Setting an example, about 2,500 residents of a panchayat inKathua district Saturday decided to skip their one meal everyday to feed thehungry as the coronavirus lockdown has snatched livelihoods of many and leftthem without food, despite best government efforts.
Sarpanch Shiv Dev Singh of Panchayat Baira-Buorthian said aresolution to this effect was passed by the Panchayat, which has a populationof over 2,500, at a special meeting
The 2500 residents implemented it immediately, he told PTI,raising the slogan save food – save the nation.
It is a token contribution from our panchayat in thecountry’s fight against coronavirus.
Jammu and Kashmir was put under complete lockdown on March22, two days ahead of the 21-day nationwide shutdown announced by the PrimeMinister Narendra Modi to combat the spread of novel coronavirus.
A total of 207 people – 168 in Kashmir and 39 in Jammu –have tested positive in the Union Territory, out of whom four have died, threein the Valley and one in Jammu.
After the lockdown was announced, migrant labourers workingin J&K got stranded with no work. Also, local daily wage-earners lost theirlivelihoods as all commercial activities and labour work came to a halt.
Although the government has taken various steps to reach outto the affected people, complaints about underprivileged sections running outof ration and money have been coming from different parts of Jammu region.
Police and other security agencies including Army andCentral Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have also come forward joining hands withNGOs, social and political outfits and even individuals to ensure no one sleepshungry.
Reports from Doda said the tribal population in the remoteareas of Chenab valley district are facing a very adverse situation.
Sarpanch Shiv Dev Singh urged other panchayats to followsuit to ensure such people get help. He said his panchayat will identify theneedy people and would reach out to them to ensure that they survive thislockdown with honour and dignity.
Social activist Sukesh Khajuria, a resident of Jammu,welcomed people showering flower petals on those on the forefront of the battleagainst coronavirus but said we need much more than tokenism.
The stark reality is that many people are running short offood and money due to the ongoing lockdown and we need to strengthen theefforts of the government to reach out to such people, he said.
Reports from Doda said the tribal population living in theremote hilly slopes of the Chenab valley district are facing a very adversesituation.
The Gujjar tribe traditionally resides in small hamlets nearhigh-altitude meadows far away from the populated areas and treks downhill tothe villages and towns with their produce (milk) and labour work to earn theirdaily income.
“I have not earned a penny for the last 15 days, as thework has come to a standstill. We are without money and left with no essentialsas a result of which my four children and elderly parents are starving for thepast two days,” said Mohammad Salim Gujjar of Alan-Sharekhi village,hoping some government help would come sooon.
Hundreds of Gujjar families reside on the slopes in smallhamlets like Alan-Sharekhi, Dooru-Sartingal, Kota Top, Darie, Ladoo, Rajpura, Kilrooand Ghil-kanaan near high altitude meadows Padri, Qatari, Kainthi, Gildhar,Sarola, Kilroodhar, Guldanda and Bhal-Padri of the hilly district.
The families of many local labourers who are stranded inneighbouring states including Punjab and Himachal Pradesh are also lookingtowards the government for assistance to overcome the crisis.
“I have been borrowing money to survive as my husbandhas got stranded at Shimla due to lockdown. We want the government to at leasthelp us get back our bread-earners ,” said Gulshana, the wife of strandedlabourer Abdul Gani
Additional Deputy Commissioner, Bhadarwah, Rakesh Kumar,when contacted, assured necessary help would be made available to the tribalpopulation.
“We have got enough stock of foodgrains with us. Wewill immediately send a team to these hamlets and ensure delivery of ration tothem at the earliest,” he said.
Reports from Samba district said over 150 families ofvillage Dunai in Sumb block are without food as the local residents have nomoney left with them.
We heard the government is providing three months freeration to the poor but no one had come to us so far. We were working in theunorganised sector and earned our wages daily. We have no money to feed ourfamilies, said Babu Ram, a local resident, fearing starvation in case the helpdoes not reach them.
The district administration in Jammu distributed free rationamong over 400 stranded labourers who are living in a slum near Jammu railwaystation.
The workers, most of whom earn a living by handling goods atthe railway station, had complained of starvation due to the lockdown.
The government distributed ration kits containing five kgAtta, mustard oil and other items among the workers on Friday, officials said.
Police had also come to the rescue of over 40 familiesconsisting of 160 people in Akhnoor sector in the outskirts of Jammu as part ofits we care for you campaign.
Police acted after receiving a call from the strandedlabourers from Bihar and Haryana that they are running out of ration, anofficial said, adding ration kits were distributed among the labourers withvoluntary contribution from Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel.