Aslam, a resident of Bengaluru’s Padarayanapura has been trying to find work for two months. However, he has been turned away from everyplace because he is from Padarayanapura.
The Padarayanapura ward was declared as a containment zone on the 10th of April as several cases of COVID-19 were reported from the ward. The ward continues to remain a containment zone but it is not entirely sealed off. Even as relaxations were given to ease their difficulties, the residents of Padarayanapura have been fighting for basic needs such as food.
When the entire ward was sealed off, the residents of the ward were provided food by the social workers and the government. As per a volunteer from Swaraj Abhiyan, the residents were given ration by BBMP a few times but largely the supply of food has been erratic. The volunteer said,
“50-60% of the people have got the ration, but not all. Once, Chamarajpete MLA Zameer Ahmed has ration too. Swaraj Abhiyan has been helping with ration as well as cooked food.”
The residents of the ward too substantiated the same while speaking to The News Minute. They said,
“When we haven’t worked or had any income for over two months, how will we buy food. People don’t have food to eat. Water comes once in two days at 3 pm. The landlords ask for rent. Electricity bills need to be paid. How will we pay if we have no money?”
Social Stigma Around The Residents Of The Ward
The 38-year-old resident of the Padarayanapura ward Tabrez said that the ration provided by the government during the holy month of Ramzan has depleted. The NGOs that were once providing food to the residents have also stopped as things are slowly returning to normal. According to Tabrez, the residents of Padarayanapura don’t even have the money to buy LPG cylinders.
Due to the kind of coverage in the media, there has been a lot of stigma around the residents of Padarayanapura. A person who was seeking treatment was turned away from a hospital because he was a resident of the ward.
Source: The News Minute
