AFTER the one-day lockdown on 22 March 2020 the lockdown announced up to 14 April did of course pose huge distress and crisis for migrant workers. At the same time, the condition of the poor in rural areas who subsist on daily wages is deteriorating. In many villages the condition of widows, helpless, physically challenged, and daily wage earners has turned horrific. There has been no initiative from the government in this regard.
Poor without Ration Cards:
Over the last several years, number of existing ration cards have been reduced on a large scale instead of new ration cards being made. In 2017 more than 1 lakh applications were given in Arwal District for issue of new ration cards, out of which only a mere 5000 were issued. On the one hand, new ration cards were not issued; on the other hand, thousands of existing ration cards were cut off.
Ration cards have been cut on a huge scale in municipal areas. 200 ration cards of the poor have been cut in Ward 5, out of which most are cards of dalits and backward sections. Mahadalits’ cards and in rural areas also ration cards have been cancelled on a large scale. In the current situation when the poor should be getting relief, they are being deprived of all government benefits due to lack of ration cards.
Instead of accepting new application forms, a few of the old forms rejected earlier are being issued with ration cards. In some villages the rations for the month of March have not been given. It would not be correct to hope that the already lax and corrupt government system will somehow become better in this time of crisis.
After pressure was put on many dealers, rations have been distributed at places. So far the free rations have not been distributed. The government has not yet sent the rice for the card-less poor; these poor have only been asked to provide Aadhar number and Bank Account number. This work of asking for numbers has been done in a very secretive manner by the government through middlemen; but the employees under them have not yet been able to collect and process these numbers.
CPIML activists are taking the initiative and preparing lists of such needy persons who do not have cards. These lists will be submitted to the officials and pressure will be put upon them to distribute rations and other facilities.
Ration Distribution:
8 families in Akopur village, Khabhaini Panchayat, Arwal Block were on the brink of starvation. As the news of this was received, CPIML activists collected rice, dal, potatoes, masalas and oil and distributed them among these families. Comrades are making arrangements to distribute rations in Jalvaiya Chowki, Kaler. 4 families on the brink of starvation in Chauram village were provided with rations by a team. Wherever such cases are coming to light, pressure is being put on dealers to give such needy people rations.
Communal tension:
The ‘Godi Media’ and BJP-feudal sections are spreading rumors and false propaganda widely among the villages about the Tablighi Jamat spreading Coronavirus deliberately under a conspiracy. Communal tensions were attempted to be incited in two villages in Arwal District. At some places, Muslim families were harassed in the name of Tablighi Jamat.
Mahuari Tandi: On 6 April communal clashes broke out in regard to an inter-religious relationship (Muslim girl, Hindu Kushwaha boy) in Mahuari Tandi village which is located adjacent to Arwal District HQ. The matter was prevented from escalating due to the timely intervention of the police. RSS-BJP are trying to twist the matter and present it as a clash because of failure to switch off lights and light candles, and are also spreading the lie that some Tablighi people are hiding here. CPIML has asked the police to prevent innocent people being from beaten up or slapped with false cases.
Musepur: Communal tensions were incited on 6 April at Musepur in Kaler Block. There has been a long tradition of azaan at the Masjid here. Some Yadav, dalit and very backward sections prevented the azaan on 6 April and beat up Musrshid, Zubair and Irfan. Tensions built up on both sides and the matter cooled down when Comrade Jitendra Yadav took initiative and the police were informed. CPIML leader Jitendra Yadav explained the lockdown and corona crisis to both sides and appealed for unity and cooperation to fight the hunger and starvation facing the poor.
Parasi Bazaar: Dr Qayamuddin Ansari’s daughter, who is a teacher at Maqdumabad, is married in Tarar (Daudnagar). Her husband who is an engineer and lives in Delhi came to Patna after holi on 12 March. Meanwhile Parana Parveen came to her father’s home in Parasi village. Parveen has been checked up like all others coming from Delhi and is in constant contact with the officials, but terror was attempted to be spread through the false rumor that she had come from Tablighi Jamat. CPIML took initiatives in this matter and informed people about the truth and requested them not to believe in rumors.
Khabhaini Isolation Camp: 19 migrant workers who have returned are being kept in an Isolation camp at Khabhaini School. Some families in the village obstructed rations and food being given to these workers and created a hue and cry; and finally the Mukhiya told the Thana in-charge and BDO that he would not be able to manage unless some interventions are done to control these elements. The Thana-in–charge and BDO intervened and asked the Mukhiya to manage the matter. The Mukhiya is providing rations to the workers at his personal expense which will be made up later from the 5th financial funds. So far no government funds have come in this regard. A similar situation is faced by the Mukhiya in Bambhai Panchayat also.
Arrangements for Medical Treatment: In Arwal District there is one Sadar Hospital, 5 Primary Health Centers and 8 additional Primary Health Centers. There are only 9 doctors and 16 nurses in the Sadar Hospital as against the required 25 doctors and 50 nurses. PPEs have not been made available to the doctors and nurses here; nor are there arrangements for any special medicines. Currently the OPD in the Hospital is closed. The only treatment available to patients is in Emergency Services. Doctors are being pressurized from various places to treat patients who are also under stress and trouble.
Harvest time has started for farmers. The Rabi wheat crop is being harvested. There are no reports of the police harassing workers engaged in harvesting the Rabi crops.
