City council Speaker breaks down over crisis in India

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This article was published 29/04/2021 (1965 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A devastating surge of COVID-19 deaths in India hit home for one Winnipeg city councillor Thursday, who briefly left a public meeting in tears.

Early in the council meeting, Coun. Kevin Klein asked fellow councillors to acknowledge those suffering in the country and their loved ones in Winnipeg.

“I want to take a moment to ask my colleagues to join me in sharing your thoughts and prayers with those in India,” said Klein. “We have watched the devastating impacts, the horrible images coming out of India and they need our thoughts and prayers today.”

Following Klein’s comments, council Speaker Devi Sharma sat silently for a few moments as she took a few deep breaths. In a voice trembling with emotion, Coun. Sharma whispered to city clerks, “I’d like to take a recess, please.” She slowly walked away and could briefly be heard crying in the council chamber.

After several minutes, the meeting resumed with a moment of silence for those living in India, then returned to the regular agenda.

Sharma later thanked Klein for his “heartfelt remarks” while noting they did trigger strong emotions.

“It really punched me in the gut at that moment because all of those images that we’ve been seeing on the news in the last little while just flooded back into my mind and I was overcome with emotion,” said Sharma.

The councillor noted she was born in India and has many extended family members in the country who face new fears and challenges due to the pandemic.

“It’s just devastating to see the loss in India, makeshift funeral pyres that have been created because of the mass cremation that’s taking place, the devastating loss that families are suffering. It’s just heartbreaking,” said Sharma.

India reported 3,293 COVID-19 deaths and 362,757 new infections on Wednesday, bringing the country’s total number of fatalities to 201,187. The surge in cases has overwhelmed parts of the country’s health-care system, with some patients suffocating because hospital oxygen supplies have run out.

“Many, many lives have been lost. And they may not be my personal family members, but they are family because (of) humanity. We are one across the globe,” said Sharma.

— with files from the Associated Press

Joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga