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Australiansstuck there musthave the opportunityto comehome.

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

herecentvisuals from India, gut-wrenching, paint a picture of the despondency anddespair currentlybeingexperienced by the citizens.

Headlinessuchas "Indiagaspingfor oxygen" tellthe story of thehealth and socialsystems struggling tobattlethe pandemic.

With over400,000 dailyinfections andover250,000 deaths to date and counting, the tragedy thathas befallen Indiais in plainsight.

Seeing images ofovercrowded hospitals, mortuarieswith bodies, and make-shiftfuneral pyres onrooftops, theworldatlargeisfeelingthe pain andanguish of India's people,and respondingwithboth prayers andaction.

To theAustraliangovernment,thank youforyourmaterialaid towards medical facilities in India. Theseare indire need and will helpsavelives.

Thank youfor commencing repatriationflights from Indiaafter assessing thehealth risks. The 9,000 plus

To themedia, thelawyers, the human rightsactivists and themany community groups whoraised their voices atthe unjust penalties ofprison tenns and fines, thank youforyoursupport.

To allthestatesof Australia,especially Victoria, QueenslandandNSW whohaveagreed totakeadditional repatriationflights, thank you for your compassion.

I ambeholdentothe everyday Australianwhohas been sensitive to the pain thattheirIndianAustralian colleagues andfriends are going through. Ihave grappled to come to termswiththeever-narrowing circle of thosewe are losing in India: afew weeks ago, itwasafriend ofafriend, now itis someoneI have spenttimewith, laughingand sharing a mealon oneof my many trips to India. I wake in the morning to scrollthroughWhatsApp notices ofyetanotherdeath inthe extended family, or school community, or universitycohort.

For mostIndianAustralians, what is mostdifficultatthis timeis the inabilitytobe physicallycloseto our lovedones as theyexperience their bereavement, in somecases multiple times in thesamefamily.

Lately, themessagesof supportfrom Aussiefriendshave beencomfortingas they reachoutto offertheirwishes and prayers to meand to those goingthrough these toughtimes. Phonecallsevenfrom distantAussieacquaintances whosaw India in the news andthoughtof meand myfamily. Strangers stopping me in the supermarkets and confirmingmy Indian heritage, and sharing their concerns and wishes forIndia. To these people, my profound gratitude.

Tothe wider communityhere, whohavedugdeep andhelped many charitableorganisationscaringfor people in India, ourgratefulness.Theseare individualswho haveset upGoFundMe pages;smallgroups ofpeoplerequesting donations; small businessescollecting funds toassist comn1unities inIndia. There arethoseorganisingvigilsin supportof healthcare workers inIndia, and others who arereadyto offer their professional time towards telehealth services directly to peopleinthe small towns and villages.

Toalltheseselfless volunteers, a heartfeltthank you.

The challenges inIndiaareongoing, and prayers forthemany suffering, willhelp.