Pandemic

In May, amidst the nationwide lockdown, two Asiaville journalists ventured on a 600-km journey on bicycles from Delhi to Lucknow to cover the impact of the lockdown - the biggest exodus of Indians since partition. The ground reported story was broadcast live on Asiaville's social media platforms and inspired citizens and organisations to step in to help the migrants and their affected families.

The COVID lockdown and the recent floods have ensured that in Assam’s Sualkuchi town, handloom weavers have faced one of the most crippling financial downturns in their history. The traditional weavers, whose creations are legendary for their unique weaves and intricate designs, have been unable to cope with the fallout. EastMojo reports that other than the economic fallout, the impact is also a “socio-cultural catastrophe”, as handloom has an overwhelming presence in the lives of people. After EastMojo's report, individual donors directly approached the reporter to send donations to the weavers who were affected.

The Caravan chronicles the epic journey of three contract workers in Aligarh - Anil Singh, Manjit Singh and Prem Kumar - who cycled more than 900-kms to reach their respective villages in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Deprived of income, food and shelter following the lockdown, they took to the roads to reach the relative safety of their homes. This deep-reported story brought out the trauma of the migrants in vivid detail and seared their struggles on the national consciousness.

The ground report details the impact of the lockdown on sugarcane factory workers in Maharashtra and how they were unable to reach the relative safety of their homes due to the lack of support from the factory owners and the government. The story helped draw the attention of the public, the sugar factory owners, and the administration to the plight of these workers.