Times Applaud

Covid-19 lockdowns prompted an Indian daily wage laborer to turn to YouTube. Isak Munda is now a social media star who has been praised by Prime Minister Modi. Isak Munda, from India's Orissa state, was desperate when he published his first YouTube video in March 2020. A statewide lockdown established to stop Covid had brought India to a halt, as had the construction sector that hired him. Workers like him, who were paid on a daily basis, were left fighting to make ends meet. Until one day, inspiration struck. Mr Munda was watching a cartoon on YouTube with his children when he overheard an announcement about how individuals might earn money from the network by sharing videos. Why not give it a shot, he reasoned, he had nothing to lose. So he scoured YouTube for tips and started with simple culinary videos. Mr Munda sits with a full plate of food - rice, dal, greens, a tomato, and a chile - in his first film, which he finishes in silence after welcoming viewers. ...