To make two ends meet for his family a labourer was receiving advance payment from the brick kiln owner. Meanwhile, when the worker requested his master in a submissive voice, “Aaj Kal Mehngaie Hai Panch Soo Aur Chahiye,” nowadays life is so expensive, I need five hundred more, the dominant reply from his master, “Mehngaaie mat Bolo”, don’t say expensive, was quite disheartening. I witnessed this scene a year ago while I was there along with my friend who had to buy some bricks for construction. The scene made me realise that poverty can push a person to open humiliation. There are situations from which you observe the things better than you come to know about them through books. Since the brick kiln area is about two kilometres away from my residence, I usually come to see the worst living conditions of labourers working over there, while on the way to main town Anantnag. They live in small temporarily made juggies ” houses made of unbaked bricks and straw”. Once I came to observe a heart wrenching seen that the children of brick kiln workers were collecting the thrown forelegs of slaughtered chicken near a poultry shop. The people who work in brick kilns here in valley mostly belong to outside states. Their working conditions are miserable. They along with their families work from dawn to dusk and toil hard vigorously. Their earnings depend on the number of bricks they make per day, so they work hard to make more and more bricks but still they fail to clear their already taken huge debits. Their life is not less than slavery as bonded labourers. I was told by the Munshi ” the assistant of brick kiln owner”, “virtually those workers along with their families are being bought by brick kiln owners till they completely pay back their debits in terms of their labour “. Because there is a big gap between their more family expenditures and their low earnings. As a result of which they need to bear a big burden of debits. Nowadays during Lockdown, though I don’t know where they are, but one thing is clear, wherever they would be, they would be surely in deep distress. So this was not only after lockdown but the plight of this labour class was already pitiable. But sudden and lengthy lockdown may have put them into a worst condition of living. You would have seen the pathetic condition of migrant labourers, who have faced starvation; even some have faced death, during their exodus. Their painful pictures on social media would annoy everyone a lot. During our childhood days, we were often being told stories by our elders, which in real life would seem unbelievable, like traveling for years, dying with hunger etc. In a same kind of story, I had heard that a son of dead mother was alive for months drinking milk from his dead mother, which later seemed to be unbelievable. But during sudden and lengthy covid-lockdown all those childhood stories were recalled by people when the facts like those stories came to be a reality.
There may be larger portion of people from lower labour class in Kashmir who would prefer to die but would hesitate to extend their hands for begging. Their debits may have increased very high. Who would identify them and who would care for them? Now it is to be seen, would the government come forward to their rescue and to what extent the government would reach out to this labour class, out of high claimed twenty lac crore relief package.
The miseries of migrant workers depicted all the pathetic scenes, which once seemed unimaginable. Different visuals of migrant labourers were seen on media like traveling hundreds of kilometers on foot, bearing hunger through weeks, kids riding on suitcases. But the most heartbreaking seen was that when a baby was seen on a railway station somewhere in India trying to wake up his death mother. Lockdown became an eye- opener; otherwise the ways of living for poor people have been always fragile. Here in Kashmir, though the condition of labour class was not too harsh as compared to those outsiders who worked in brick kilns and other places. But now the lengthy lockdown might have put Kashmiri labour class too in worst conditions of financial constraints. The people who have labour the only source of income cannot cope with the over growing expenses any more, due to loss of their earning opportunities because of extending lockdown. Some workers who in winter leave for other states of country for search of work, have this time remained the worst hit of lockdown, they got stuck high and dry for months outside Kashmir, spent their all earned money there and were left with empty pockets. After returning back they were kept in quarantine for weeks and then after that were allowed to meet their families with grave disappointments on their faces. Even the living from hand to mouth has become now tough for them. Not only those, apart from them, there are hundreds of thousands who fall in the category of lower labour class in Kashmir who wholly and solely dependent on daily based work. Before lockdown whatever they would earn during the day by mixing their blood with sweat, would spend it for two meals for their families. Imagine about their miseries, they would have faced toughest ordeal during these difficult times, while having no opportunities to earn even a penny. However, Alhamdulillah, In Kashmir, though there are various NGO, and generous people active on ground with a mission to feed those who have nothing to eat. Even they try to reach out to all needed so that no one may sleep hungry. For which they would get best rewards here and hereafter from Almighty and they deserve utmost appreciation from people. However there may be larger portion of people from lower labour class in Kashmir who would prefer to die but would hesitate to extend their hands for begging. Their debits may have increased very high. Who would identify them and who would care for them? Now it is to be seen, would the government come forward to their rescue and to what extent the government would reach out to this labour class, out of high claimed twenty lac crore relief package.
Positive Changes Amid COVID-19 Crisis
Aqib Ul Ahad Wani
In a matter of months, the world is going transformation. Thousands of people have already died, and hundreds of thousands more have fallen ill, from a coronavirus that was previously unknown before appearing in the city of Wuhan in December 2019. For millions of others who have not caught the disease, their entire way of life has changed by it. The streets of Wuhan, China, are deserted after authorities implemented a strict lockdown. In Italy, the most extensive travel restrictions are in place since World War Two. In London, the normally bustling Pubs, restaurants, theatres have been closed and people have been told to stay in their homes. Worldwide, flights have been cancelled. Indian PM also announced 21-Day lockdown throughout country later on extend it till 3 May. Those who are able to do so are holed up at home, practicing social distancing and working remotely. It is all aimed at controlling the spread of Covid-19, and hopefully reducing the death toll. But all this change has also led to some unexpected consequences on environment as well as on life style of an individual. As industries, transport networks and businesses have closed down; it has brought a sudden drop in carbon emissions. As motorways cleared and factories closed, dirty brown pollution belts shrunk over cities and industrial centres in country after country within days of lockdown. First China, then Italy, now the UK, Germany and dozens of other countries are experiencing temporary falls in carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide of as much as 40%, greatly improving air quality and reducing the risks of asthma, heart attacks and lung disease. As humans stay inside, the environment is temporarily changing, wild animals are roaming freely streets and some typically smog-filled skies are clear. The restrictions have decreased air pollution in Kathmandu Valley, which consistently ranks among the most polluted areas in the world. In Philippines’ capital city, fine particulate matter the world’s deadliest air pollutant dropped by 180% since quarantine measures were imposed in Metro Manila on March 16, according to the Environmental Pollution Studies Laboratory of The Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology. Now coming towards India grinding this country of 1.3 billion people to a near halt has also provided a temporary remedy to another pressing health issue: suffocating pollution levels. The data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), part of India’s Environment Ministry, was collated by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).Nitrogen dioxide went from 52 per cubic meter to 15 in the same period — also a 71% fall. Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Bangalore have also recorded a fall in these air pollutants. In Kashmir “I have not seen such blue skies for the past 10 years,”
Change on Human Life : It brought back Humanity, brought back people to their creater and their morals. All Countries Globally Are Working Together To Curb The Pandemic, It close down bars, night Clubs, Casinos. It brought down interest rates,brought families together, stopped lewd behaviour, it has stopped people eating dead and forbidden animals, So far it has moved one third of Military expenditure to health care. Corona virus is pushing people to make prayers, recite Quran and Naat Shareef. It undermines dictators and their powers, Humans are now worshipping Allah rather than progess and technology. It is forcing authorities to look at its prison and prisoners who are wrongfully detained from years. It has taught human how to sneeze, yawn, cough and home quarantine as was taught by our beloved Prophet Mohammed Pbuh over 1400 years ago. Corona is now making us stay at home, living simple lives and we shall thank almighty Allah for waking us up to reality and to giving us an opportunity to ask him for his forgiveness and help. This spread of Corona Virus is a great lesson but only for wise people. Now i will elobrate one point about benefits of Spending Time With Family during lockdown.In today’s competitive world, we all are running worried to keep ourselves up float and trying to sustain our family.
1.Today every member of the family is busy putting their life in a straight line. They’re struggling and are going through a lot of stress and pressure, mentally and physically. In such a scenario, by spending enough quality time with family during lockdown, they’re enjoying an important aspect of their life, a pillar of strength, their family. So, by spending some good time with family, We are reinventing our relationship with our family. After all, our family is our pillar of strength and will stand with us in any circumstances, no matter what.
2.The definition of parenting doesn’t imply to provide comfortable living and meeting their daily needs. It’s far more than that.It means to be with them and supporting them emotionally and mentally. When, as parents, you make yourself busy in life and distance yourself from your kids and family, you send out a wrong message. However, when you take out time from your busy schedule and spend some time with them, you tell them that they matter. This sends out a right and strong message, which further strengthen your bond with them.
3. Learning is never a one-way route. It’s a two way process. Whilst we are teaching our kid something, we end up learning a new thing. By spending time with family, we’re ensuring that the learning curve exists in your family and your kid learns new things from you as you do from them. You are a part of their life and must be aware about all the new things they’re discovering in their life as they’re growing up. It remarkable to a part of this incredible journey of them growing up. Finally I will conclude with this saying that everything happens for a reason either good or bad.
(The author is regular columnist of Kashmir Horizon, [email protected])