Continuous lockdown endangers survival of the poor

BQ—– “I haven’t been able to work for a day during the lockdown. There is fear of contracting the virus outside and at home we are living a life of humiliation” — Ghulam Muhammad

Samaan Lateef

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 12

Ghulam Muhammad’s family is dependent on two factors for survival – his earnings of Rs 400 a day as a labourer and his wife’s monthly salary of Rs 2,000 from a private school.

Since the outbreak of Covid in March, both the sources of income have dried up.

A week after lockdown was announced in March, Muhammad (50) who lives in Wagoora, a town in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, ran out of money and groceries. “Initially, my neighbours shared some rice and spinach to feed my family. Now, they have given up because they too have families to feed,” Muhammad said.

He has skipped meals several times, so that his three daughters and wife can eat. “I weep bitterly several times, when I can’t provide non-vegetarian food to my daughters, despite their insistence, during the ongoing month of Ramzan. I’m not able to provide them enough food to eat,” he maintained.

Like Muhammad’s family, hundreds of families in Wagoora tehsil are facing penury and deprivation as economic activity has come to a halt in Kashmir, which had emerged from a six-month lockdown since August 5 before plunging into another.

Local charities have stepped up to help Muhammad and dozens of other families to live through this lockdown. However, they say their resources are limited and cannot cater to all.

“From local donations, we have been able to reach out to at least 100 families in the area. We are providing food kits and little cash to them but that’s not enough. We certainly need to do more,” said Zubair Ahmad, a member of ‘Together We Can’ — a group of locals engaged in providing relief to poor families.

Food Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FSCA) Department had provided 5-kg rice per person for two months. “We have again started the exercise of free distribution of 4.2 lakh quintals of ration to 8.70 lakh families. Distribution of free ration for May has already been completed and it is being distributed for June now,” said Bashir Ahmad Khan, Director, FSCA Department.

More than rice, Muhammad says most of his money goes into buying vegetables from market and medicines for his ailing wife and a differently abled daughter. “Every month, on an average, I buy medicine for Rs 1,000 for my hypertensive wife,” he said.

Muhammad said he was confined to his home since the lockdown. “I haven’t been able to work for a day during the lockdown. There is fear of contracting the virus outside and at home we are living a life of humiliation,” he rued.

Almost no economic activity in the past nine months in Kashmir has devastated residents, particularly over 42 lakh people living below the poverty line.

“Poor will die on roads if the situation in Kashmir continues like this,” Muhammad added.