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Happy International Women's Day!  Though we are a bit late, we would like to wish everyone a very Happy International Women's Day! Durga didi has been working on a construction site for the last 10-15 years, and has been working with the same contractor for the last 7 years. She has 4 grown children and wishes for them to do well, and not enter the line of work they are in. She hails from MP and came here with her husband in search of work.  There are many people like Durga didi who are not as fortunate to have found a good contractor. Many get cheated or are not paid to their fair wages. There are hopes and there are aspirations. Durga didi is very clear in her motives and aspirations for her children, so it makes me proud that at least no hope or dreams are lost in the vicious cycle of circumstances and poverty.

Welcome to another episode of Where The Chasm Is Bridged, a podcast by Behind The Scenes. Today we have a very interesting podcast, where we have narrated a story you must have seen in your everyday lives as well. The story follows Sona, a domestic worker, who is accused of stealing a pair of diamond earrings from her employer, Kirti. Kirti does not listen to her and is immediately convinced that she must have taken it, without a second thought. There are many workers like Sona who are accused of stealing or finding ways to not work, without proper evidence. We accept the best from them, without giving them the necessary or even basic treatment. *The story is completely fictitious and does not mean to harm anyone's sentiment.*

Welcome to Where The Chasm Is Bridged, a podcast by Behind The Scenes.  The film which is today's focus is Hawaa Hawaai. It revolves around the life of one Arjun Waghmare who is a victim of incessant atrocities. The son of a poor farmer, he works at a tea stall to make ends meet. The movie shows how he and his friends face all odds to come out winning and despite all the impediments that society puts in their way, they rise to the challenge. It's a heartwarming tale of how tough life is for child laborers and an appeal to the emotion for everyone who watches the film. It is interesting to see how the society stereotypes the children and adults by categorizing them into the 'hopeless' and 'useless' category all because of their social background. They are ridiculed and discouraged from pursuing their dreams, making sports like Tennis or Golf, the sport of the 'Rich'. 

Welcome to Where The Chasm Is Bridged, a podcast by Behind The Scenes, an NGO aimed towards working for Dignity of Labor.  Disability can be of different kinds. According to the Census survey, it has been categorized into 5 categories, namely, visual impairment, mobility impairment, mental impairment, speech impairment and hearing impairment. According to the International Labor Organization, 4-5% of India’s population is said to be affected by one or more of these disabilities. Due to the sheer size of India’s population, even a small percentage can lead to a population of several millions. There are many people who are stigmatized for being disabled and are not allowed to tap into their full potential.  Mrs. Shashi Azad is the National Vice Chairperson of the Mahila and Bal Vikas campaign of Bharat Vikas Parishad. Ma’am is also working as President of Mahila samiti of Vanvasi Raksha Parivar foundation which focuses on helping women in the tribal area. She has been working in this field for many years now, along with her husband. Through Bharat Vikas Parishad, ma’am has helped many disabled people by providing them with artificial limbs. In the lockdown too, she worked hard to give food to workers and the people in their vicinity, both through the organization and in her personal capacity.

Welcome to Where The Chasm Is Bridged, a podcast by Behind The Scenes, an Ngo working for dignity of labor among blue-collar workers.  I think this New Year made me realize several things. While we looked for resolutions within the comfort of our homes, there were people who looked for new opportunities. I realized how the same joyous occasion could mean different things to different people. A student would wish to do better academically, a worker would wish for more wages and a lost child would wish for directions home. In these cold nights where everyday is a struggle, I think, the New Year would become just like any other day. So why not make a resolution to try and make things better for someone else, and not ourselves? The last year has been very difficult for the entire world, so let's help those who could not help themselves. Happy New Year everyone! 

Welcome to Episode 13! Today, we are in conversation with Mr. Rameysh Sharma, an emotional intelligence and life skill trainer. He has been in the field since 2006 and has worked with many government ministries. Sir helped us understand the various ways in which the pandemic affected the mental health of so many individuals, why it was all the more impacting for daily wage workers.  Mental Health of any person can be very fragile, as the pandemic has shown us. Taking care of ourselves, mentally as well as physically, can be a way we can achieve ways to reduce our stress. In a world where everyone has 'too much stress', perhaps, the ability to differentiate between positive and negative stress can allow us to motivate ourselves and learn to pave our way forward. Not just us, but empowering those around us to seek answers for themselves and learn more can be an initiative, we as individuals can take as well. 

This Human Rights Day, we would encourage everyone to think about the exploitation of blue-collared workers and speak up about the inhumane circumstances they are subjected to. Here is a short thought provoking self composed poem for you. 

Welcome to another episode of Where The Chasm Is Bridged, a podcast by Behind The Scenes.  In this world where poverty runs rampant, children are pushed into the job market faster than they deserve. Following the theme of Child Labor, we have a book today, that captures the realities of Child labor in urban cities. Boys Without Names by Kashmira Sheth, is a fiction written in 2010. She follows the story of eleven-year old Gopal, whose family has recently moved to an urban city. There he gets coerced into working in a factory with extremely low wages and harsh conditions. Gopal uses his fantasies and stories to give the other children hope of escaping.  All around the world, children are abused to work in factories and other hazardous industries. The main reasons could be because of the financial stress on their families or the huge debt that burdens them. In India, particularly, even though child labor laws do exist, it doesn't lower the numbers in any sense. 

Welcome back to another episode of Where The Chasm Is Bridged! We hope you had a joyous Diwali with your loves ones! This episode talks about the ill-fated relationship between children and work.  We see a Chhotu working at a tea stall or a Gayatri working in a car-repairing shop but we consider it their “majboori” and accept it as the norm. But why does this happen and is there a way out? Today, we discuss these crucial points in our podcast, by looking at a a few communities and industries to understand the situation better. Hope you find this insightful!

Welcome to another episode of Where The Chasm Is Bridged!  Bringing to you the flavor of regional cinema, today we have a Tamil film called Thaen. Thaen literally mean honey which connects the love people have for nature. Directed by Ganesh Vinayak, the film depicts the struggles of a forest dweller who has no means or resources of getting treatment for his sick wife. Because he does not have the documents required by the government, he is exploited, humiliated and scammed at every stage of his journey just because he is a poor man with no power. The film also highlights how politicians in remote areas abuse their power to get what they want.  The film captures the grim realities of forest dwellers in India and their lives are at the discretion of the rich and powerful. 

Welcome back to another episode of Where The Chasm Is Bridged, a podcast by Behind The Scenes. In this episode, we look at another aspect of Dignity of Labor through the lens of migrant workers. In conversation with Mr. Jignesh Mistry, we follow his journey through India, as we discover the circumstances of the migrant workers. Mr. Jignesh Mistry is a freelance photojournalist, who has been working in the field for over 11 years. Sir started his career as a nightshift news photographer at a daily tabloid during his graduation. Since then, his work has been published at multiple magazines, wire agencies and national newspapers. He is also involved in taking photography workshops for students in academic institutions. He has been engaged with the PAIGAM network and is a regular contributor at The Wire, The Press Trust of India and other international Wire Agencies. He has also been working with the Center for New Economic Studies as a Senior Research Analyst. Many migrant workers throughout India had the desire to return home from their place of work, in order to ensure their families safety. Sir highlights the plight of the laborers and explains how they were left to fend for themselves when they lost their livelihood. Without adequate help from the government or NGO's (due to restrictions by State Governments), they were forced to take extreme measures to reach home. 

Welcome back to another episode of Where The Chasm Is Bridged, a podcast by Behind The Scenes.  Continuing with our theme of farmer's suicide and debt, today we talk about one of Munshi Premchand's most famous novel, Godan. Written 85 years ago, the book still manages to raise questions relevant and important to the modern agricultural society. The book captures rural India, in an attempt to understand the growing, never-ending debt that farmers and many landless laborers end up incurring. Following the themes of debt and societal pressures, we follow Hori and his struggles to pay off a huge debt, while trying to maintain his social status by owning a cow.  While Peepli [Live] focused on the dignity of labor and how one's life is not in their own hands, Godan talks about the reasons for which a simple farmer could enter a debt trap.