Sweetie (26) has been in Delhi since the last ten years and she came to Delhi in 2010 when she was only 16 years old. She lives with her grand parents and she is the only breadwinner in the family looking after her siblings.
She started working in retails and thereafter in a Restaurant near Delhi airport, which was shut due to pandemic lockdown. She didn’t receive her salary anymore so she decided to return home till things are back to normal. She also feels unsafe as a Northeast person to remain in cities incase of any untoward situation.
Photo credit: Sweetie (returnee)
Sweetie met lots of people like her during homebound journey by special train, which left Delhi on 23 May 2020 with more than 1600 passengers (returnees) from Manipur. They faced lots of challenges during their long journey as it took five days to reach Jiribam, Manipur. Despite all that she feels safer and happier to be home than staying back in cities.
After completion of 18 days quarantine at the community center Sweetie is now at home, Leiking village, near Phungyar under Ukhrul District, which has about 56 households.
MY JOURNEY 