By Purushottam Nayak, I P Sarto
Burdwan, April 16, 2020: Hundreds of migrants, daily laborers, and marginalized in West Bengal’s Burdwan region now thank a Catholic charity for helping them survive the lockdown imposed throughout India to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
“God has sent Catholic priests, nuns and others when we were struggling,” says Muni Besra of Ichalabad ward under the Burdwan Municipality.
Mohan Lohar, a resident of Kanpukur Adivasi Para, says he had no food and work for a week. “But I am lucky to get food from Christians,” he says.
Mungli Murmu, an orphan girl who was looked after by her daily wager uncle, says she solely depends on others for her survival. “I see the love, care and support in the help of the Catholic priest and nuns,” she says.
These people are members of some 4,500 families in Burdwan Municipality and a few surrounding Santhal tribal villages helped by the Asansol Burdwan Seva Kendra (ABSK), the social wing of Asansol diocese
The Church team undertook the humanitarian works with permission from the district administration.
Father Wilson Fernandes, the regional director of social works in West Bengal, told Matters India April 15 that Catholic teams started relief work on March 31 after District Magistrate Vijay Bharati issued passes on behalf of Childline of Burdwan.
The team comprises ABSK director Father Arvind Tirkey, his 14 staff members and Sisters Chandra, of the St. Anne’s Chennai, and Joselette of the Congregation of Jesus.
The team also educates villagers on safe distancing, and washing hands with sanitizer, Father Fernandes said.
At the same time nuns and inmates of a home for special need children have stitched 3,500 masks for distribution among villagers along with 100 ml sanitizers.
The diocesan center also provided food for ten days to 300 migrant workers from neighboring Jharkhand state who were stranded at Memari block.
“We will be supporting another 4,500 people in Birbhum and Purba Burdwan districts until April 30,” Father Fernandes said.
Bishop Cyprian Monis of Asansol expressed his happiness over his people reaching out to migrant laborers, poor and needy.
Many priests in the diocese are also involved in relief work in their areas for the poor daily laborers who lost job during this time, the prelate told Matters India.
Animesh Das, a Catholic youth volunteer, said his faith became stronger after watching how priests and nuns reach out to helpless people at the time of lockdown.
“Churches are closed, no Mass on Sundays or Easter for the first time in my life. But my faith in Christ is growing stronger,” he added.
Father Tirkey said the district magistrate has commended their works. “He meets us to know our relief works. Police asked us to feed 100 children at the Burdwan Railway station. Whatever the administration asks us, we do with our limited ability,” he added.
Father Robert Richard D’Souza, parish priest of Laghata village, about 200 km north of Kolkata, said he started distributing relief materials for 400 families with help from friends. “I wanted to share Easter joy with the poor, so I started relief work,” he said.
Father Fernandes explained that they strictly follow the government’s lockdown norms such as social distancing, wearing mask, gloves, using sanitizers and washing hands with soap after food distribution.
“We have sanitizers for all those who come for the help. They stand in different circles keeping the two meters distance. Our volunteers also take maximum care for the cleanliness<” he added. The priest pointed out that all helped by them are people of other religions, including some 700 Muslims. Mohammad Yousef says his community is “really grateful” to Christians for “standing by our side’ during the difficult time. “Your words and deeds go hand in hand. What you believe you practice in reality. There is no contradiction in what you preach and what you do,” the 52-year-old man added. Other beneficiaries are migrants from Jharkhand and Bihar, rickshaw pullers, Tribals, wide range of people. It is done by a 14-member volunteer team, “They are quite impressed and left home, including on Easter Sunday, to join this work,” said Father Martin Behera, parish priest of Burdwan.