By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Bihar: For Zubaidah Bibi, every day is a struggle for survival. A reident of a remote village–Humajaan–in Chatra Distirct of Jaharkhand, Bibi is too old to work and this year due to droughts, the crops have also failed.
“Since last many years, due to droughts and less rains, our crops usually fail and we don’t have another source of income leaving us with less or no ration at all,” said Bibi.
The case of Shahzadi Khatoon from village Maigra in Gaya District of Bihar is no different. Her husband is a daily wager, toiling hard to provide his family with a two square meals.
Ramadan is a struggle for both husband and wife as due to fasting, it is very difficult to work, and the situation is made worse in the intense heat of Bihar, which could lead to heat strokes. “For people like us, the struggle for grains continues throughout the year and continues during Ramadan. When we barely make ends meet in other months, can you imagine what the situation is during Ramadan? We have zero savings, so we continue working even as we fast,” says Khatoon.
Travelling west from Bihar to Uttar Pradesh, the situation goes more grim.
Hajra Begum from village Chaugawan of Bijnor District of UP, in her mid forties is physically handicapped and her husband was the only support for her all through these years, but he died some months ago.
“Being handicapped, I can’t walk and earn. I am living a life in abject poverty. I totally rely on help from others, sometimes it come and sometimes it doesn’t,” says Hajra.
To provide all such families, a sigh of relief during the holy month of Ramadan, US based Indian Muslim relief and charities distributed monthly ration under its “Ramadan Feeding Program”, among 2680 families in three states of Jaharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
The food grain packets were distributed among laborers, daily wagers, orphans, widows, poor and needy. A total of 1,380 families were covered in IMRC Ramadan feeding program in Barabanki, Deoria, Saharanpur, Aligarh and Siwan of Uttar Pradesh, whereas 1,300 families benefitted in bordering districts of Bihar and Jharkhand.
Now Zubaidah Bibi, Shahzadi Khatoon and Hajra Begum don’t have to worry about food grains during the month of Ramadan.
“I feel a great sigh of relief. I can only say that Allah has come to my rescue. May Allah shower mercy on those who provided me with grains,” said Hajra
Another widow Raisa Begum, a septuagenarian from village, Qasba Seohara of District Bijnor, U.P was in tears, when she received the IMRC grain packets. “She profusely thanked God and those, through whom God sent these packets of food to her. Her married daughter who is equally poor was also given ration for whole month of Ramadan,” recalled IMRC UP Volunteer, Naushad Ansari.
While briefing about the process of identifying the beneficiary families and method of distributing food grains, IMRC Volunteer from Bihar, Abdul Wahid Nadvi said, “Before every Ramadan, IMRC conducts survey in various districts of Bihar and Jharkhand, where poor and needy families are identified. A week before distribution, the concerned IMRC volunteers handover tokens to the beneficiary families and the venue, time and date of distribution is also conveyed to them. Everything goes on in an organized manner so that the help percolates down to the persons and families who are in dire need.”
Importantly, this year, IMRC “Ramadan Feeding Program” has been extended to 22 Indian states, where thousands of families have been provided with food grains for the whole month of Ramadan and in some states, the distribution is under process.
IMRC is also organising Iftar’s in these three states, where more than 20,000 persons including labourers, widows, poor and needy are being served with hot meals.