Covid crisis: Migrants living in cities for livelihood on the brink of starvation
RANCHI: One Ajay Oraon (34) and his family of five survived on Sattu (gram flour) for last three days , as his savings and food exhausted during the ongoing lockdown. A resident of Ranchi, Oraon used to eke out a living by driving cars, but has been jobless for many months now.
However, on Thursday midnight, help reached Oraon after one of his friends posted his plight on social media, drawing the attention of chief minister Hemant Soren. On the chief minister’s direction, the Ranchi administration provided Oraon immediate food relief.
This apart, Oraon also received monetary donations of about ₹5,000 from various people till Friday evening, while several people also offered him ration. But, Oraon appealed them to help many others who were suffering like him. “I can manage for a month with the money and food received till now. I would like to request all to identify people like me who are living in a starvation-like situation and offer them food.”
Originally hailing from Balumath in Latehar, Oraon has been living with his family at Boriyo road in Ranchi’s Chiruandi area for past 12 years. Earlier, he used to earn his livelihood by driving cars and earned around ₹15,000 a month. However, he returned to Latehar in April last year due to the nationwide lockdown induced by Covid-19 pandemic, where he worked as a daily wager.
“After relaxation in lockdown restrictions, I again came back to Ranchi to resume work in February this year. But, I haven’t gotten regular work till now, as car owners said there was no demand for hired cars. I thought the situation may improve, but Covid-19 cases started rising again,” he said.
He added, “After implementation of lockdown from April 22 in the state, I was again rendered jobless. We had some savings that soon got exhausted on food. Before I got help, I also did not have money to return to Latehar.”
When Oraon asked for financial help from one of his friends, he advised him to put up his plight on social media and tag the chief minister. “Few hours after tagging him, I received ration by Thursday night. Since Friday morning, I received many calls offering money and food. I requested them to feed other people like me, as I have received enough for at least one month,”
I can manage for a month with the money and food received till now. I would like to request all to identify people like me who are living in a starvation-like situation... AJAY ORAON
he said.
As Oraon said, there were many people like him, who migrated to cities from rural areas for livelihood and do not enjoy government’s subsidised food, pushed to the brink of starvation due to the ongoing pandemic, activists said.
Ashrfi Nand Prasad, member of Right to Food Campaign (RFC), said, “The Covid crisis invited major trouble for people who come from rural areas to cities to earn livelihood. They are mostly drivers, rickshaw pullers, construction workers, labourers or helpers in various shops. They do not enjoy subsidised ration in cities, as most of them have cards in their respective villages.”
Prasad said, “The government should identify such people and ensure them food until they get back to their respective works. The government should also issue a toll-free helpline to provide free ration to such people.”