My Father’s Tribute to the Dabba-Waalas of Mumbai

When I saw some of you wiping your tears, spontaneously, I followed suit with a painful heart. In fact, I sobbed for sometime later. 

You are the people who have toiled and reached home-cooked food for millions of office-goers in India, sweating and struggling (but smiling), unmindfully bearing the brunt of strenous hardships. You served to pacify the hungry millions but now you need to be rescued as you are starving yourselves.

Alas! The coronavirus has blocked your professional traffic so ruthlessly! 

We, on our part, have to rise to the occasion and embrace you with what little help we can offer. I am sure the generally kind-hearted and those who have experienced the nectar of your immaculate service will come forward to soothe you. 

We were in Mumbai for a very long time and I was a beneficiary of your sweat and strain. Our gratitude in tonnes with humble pranams for every one of you. Jai Bharat and Jai Maharashtra.

Mr C Karunakaran

Palakkad, Kerala. 

An update from donatekart.com:

Thank you so much for supporting the dabbawalas in these tough times. We’re overwhelmed with the response that we’ve received. This is a huge relief for the dabbawalas and their families. As the scale is large, the distributions will be done in a phase-wise manner ensuring that we take all the necessary COVID-19 precautions. 

Periods and PPE Kits

I worked full-day teaching little kids once upon a time…there was no rest except ten minutes of lunch time. I would request the admin lady to watch the class for a few minutes if I wanted to drink some water or change a pad…the terms were clearly explained to me and I loved working there with all the other men and women who were so fantastic and helpful. so no complaints at all.

just that I was reminded of those period days when I saw someone share this video on female healthcare workers in PPE kits…it’s tough as it is…for anyone…but female nurses and docs and healthcare workers on their periods would be dealing with a lot more…

it just never occured to me to see it that way because it’s a normal thing and it happens and we deal with it…but it is a little wrong to not think about it at all, isn’t it?

it’s funny…I am not a man. And I know how terrible it is to not be able to change a pad or to get my clothes stained…and yet…I didn’t think about it…

anyway, sharing the video here.

by the way, many male supervisors have cooperated with women to help ease the burden of periods and PPE kits…that’s such a good thing. thank you to all of them out there…around the world…for helping out, for putting their lives on the line for the rest of us.

Laughter isn’t always contagious 😷

The Poet – by Raymond Garfield Dandridge

The poet sits and dreams and dreams;
He scans his verse; he probes his themes.

Then turns to stretch or stir about,
Lest, like his thoughts, his strength give out.

Then off to bed, for he must rise
And cord some wood, or tamp some ties,

Or break a field of fertile soil,
Or do some other manual toil.

He dare not live by wage of pen,
Most poorly paid of poor paid men,

With shoes o’er-run, and threadbare clothes,—
And editors among the foes

Who mock his song, deny him bread,
Then sing his praise when he is dead.

Night Market, Kerala

Book Launch

Well-done, Singapore!

impressed by how singapore’s leading gender equality group has caught the #metoo bull by the horns to launch a campaign that includes EVERYONE by arming them with information and a sense of sensitivity and responsibility. am glad i took my daughter with me to a first responder training event…it taught her much about suffering and strength. many thanks to #aware for not letting this conversation die.

Migrants

men from neighboring states sell blankets in winter and sarees in summer in my home state Kerala 

Men’s MeToo?

A 67 year old man writes about a rape he witnessed as a teen. Will more men come forward to tell us about their role in the rampant abuse of male and female bodies? Sort of like a men’s #metoo movement against their own social conditioning? It may help all those who are fighting to be heard.

Please click the link for the story:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/i-watched-a-rape-for-five-decades-i-did-nothing/2018/10/05/f28d9cf8-c805-11e8-b2b5-79270f9cce17_story.html

Buskers in Rome