Supreme Court Stands Up For Common Man

Supreme Court of India recently passed decisions to facilitate the transportation of migrant workers, with similar help coming from a Bollywood actor.

Crux of the Matter

SC Saves Supreme Court (SC) of India recently ordered all state governments to transport all migrant workers to their homes within 15 days. Moreover, the order also directs the governments to reinforce their decision to ferry the workers without charging and to make mandatory food and water provisions. In another major decision, the SC also directed state governments to nullify FIRs filed against laborers for breaching lockdown norms by walking to their homes.

Plight Of The Workers

1. 8 May: 16 workers run over by a train while sleeping on train tracks near Aurangabad

2. 9 May – 27 May: 80 workers died while being transported back to homes on shramik special trains

3. Besides these, several migrants had to walk or ride a bicycle for 1,500+ km to reach home in the absence of facilities

Haryana: Some migrant labourers are making an attempt to return to their native places in UP, via Bhaira Bankipur village in Sonipat dist. They say "We've to go to Hardoi. We're stopped on all borders,irrespective of the route we take. Allow us to walk home,we have no food"(17.5) pic.twitter.com/DUTpLl5O7t — ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2020

Saviour From Bollywood Bollywood actor Sonu Sood has arranged for the transportation of 20,000+ migrant workers to their homes by buses, trains, and flights. No charges are levied on the workers, who are also provided food and water for the journey. Sood has also started a helpline for the workers to contact, and also receives help requests through social media feed.

चलो घर छोड़ आऊँ❣️ pic.twitter.com/LlSyZpQMUu — sonu sood (@SonuSood) May 26, 2020

Curiopedia

1. The Supreme Court of India came into being on 28 January 1950. It replaced both the Federal Court of India and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council which were then at the apex of the Indian court system. H. J. Kania was the first CJI of India.

2. Bollywood actor Sonu Sood established the production house Shakti Sagar Productions, named after his father, Shakti Sagar Sood.

3. The foundation stone of the supreme court’s building was laid on 29 October 1954 by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India. The main block of the building has been built on a triangular plot of 17 acres and has been designed in an Indo-British style by the chief architect Ganesh Bhikaji Deolalikar, the first Indian to head the Central Public Works Department. 

4. The design of the Supreme Court’s seal is reproduced from the wheel that appears on the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka with 24 spokes. It is also referred to as the wheel of righteousness, truth, goodness and equity. The inscription in Sanskrit reads यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः (whence justice (dharma), thence victory).  

Curated Coverage

1. NDTV – Send Migrants Home Within 15 Days, Drop Cases: Supreme Court To States

2. Scroll – Covid-19: 80 migrants died on special trains between May 9 to May 27, Railway Protection Force says

3. The Times Of India – Maharashtra: 16 die as train runs over tired migrants sleeping on tracks

4. The Economic Times – How actor Sonu Sood emerged as an unlikely real-life hero for thousands of migrants in India’s lockdown

5. Hindustan Times – Seven migrant workers walk 1,800 km from Mumbai to reach home in Chaibasa

6. The Hindu – Supreme Court asks govt to end prosecution of migrants

#Migrants #SC