/n
have known only through social media, who despite being at the margins of the state, experiencing the most cruel and brutal vagary of state repression, casteism and Islamophobia are fiercely on ground involved in relief work. It is a difficult and dangerous task, 6/n
as I mentioned earlier, because it is mentally exhausting, having to become witness to countless deaths on a daily basis and knowing that those lives could as well have been saved and regretting to have not done enough and everything else that comes in the mind with it. 7/n
This is an act of bravery. I write this to thank all of them for doing what they are doing. I only wish to be as brave as them. 8/8
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