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Your space: Centralised, combined and vast efforts required to help the marginalised
The national lockdown with its ban on movement outside our homes has hit daily wage-earners the hardest. How is the government addressing their needs? What needs to be done by voluntary service organisations and the community at large? Here is what our readers have to say...
The national lockdown with its ban on movement outside our homes has hit daily wage-earners the hardest. How is the government addressing their needs? What needs to be done by voluntary service organisations and the community at large? Here is what our readers have to say...
To help, contact helpline for needy
To ensure that under no circumstance the poor, hard working people who work hand to mouth go hungry, district collector Naval Kishore Ram has taken the necessary steps. Under his guidance, sub-divisional officer Santoshkumar Deshmukh and tehsildar Trupti Kolte are providing food to the needy with the help of local NGOs. In Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) Yerawada, Pune station, Bopodi, Shastri road areas, day-night help centres have opened. People who are interested in helping the homeless should contact the ‘corona control room’ to make contributions. The control room has a list of needy people and the distribution can be streamlined through it. With help of Vishal Hiremath of Miracle Aid Foundation, 1,000 meals were distributed in the district on Saturday. Interested organisations/individuals should connect tehsildar Trupti Kolte on 9850719596.
Office of the district collector
We have maximum access, can help the most
We are asking people to send us food packets - police mitra and well wishers as well, not just NGO workers. We see poor people who are natives of Sangli, Kolhapur areas who are stuck here as the transport options have completely shut down. We ask them where they are from and most say they’re from Miraj, Islampur, among other areas. Different people come every day and give us food packets that we further distribute. We, policemen, can go home and eat. But these people are not able to do that even if they have the money as they do not have the essentials to cook. On Saturday, we got some 70-75 packets. The number changes everyday. As policemen, we are the ones who have maximum access to these people. We can take as much help as we can to the ones who need it.
Nikhil Sable, police constable
Need massive efforts to reach the poor
The lockdown is like a massive earthquake for the poor, as their livelihoods have simply vanished. Mammoth interventions for food, shelter and safe travel should have been in place before the quake. The ‘shock’ induces a cognitive paralysis among the marginalised and the downtrodden. The government should immediately reach out to the poor through public private partnerships and rope in NGOs. 1/5 of those who commit suicide in India are daily wage labourers (NCRB).
Dr Harish Shetty, psychiatrist
Will distribute freshly cooked food
The central and state governments are implementing various relief efforts to help those affected by the 21-day lockdown. We, at Akshay Patra Foundation, understand the urgency as well as the criticality of the endeavour. Therefore, we will strive to maintain the highest standards of safety and hygiene in all our processes whilst we reach out to as many people as possible. We will also engage corporate volunteers to distribute freshly cooked food and relief kits.
Madhu Pandit Dasa, chairman, Akshaya Patra Foundation
Centralised relief effort needed
There should be a centralised effort for distribution of essentials to these people. It is heartbreaking to see them walk around on the streets looking for transport while the country is already dealing with a major issue like a pandemic. It maybe too early, but the government should channelise efforts from all NGOs and make one centralised way to distribute food, water, and sanitation essentials. Once the information reaches the ones who need the help, they can have a trusted source of relief.
Shobha Shinde, retired nurse
Local govt should come up with measures
We, normal working-class individuals, do not know how to deal with what we are faced with, but we know that the condition is bad. Countries like Italy, Spain and the US are suffering so much. I understand that it is because of the lockdown that we maybe able to curb the spread of the virus in our country. So, it is clearly necessary. But the daily wage labourers are the worst hit. I see people walking by near our house - as there are a lot of construction sites here. Their work has come to a standstill and they are not able to go back to their villages either. I hope the local government can come up with some form of relief for them soon. Labourers who earn their living with hard work should not be forced to turn into street dwellers.
Sayali Ranjane
Fill in gaps of reach, awareness
We must avoid duplication of government efforts by individuals. Volunteers should fill in the gap of reach, awareness and help thy neighbour by cooking an extra meal or getting grocery for them. This minimises travel and exhibits restraint. Serve needy watchmen, security guards in your own society. Use societies or community WhatsApp to offer services within your compound. Daily wage earners and transit labour are fed near important community stations already.
Satya Narayan
Collective help required
In India, the labour workforce which is dependent on daily wages is huge. It is very difficult to get an estimate of the total number of workers because they are spread out far and wide, and I am not aware of any registration system for them. Though the government has sanctioned funds to help them, I do not think it is going to reach the workers anytime soon because of how the system works. The local NGOs are trying their best to help. We need a collective effort from the government and the NGOs if we are to take care of everyone in need.
Ajey Deshpande
