“Lockdown the country so our people don’t die!” This was declared at 8 pm on March 22. The time left for going home…4 hours! Distance to be travelled: minimum 100 km to 2000 km. How? The only thing that came to their mind, “Just start walking. Let’s go home.”
This happened in our metros in North India. We only think for those who have homes, not for those who don’t! Do we?
A similar situation occurred in our city, too. So many such daily wagers and contractual labourers were stuck. They had nowhere to go and no time to reach home, even though most of them were within 50km to 1000 km range, mostly from other districts and neighbouring states.
It is a fact that our ever-growing Smart City has given livelihood to a huge migrant population, that has also given rise to 436 identified slums, which comprise 30% of the city’s total population and live intermingled within the planned and unplanned neighbourhoods of our planned city, which was planned with a different vision by German Architect Otto Koenigsberger in 1946. Along with Jamshedpur and Chandigarh, it was one of modern India’s first planned cities, established in 1949.
Imagine being kicked out of your rented home because of COVID-19, with no income because your workplace or your office, your factory or your food stall is closed, and your employer won’t pay you. There is no public transport either. So you have two choices, die of hunger or wait for someone to give you some relief (by chance). You do not fall under the government public distribution system, you do not have an Adhaar card, or a ration card as you do not belong here.
We have so many such youth working in various factories and under contractual employment, dying of hunger. They have nobody to ask help for. They are left with some hope from their neighbours, if there is some humanity left. We happened to meet a few at Sikharchandi basti, which accommodates a large number of such people, who depend on the small businesses around KIIT campus and Infocity and the surrounding industries, big or small.
These boys and girls work in various fast food stalls, beauty parlours, contractual housekeeping staff, contractual security guards, food processing factories, in garages and automobile shops, and so many other odd jobs that help us give a better daily life. They do not have work timings, they do not even have a roof over their head sometimes while working, no social security and hygiene.
All of India is struggling for normalcy, the poor with Adhaar cards get ration and relief. But the ones who are hardest hit are these, the daily-wage labourers or contractual employees, who only know one thing, that at the end of the day, it’s the little money earned that will feed their stomach and also of their dependent families so they can continue with life the next day! Rest is only an illusion.
Survival, ultimately has only one way, the stomach!
We have provided relief with dry food to around 1000 such vulnerable, but the food would only last for a week. It’s little for a family of 3 to 5 members. We have reached to such people who lay hidden in pockets of half-constructed homes and borders of slums. We have seen the pain and a look of uncertainty in their eyes.
We are surrounded by such people, let’s find them, let’s reach out to them. And give them a helping hand to survive. Pass on a little food everyday that we buy for ourselves to our unsung heroes.
(If you want to volunteer or donate, you can reach the author on her WhatsApp number: 9937123307)
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