Excelsior Correspondent
BHADARWAH, Apr 11: As the country grapples with the rise in COVID-19 cases, people have been forced to remain indoors during the pandemic but the worst affected are the daily wagers especially tribal labourers living in far off hilly slopes in this district.
The COVID-19 lockdown has robbed the tribal (Gujjars) population of their daily income. The gujjar tribe, who traditionally reside in small hamlets near high altitude meadows far away from the populated areas, but use to trek down hill to the villages and towns with their produce (milk) and labour work to earn their daily income.
Hundreds of Gujjar families reside on the slopes in small hamlets like Alan-Sharekhi, Dooru-Sartingal, Kota Top, Darie, Ladoo, Rajpura, Kilroo, Ghil-kanaan etc near high altitude meadows like Padri, Qatari, Kainthi, Gildhar, Sarola, Kilroodhar, Guldanda and Bhal-Padri of the hilly district.
It seems that they have gotten the raw end of the deal. The COVID-19 curfew has robbed them of their livelihoods. They said they have no food to feed them and their families.
Many workers who go to the neighbouring states like Punjab, HP and Uttrakhand during winters also wish to come to their families, but are left stranded, as the railway and bus services have been suspended in light of the pandemic. Their families back home have reached to starvation and are pleading for help which has not reach to them from any quarter.
“I have not earned a single penny since last 15 days, as the work has come to a stand still in Bhadarwah town and we are not being allowed to move out from our place. We are surving without money and we are left with no essentials. Now we are waiting for the help, hope it will come sooner than later as my four children and elderly parents are starving since last two days”, said Mohammad Salim Gujjar of Alan-Sharekhi village, Katyara Panchayat Bhadarwah.
“I have been borrowing money to survive as my husband has got stranded at Shimla due to lockdown. We want the Government to at least help us get to our bread earners back to their homes”, Gulshana wife of stranded labourer Abdul Gani said.
When contacted Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Bhadarwah Rakesh Kumar said, “We have got enough stock of foodgrains with us, but I was not aware of the problem being faced by the tribal population living in high altitude areas. I will immediately send a team in these hamlets and subsequently ration will be sent to them at the earliest”.
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