How the citizens can help one another during Covid-19 lockdown

Ringo Pebam / Dollar Maibam *

Vegetables donated by villages in Tamenglong :: Photo Courtesy: The Sangai Express

Lockdown drives us crazy at times?

Yes, it does. But that's okay.

Money, we can earn later, the economy we can revive later, but the lives lost we can't get back. Hadn't there been lockdown, the scene would have been grimmer and darker here in Manipur and India.

Lockdown affects our meals?

Yes, very much.

It affects us all.

And there are ways by which, we, the citizens can help each other.

There is no doubt that the government is doing everything they can to provide all the essential items but we should also contribute to this fight against the pandemic from our side.

Our fellow shopkeepers at various localities in Manipur are requested not to sell things at higher and unreasonable prices. Many of us face it, and with no option we pay whatever was asked.

For example, things that were available at Rs 10 are now being sold at Rs 30. But the worrying thing is not only about the rise in price, but also about the shortage of food items in supplies. People are now willing to buy the same Rs 10 stuff for Rs 40, as there is scarcity. That is panic buying.

Panic buying must be watched carefully by the government. They have to make sure that there is no shortage of supplies, to make people avoid panic buying.

Many of us are hoarding essential foodstuffs, please refrain. Please buy what you absolutely need, in the amount you absolutely need it in. Even if you are hoarding food items, please share with your neighbours or anyone around whose stocks are empty.

We would also like to suggest something to the people of Manipur.

Food items bought from the contribution made by residents of Keishamthong Thangjam Leirak, Imphal West.

There are shops in different pockets of almost every locality, in the residential areas. And most shopkeepers know the families and members of the locality. So, when people of the locality come to buy food items, they can sell according to the buyers' needs, not for the buyers' greed.

If a customer asks for bulk, the shopkeeper can always point to her/ him out that her/ his family has so and so many members and will give only the amount of food items that is proportionate and not more.

That way, there is no hoarding.

That will bring about equity.

We, the people, the consumer, should also bear that in mind. Let us stop hoarding, let us all share the little that is available in times like these. We can start stopping corruption right from here.

The mode of distribution of supplies from the government have been many, some did with voter id, some with respect to the number of household or kitchen. But those who stay in rent and hostels who don't appear in the voter list face the trouble. Most localities with the intervention of honest local club volunteers have made sure that everyone gets the relief food items from the government regardless of voter id.

Besides the essential items from the government, there are initiatives we can take up.

We have read the news reports about five or more villages in Tamenglong who donated fresh vegetables for free distribution to the people living in the town of Tamenglong.

We have heard about a village of Liangmai community in Kangpokpi sharing their homegrown vegetable to the Meiteis in nearby valley villages.

Food items distributed by a group of individuals at Wangkhei Khunou, Imphal East.

There was also a news report of the kind-hearted villagers of Khangkhui Khullen in Ukhrul returning two sacks of excess rice distributed to them (through National Food Security Act) to the district administrators to be distributed to the more needy ones of other villages rather than distributing among themselves.

We have seen individuals with no political affiliation and aspirations in a few localities in Imphal, pooling in money to buy essential food items for the families residing in their area.

We have also seen clubs in many localities in Imphal, whose volunteers requested the people in the locality to contribute whatever they can; and with the contributed money they bought the essential food items and distributed to all the families.

At Wangkhei Khunou, Imphal East, one of the volunteers of a group of residents said, "We are forming a group of like-minded friends from our leikai to contribute whatever we can to help over 160 families in the locality through an initiative that won't have any political aspirations. We hope our children will carry forward this model for the generations to come."

One of the volunteers of a club in Keishamthong Thangjam Leirak, Imphal West said, "We appealed to the residents of our locality to contribute whatever they can. They responded very well, and with the contributed amount we bought food items and distributed to every household in the locality."

Those are a few of the stories among many. And stories like those should inspire us.

Those who are government employees and others who are well off are on the safe side, but the daily wage earners, those who live from hand to mouth from their daily earning suffer the most now.

A shop at one of the localities in Imphal..

Clubs in many areas can also select families from their localities whose income is very low or who live on daily wages or who have no income at all during this lockdown and provide them some food with which they can live on for some time without waiting for supplies from the government.

Those who are rich and have money can order via home delivery services from private grocery shops, and their share, their quota of the government supplies of food grains can be sacrificed for the ones who are struggling, who don't have money.

We, the people of Manipur, are kind people, and when disaster strikes like the way it is now, we believe we shall rise for our fellowmen, for humanity.

This Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is a threat against humanity, and we, the people are the only hope.