One never really runs out of hope. This year, too — in the face of natural calamities and hardships — people across the world have held on to the belief that things will get better. Here’s a visual diary of how quickly they bounced back and how others, in thought and deed, stayed by their side
Silent stream: Over 30,000 farmers marched to Mumbai, from different parts of Maharashtra, from March 7 to 12 to draw the state government’s attention to their demands that included transfer of forest land to tribals who had been tilling it for years. What set the march apart from other protests was the restraint the farmers showed. They marched through the night so as to not disrupt traffic or inconvenience schoolchildren and office-goers. They even refrained from shouting slogans. This struck a chord with Mumbaikars who helped them with food and water, clothing, medicines and other essentials
We shall overcome: It’s been a tough year for Indonesia, with a string of natural disasters wreaking havoc. A tsunami and earthquake in October killed more than 2,000 people in Palu, on the island of Sulawesi. The image of a damaged mosque, holding ground in the face of calamity, symbolises hope
Abide with me: Just days before Christmas, another tsunami — in the Sunda Strait — led to widespread destruction of life and property in Indonesia. That, however, didn’t stop people from coming together for mass. At Carita Pentecostal Church in Pandeglang, Banten province
Better late than never: India can never forget the mass killing of Sikhs in Delhi in 1984. While most people gave up hope of seeing the killers being punished, some persisted in their pursuit of justice. A December 17 Delhi High Court verdict — convicting Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a case — lifted the spirit of people such as Jagdish Kaur, whose husband was among those killed.
Fire on: Many Sikhs have been demanding action against Congress leader Kamal Nath, who was recently appointed the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh
You’re not alone: Extraordinary tales of bravery and compassion emerged from the way Kerala — with a little help from friends — dealt with statewide floods in August. People were airlifted to safety by the armed forces, relief material poured in from various parts of the country and the world, and people joined hands in prayer as Kerala limped back to life
In remembrance: Students of a Mumbai school keep Kerala in their prayers and drawings
New lease of life: On June 23, 12 boys went exploring in Thailand’s Chiang Rai province with their football coach — and ended up trapped deep inside a cave underneath a mountain. What followed was more than a mammoth rescue operation — involving hundreds of volunteers, divers and Navy Seals. The world nervously watched the developments as rescuers made several attempts to reach the boys. It took them more than two weeks to bring them out of the flooded caves. Their classmates welcomed the news of the rescue with smiles and prayers