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Sonu Sood on helping migrant workers: I don’t believe in half-hearted efforts
Sonu Sood has taken it upon himself to unite migrant workers with their families amid the lockdown due to the Covid-19 crisis. And the actor, whose endeavours are now not just limited to Maharashtra, has won admiration from all over India. “My phone hasn’t stopped ringing since the first day our buses filled with people went to Karnataka. I’ve been missing out on calls and messages, which is why I started the toll free number. That’s also flooded with calls. There are over 70,000 on the waiting list, and many more contacting us,” says Sood, who recently arranged a chartered flight for 177 migrants stuck in Kerala and sent them back to Odisha. Now, he has booked three trains to send migrant workers from Mumbai to their homes in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Sood,46, explains trains and flights accommodate more people. “Buses take longer and need permissions from every state they cross. Itne saalon se dost hi to kamaye hain maine, wahi abhi mera saath de rahe hain,” he adds. Risking his and his family’s health, Sood steps out daily so that work runs smoothly. “I need to step out to check if things are in place. I don’t believe in half-hearted efforts,” says the Simmba (2018) actor, who has donated to charities, offered his Juhu hotel to healthcare personnel and provided food to 25,000 migrants during Ramzan. No doubt he’s got so much love, with one migrant worker even naming her son after him. “Their smile fills my heart, makes me believe I’m serving the purpose of my life,” he says.
Recently, Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari congratulated Sood and assured him all help.
Has anyone also extended financial aid? “Initially, I was doing things on my own, now many from within and outside the industry have come to help. Some are keen on sponsoring a bus or booking tickets for migrants. Farah (Khan; choreographer-filmmaker) provided drinking water. It’s become a movement,” he adds.
The death of a pregnant elephant in Kerala’s Malappuram, on May 27, after some locals fed her a pineapple stuffed with firecrackers, sparked an outrage. Several people including celebrities took to social media seeking tough laws against animal cruelty. Randeep Hooda tagged Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar and Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, asking them to take strict action, Alia Bhatt tweeted, “Terrible just terrible. We need to be their VOICE and coexist!! Is this meant to be some kind of sick joke?? This is heartbreaking.”