IVSK, New Delhi, 12 April: The Lockdown has not only affected the working class migrants but also hundreds of people from the Northeastern states who are working in Delhi. Most of them were left stranded at their place of residence after their supplies ran out. They felt helpless given few unsavory experiences they have had in the city in the past and the differences in language and region added to their woes. But the RSS stood with the residents of Delhi from Northeastern states as always and has helped them with food, money and materials and has thereby addressed their feeling of helplessness.
Right from the first week of the lockdown, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s Delhi prant issued a special helpline number for the students of North East. Since then more than 50 families from Northeast, mostly from Mizoram have been given essential items by Sangh Swayamsevaks in Hastsal area of Uttam Nagar of West Delhi. About 235 members live in 50 families here. Each of these families were given ration parcels containing 5 kg rice, 2 kg flour, 1 kg dal, 1 kg gram and 1 kg salt. On an average, each family has 3-4 members and the ration can last for upto 10 days.
After getting information from local people, the local RSS Swayamsevaks immediately jumped into the service of those from NE. A list of families from Mizoram who were in distress was made and the required ration for these families was handed over to the Church. Hastsal Nagar Sah Karyavaha Pooran ji and Mandal Karyavaha Ramesh ji too up the responsibility of preparing the list, gathering the ration and distribution of the same.
The pastor of Zomi Church, run by the residents of Mizoram, Mr. Pan Khan Khup, thanked the RSS for the timely support and expressed his deep gratitude.
Speaking on the endeavor to help the NE families, Pooran ji and Ramesh ji say, “People of the Northeast are not separate from us, but are our family. They are living far from their home state, but not in a foreign country. This is their own home.” When asked for further plans, he said – “Our goal is to provide food and ration to these deprived NE families living in Delhi.”
The Hastsal area of Delhi has the highest number of North East residents. There are more than 150 families from Northeast having more than 900 members. Ration has been made available to 50 of these families, and survey of other families is also being done by the local RSS units.
While social activists who claim to speak for the rights of the Northeastern people are nowhere to be seen even after so many days of the lockdown, RSS and its patriotic Swayamsevaks have been silently working for all the distressed and marginalized people of the country during these testing times without seeking name, fame or credit.
