Balochistan Point Voice of Nation
By: Munaj Gul Muhammad
Nazir Muhammad, gets up early in the morning and takes the herd of sheep to forest for grazing. He is almost 49. His profession has never eased his troubles, therefore, he has no dreams in dwelling a comfortable life since his childhood.
Sometimes, his family members sleep without taking a loaf of bread due to deprivation. They are passing a very miserable life for a long time and the recent lockdown has worsened their living.
He cites, ” I am earning a small income through the herd which I take from the residents. I receive a sum of money which is insufficient in this price hike situation.” He truly is in the need of help, but no one cares! The great lockdown has put his life in the lurch.
” Before the pandemic, my son was working in Iran border and helped our family by earning a small sum of money, but by means of coronavirus, he has no source of income. “Spoke out Muhammad when I asked him how he managed his house before corona outbreak.
The government of Balochistan needs to think about the challenges faced by the citizens. Mainly, the great lockdown in the province has created various difficulties for the poor people. Most of the poverty-stricken labors are buried with a lot of problems. They are unable to manage their livelihoods. They have no means of income.
Aziz Hasil, (a young writer based in Turbat) writes, ” In cities like Karachi and Quetta daily wage earners keep roaming the streets in search of work or cash dole-outs. They can be seen huddling up in front of any car that stops nearby. Many of them knock at the window panes of the cars asking for food or money so that they are able to feed their children.” The poor wage earners mostly go home at evening hopelessly as there is no work. Sometimes, they earn a very little amount, but most often they don’t. They only curse their fates.
To pose a question, is it not the basic responsibility of government to provide the fundamental facilities to its masses, like the sanitizers, masks or all other indispensable stuff to prevent themselves from the inimical virus?
Owing to the very difficult situation, it is very hard for poverty-ridden people to adopt the precautionary measures for their own safety and loved ones too. It is mandatory for every citizen to take all the precautions against the risks of the epidemic. But people are dying due to poverty as they have nothing to eat. How is it possible for them to follow the instructions of the government?
On the other hand, the lockdown is not the just solution to the pandemic. The government needs to look at the other side of the coin.
Many people have no wages in the province, by because of corona outbreak. A lot of people from different professions are suffering terribly to earn a small amount of money to be able enough to access their basic necessities. Private teachers are one of the examples!
More importantly, the private teachers are left aside. After all, they have no earnings and the provincial government along with federal government would never bother themselves to help them out in such a difficult situation. They had better think about private teachers and their poor families. Multifold private teachers are dead silence. To celebrating Eid with full enjoyment is the sole dream of every one, but the closure of private schools and having no money adds more worries to them.
I witness, in a city like Turbat, most of the private teachers belong to middle class family; private schools or centers are their little source of income. But by now, they are closed and private teaches have no other options to earn money. They live hopelessly. The government has to ponder about the challenges faced by the teachers. How is it possible for them to live without access to money.
” The Eid is very close. It adds beauty to the happiness of people, but I am compelled to shed tears on the occasion by seeing my siblings wearing torn clothes and shoes. As I am the only person to earn money and feed my family. But I am faild! Before the pandemic, I managed a sum of money by doing a part time job in a center at Turbat as a teacher. The earned money eased my worries a little, but by now the center is closed and I have no other alternative options to get money! I don’t want to see my little siblings having no stuff, like anew clothes and shoes! I am always left hopeless!” Claimed a private teacher and he wishes to be unknown.
There are a lot of such examples in Balochistan. Baloch are rich, but yet poor. They have everything, but yet have nothing. The private teachers and other poor are desperately in the need of help! The provincial government needs to help them out in this difficult situation. The aforementioned citizens should not be dependent any more, for dependency is a curse!
Munaj Gul is a regular contributor to The Balochistan Point. He tweets @MunajGul and he can be reached at munaj1baloch@gmail.com
Published in The Balochistan Point on May 18, 2020
