No Retirement For The Deprived

Concept: Arushi Narchal
Images by: Sahiba Chawdhary and Arushi Narchal
Written by: Kajol Tanaya Behera

The scorching and humid summer wind had started blowing over the semi-arid premises of Lalpura village in Rajasthan. A year had passed since the first pan-nation lockdown was imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19. March of 2021 was slipping past as history decided to repeat itself. Cases pertaining to the second wave of COVID-19 shot up. Lockdowns were exercised again. The festival of colours, Holi, lost all essence of its vibrancy as the population was scared to even step out.

Sitting on an old charpoy in front of his tiny hut, Meghji, a 70-years-old differently-abled man, looked far in the direction of his native village, Kesariyaji. Two decades ago, an unprecedented feud during Holi had cost him a life-long exile. Was it a conspiracy of the powerful to ostracise him from the community or was his opponent notorious enough to carelessly strip any unrelated man of his only abode? Meghji could only wonder. With his wife, Moti, Meghji limped his way out of the village. Patterns of the past were about to recur. The Holi of 2021 preceded another approaching crisis that was about to pose a grave challenge to Meghji’s sustenance.

“When we left Kesariyaji, Moti’s brother offered us a small stretch of land here in Lalpura to settle. Moti and I built a hut and shaped our whole world around it. I used to work on a daily wage, repairing the farm fences of the nearby landowners. As a person with a partially impaired leg, I could not have taken up work that involved extensive walking. What I earned was never sufficient as such but we managed somehow”, recalls Meghji. However, burdens began to overpower when Moti fell repeatedly sick and needed medical care. Meghji adds, “We had to see a physician every now and then. There were no savings to pay for medicines. So whenever any medical need arises, I look for jobs around the local area and agree to sweat for any sum that can help me pay for the commute and bills”.

The couple decided to remain childless owing to their physical challenges. While they had one another to lean on, growing age weakened their spine to even support themselves. Meghji describes, “When the COVID-19 lockdown was introduced last year, I was already struggling to make ends meet. Adding to the trouble with my leg, my age also makes me less efficient. Due to the pandemic, work opportunities have declined. It is tough to find daily work. Moti’s health also concerns me. The pension that we get is barely enough to feed us. How should we settle our medical and old-age expenses without labouring?”. As Meghji voiced their plight, Moti breathed, “When we have money, we feed ourselves and when we don’t, we sleep empty-stomached. It is just how life is for us”.

The couple is more susceptible to the deadly coronavirus due to the combined disadvantage of their old age, compromised nutrition and existing health issues. Despite such serious vulnerability, Meghji had to step out to find local work amidst the second wave, hoping that they didn’t have to starve one more night. When CASA volunteers learned about the couple’s predicament, they enrolled Meghji for the COVID-19 support wherein, dry ration and unconditional bank transfer of INR 3000 was provided. While the ration sustained the couple nutritionally for eight weeks, the sum assisted Meghji in purchasing wheat, medicines and a new pair of saree for Moti.