CRIES OF PENNILESS GO UNHEARD WITH FOCUS ON MEDICARE

Unlike during the lockdown imposed last year, this year, marginalised communities seem to be hit harder as government agencies, NGOs and philanthropists have focused more on medical needs than livelihood and food.

During the second spell of lockdown, poor and lowermiddle-class people are neither getting economic support and household provision, nor a day’s food to satisfy their hunger. This time, these NGOs and individuals are focusing on providing medical aid instead of distributing groceries and cooked food.

It is not just the economically poor who are facing the impact of lockdown, but lower-middle-class families with meagre income are badly hit too. Teachers of budget schools, taxi drivers, auto-rickshaw drivers, mobile phone repairs workers, motor mechanics, small printers, employees outsourced in government departments, beauticians, housemaids, salespersons and others who fall into `10,000 to `15,000 monthly income groups, are the worst hit. Most of them are not in a position to provide bread and butter to their family members.

Farhatunnisa of Aziz Bagh, a teacher in a private school in the Old City, said last year the school management had paid the 75 per cent to 50 per cent salary during the lockdown, but this year they were not getting salaries after the announcement by the government about financial aid to employees of private schools. “It is true that last year many NGOs had come forward to help us, but this year they also are keeping quiet, she said. Moulana Ahmed AbdurRahman Siddique who distributed 9,000 kits containing grocery articles during the first lockdown last year, said this time they were distributing in a limited manner as those who supported them in this cause were now giving priority to providing medical aid.