Sukarti, a grandmother in Janwaar

Sukarti is the grandmother of Priyanka, Lavkush and Keshuram. She is receiving vegetables and fruits through our “Food For Janwaar” campaign 2-3 times a week for her family. “Food for Janwaar” is a program we’ve set up before I left Janwaar in early April. In these days it is essential that we support the villagers with food. Hunger will be the next thing after corona. It already is.

Anil has interviewed her, Arun has recorded! Thanks!

What happened to your income since lockdown?
There is nothing. We stay at home and there is no labour. We are sitting idle, what should we do and what should we eat? We used to earn money from labouring, and so we used to eat food. But what to do now, we just sit idly here and there at home.

How do you run your house if money gets less?
It is a lot difficult now. It runs minimally (little little) now. It is not the same as before.

How do your children learn right now?
Ans – They do not learn anything now. They just keep running here and there. They just roam around here and there, and also there is no schooling. What can we do? We cannot say anything too. We are facing lot of difficulties since this lockdown.

What is your biggest problem right now?
The biggest problem of this lockdown is what should we do, where should we go? Markets are closed, everything is closed. The problem is really grave for us. The government has controlled the nation in such a way that we cannot go anywhere. They say don’t come out of the house. What should we eat son? Where should we go? Tell me?

What you do all day during lockdown?
Nothing, we have only one or two rupees. Nothing happens in one or two rupees nowadays. We just keep sitting here and there idly and pass the day. Earlier we used to get four chapattis, now we only get two chapattis (roti). We are just passing the days.

What will happen if this situation continues like this?

I do not like it at all son. What will we do if the lockdown continues like this? How will we survive? How will our kids survive? If you continue this lockdown, how will we eat? Tell me this?

How do you think is the situation in a big city like Delhi?
Those people in big cities would also be sitting in their houses, they also used to work daily, and they are also suffering now. People who are outside their homes are also not allowed to go back. They are stuck there, and they are not getting any work in the companies too. They can’t go home and neither can they stay there. The problem is really grave.

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This is Raniya, Anikesh’s grandmother.

What happened to your monthly income during the lockdown?
I only get 600 Rupees (roughly 8 USD).

How do you run your house if you get less money now?
Only we know how we run our house. 600 Rupees are not at all sufficient for a month. Now what can we do? Where should we plead? Neither the Sarpanch is coming nor the secretary. When we go to the bank, the police man asks us why you have come here.

How do your children or grandchildren learn in the lockdown?
The live separately, I am alone.

Now what is your biggest problem?
Problem is that we are alone in this problem. Who should we talk to, who should we go to? No one comes to us, neither the secretary nor the Sarpanch (head of the village), neither any big officer. I just get 600 Rupees from the bank and buy some things from them. Few things I get every month from the government and I just eat from them. Who should we plead to when there is no one to listen?

What do you do whole day in the lockdown?
Nothing. Just keep sitting idly. And bring some wood from the forest and eat food.

What will happen if lockdown continues like this?
Now what will happen, whatever god wants! I can walk and work myself so I get the money from the bank myself. If someone is ill, neither the Sarpanch nor the secretary helps them to bring money and nor they do help us. We go by our self, show the papers and get the 600 rupees and get something to eat.

What do you think happens in these big cities like Delhi and Mumbai?
Now God has made this world, he knows what will happen and what will not. I only know what I am going through. But who should we talk to who should we plead to when no one listens to us.