Letters

Need for concerted efforts to offer reprieve to homeless persons

1) Provide night shelters to the needy

As of now, Amritsar is the coldest place in Punjab. North India usually experiences biting cold every winter. As a result, most people prefer to stay indoors and venture out incase of emergency. Most of the well-heeled people wear warm clothes to protect themselves from severe cold, but there are many unfortunate people (mostly poor and migrants) who cannot afford warm garments. So, it is the responsibility of masses and the government to provide night shelters to the needy. No doubt some NGOs are playing the roles of good Samaritans and provide food and shelter to those in urgent need. Still a lot more needs to be done.Only shelter from cold is not the issue as there are other issues, especially for elderly and children. Acute and chronic bronchitis and bronchial asthma are most prevalent during winter because of cold wind, which causes bronchospasm and breathlessness. The government, residents and NGOs, should provide homeless with blankets, food and shelter, so that precious lives can be saved.

Dr JS Wadhwa, Kapurthala

2) Every year the temperature dips during winter. This season the temperature has dipped below 0 degrees celsius in Rajasthan. Snowfall in hilly areas has decreased the mercury and rain will further make life difficult of the masses. Demand of heaters and warm clothes has increased manifold. Homeless people either take shelter below a tree or sleep in market corridors to keep them safe from ther biting cold. The homeless people use bonfire to keep themselves from cold wave. The administration should draft a policy for the homeless people and esure to provide them accommodation during winter. Warm clothes and good quality blankets, socks and gloves, should be given to them so that they can protect themselves from the cold wave. Earlier, the administration used to lit fire at various points on its own expenses, for “alaap and homeless”. Despite witnessing all around development in various segments, many people are still homeless and the administration should provide them free night shelters. Schools have already announced holidays due to the cold wave and dense fog, which will only get worse in the coming days. It is our moral duty to keep every resident warm and safe.

Rajat Kumar Mohindru

3) New challenge for homeless persons

Dipping mercury and smog throws a new challenege for homeless persons. Beggars and labourers are facing extreme difficulties in tackling the bone chilling cold in the open. The government has made some shelter homes for their stay, but the homeless prefer to stay outdoors. Moreover, most of these shelter homes are not properly utilised because of the unsanitary conditions. There is no place to keep their belongings. Rag pickers, richshaw-pullers, vendors need some space to keep their bags. Sometimes they are picked up forcibly and pushed in shelter homes to show action on the ground. Disrespectful behaviour of the staff is forcing them to sleep in the open. The government and the NGOs should provide them bankets and mattresses. A doctor should be appointed for their regular medical check-up.

Shashi Kiran

4) During winter when mercury plummets, life becomes a hell for those without shelter. Though homelessness is a challenge for every civilised society, it becomes a humanitarian issue, especially during night for beggars, construction workers and migrants. In the absence of any reliable data of such persons, relief operation is not an easy task. The administration must come forward to provide temporary shelters in case there are no permanent provisions. At district headquarters, a centralised agency overlooking and coordinating efforts of the NGOs must be established with a toll-free number. It is generally observed that some individuals, NGOs and religious institutions engage themselves to provide blankets, clothes and food to homeless persons, but their such noble activities are required to be synthesized with concentrated action of the district administration, which can be solely entrusted with major task of providing shelters, including temporary ones. Both the administration and the willing entities in unison can surely provide adequate and timely relief to our distressed companions.

Jagdish Chander