Exploitation in the name of Community Kitchen

Without our knowledge, illiteracy is gradually leading our nation towards annihilation during the time of Covid-19. In the name of helping people by providing with one time meal, it seems there is picnic going on in every area nowadays. ‘Community kitchen’ which is a project run by local political parties and ruling government, may turn out to be a fatal in the days to come.

I don’t understand why the people of lower middle section of our society are not realizing the importance of following the lock-down in the best possible manner. The lock-down is a crisis and it is quite usual that we have to suffer its consequence. It is pretty normal that ‘Bengalis’ would miss fish on their dishes and they too have to adjust with a basic diet which is easily affordable until the situation changes.

It is sad to see that some people belong to some political parties without even understanding the emergency of the situation started campaigning on social media revolving their lopsided endeavour to help the community. There seem to be a hidden competition going on between theses political entities about how many photos one can upload on social media. It may sound harsh but it is utterly true that in the name of ‘community kitchen’ a huge number of families are extracting and exploiting government fund when they can easily afford meal for their families.

There are some people in my Face book who everyday upload pictures of supplying goods to people in some local areas on behalf of some political parties. Here, one thing we are failing to grasp is that most people living in semi-urban areas can easily afford basic diet for several months without earning anything for next few months. But they seem to be enjoying the process of getting free food without sensing the danger they are encountering every day, while collecting the free food, standing in a long queue.

I feel, as long as it was up to finding the real needy people and giving them raw ingredients for cooking in locality, things were under control. However, quite unfortunately the project of ‘community kitchen’ is ultimately turning out to be a project of government which is more about helping some lazy people who despite having all the ability would not hesitate to misuse government fund.

There are people, who are getting their salary on right time but still going to stand in queue to collect the food of community kitchen or receive aides by local party or people. Isn’t it a perfect manifestation of exploitation where one regardless of his/her situation invariably look for others help? Very unfortunately the numbers of such irresponsible and shameless people are more in our society than those who would go by their integrity.  

Besides, there is a class of people, who nowadays don’t really act as a general people rather; they enjoy the tag of social workers associated with some political entities. In reality, they are the one, who are deceiving the needy public the most of our society. It is understandable that in a country like ours where Education is given least value while deciding the leaders who would run the nation, things like this very natural. But the present situation is so vulnerable that a community may suffer just because of someone’s greed or stupidity to the level of immensity. 

It is solely desirable that government fund should reach those who are in need, who at least will not stand in the queue of liquor shop after collecting the free food from government. It is very natural that we have to suffer from the problem that we have invited for so long and amid this crisis we have to be calculative be it general people or government before spending a single penny.  

It is not the right time to show our pro-activeness unnecessarily and putting the entire community under threat because of one’s stupidity. Most of us some way or the other help this community and it would be pointless to talk about it now. It is a time when we spend most of our time if possible the entire day staying at home. We have to feel the fact that our own community may suffer a huge blow due to the stupidity of ours. 

We do not really need ten people to distribute hundred packets, in this crisis two or three would suffice with adequate protection. This is my earnest request to political leaders to advice your local representatives to abide by all protocols and also advice them not to entertain those who are not directly associated with your party for so long. There is a class of people who despite having a comfort lives now simply trying to avail the government funds and aids by having a smooth relation with local party workers, thus, these people not only would extract government fund unnecessarily but also endanger the society. It would be a wise decision to cut down the number of such people who only come to be with your party men for their own purpose.

We need to understand that our health system is not so well and people are dying without any treatment, just lying on hospital bed. So many police personnel, doctors, health workers have been diagnosed with Covid-19 while serving our society. So we need our own initiative to curb the disease from spreading. It is in our hand whether we are going to save our community or simple push our society to destruction.