With the well-off fighting one enemy- coronavirus, the latter population of India is fighting numerous enemies during this pandemic, including but not limited to hunger, poverty and an uncertain future.
The one’s weaving our society together, who build our homes, lay our roads, run the factories, stitch our clothes, feed our nation, are far worse-off hit, economically, socially and mentally. The segment of society that is yet financially stable owes it to them but not as an act of charity since we have gained far too much from them.
The Greenpeace India family by collaborating forces on all fronts has been able to make our nation a better place for the less-privileged to live in. Not only have they financially aided the needy and troubled farmers of India but in turn have created a platform for those very farmers to transform into a helping hand for the one’s in distress.
From the Kodai, Ooty and Dindigul farming communities feeding the helpless in Chennai, to the Samadhan Abhiyan supported by Greenpeace bringing the community of Delhi together, by the privileged not only donating but also physically helping out in the kitchen that has been able to feed 5k homeless and migrant workers in Delhi, every day to the small and sustainable organic farming communities of Kedia and Tari Dabil stepping up to feed the migrant and daily wage workers residing in their vicinity, India as a nation has definitely won this round of fighting discrimination against class, caste and creed with Greenpeace by its side.
But is this, this years beginning to the underlying problem of the detoriating farming economy year after year?
The economic losses the farmers may entail due to the pandemic will not only translate into a possible agrarian crisis but also impact India’s overall economy. The gloomy trail doesn’t end here, there will be severe implications on food availability in the future too. Although the government has created opportunities of relief to farmers, not all, are reapers of that fruit. If the non-institutional farmers are unable to repay their loans, they will not have the financial resources to invest into next seasons crop.
Greenpeace India being in close contact with the farmers in distress suggests an agile and resilient supply chain system enabling to channelize food products to the industry directly from the farmers and farmers community. This could be a way forward for our society and nation to fight the pandemic whilst defeating our dreaded enemies; hunger and rural poverty.
Indians have united together and responded to the crises but it is no time to stop now. Greenpeace India is bridging the gap between our current reality and a greater tomorrow and it is imperative for us, as Indian citizens to step in, for when this pandemic comes to a standstill our future will be defined by the choices we make today,
