As the status quo on covid crisis holds, the problems at the level of household economies lingers. In fact it deepens with each passing day. All the help extended by the governments in the form of financial packages in no where a matching thing to the benefits accrued from routine economic activities. So the impact of this situation even if contained in terms of death and transmission of infection, are growing as we go along the path of lockdown. The question that repeatedly pops to surface is how to deal with the failing health of economy at the household level, particularly in the lower and mid income groups. While the government thinks in terms of macro picture of the economy, it is for the people to take initiatives at local level to fight against the immediate and long term effects of this situation on poor and mid income groups. For a society like ours in Kashmir valley, this kind of a challenge is not new.
We have had many phases in our collective life where a huge number of families needed financial and emotional help to cope up with the crises. Genuinely speaking there are people in our society who have always come forward in such situations, and saved many families from ruin. There are a number of cases in which families were recused from the brink of a total disaster. Right now is the time to unleash those generous forces in our society. We know we are passing through a month, which is now in its concluding phase, that is specially known for making charity. So individuals, and the committees at Mohalla level have to work hard to help the needy families. It is also time to professionalise philanthropic activities in the valley, so that it becomes long term and also delivers benefits in a efficient way. To this end some people can take up the job of enhancing the capacities of the people who are associated with social service. There are some globally established practices that can be shared by the people and committees here in the valley. That can only add to the work and make it more productive.