Every day we read in newspapers, ‘Srinagar recorded the coldest night of the season’. Last night it was minus -2.6 degree Celsius for the capital city. Not that the December month being this cold has anything unusual about it but the fact that winter in Kashmir is extremely taxing for the poor cannot be overemphasized. The cost of woolens, jackets, and shoes has skyrocketed over the years. Even flea markets where the poor of the valley flock to buy cheap winter wear have witnessed a massive increase in the prices. The fact that those people who eat mainly ‘hand-to-mouth’ suffer greatly because they do not have any savings to bank on. Keeping one’s body warm in winter is the most essential way of avoiding a visit to a doctor. And one does not have enough money to pay for a private consultation of a doctor one has to spend hours in the serpentine queues outside the government hospital OPDs.
What a tragedy winter is for the poor! The poor rely heavily on the constant water and electricity supply to keep themselves warm. When the electricity supply goes for a toss, it is always the poor who have to bear the brunt as the rich always have a backup for load-shedding. While the most dreaded period of winter proper vernacularly known as ‘chillai Kalan’ is still some 12 days away the government needs to prepare in advance to ensure that the poor do not suffer.
The present government dispensation is working tirelessly to ensure that the schedule for electricity supply is followed in letter and spirit but there are a few lapses here and there. In the harshest period of winter, these lapses would mean more visits to doctors, more holes in the pockets of poor people, and general misery.
One must take out time to appreciate the efforts of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in responding promptly to the power crisis and rising to the occasion. Once again LG rose up to the expectations of the people. He is the right man to ensure that a common man tackles winter without much trouble. Manoj Sinha is becoming popular day by day due to his constant monitoring of the power scenario and the subsequent efforts he has put in. He needs to continue these efforts in the core winter season.
Let no one suffer in winters.
