Kolkata: Citizens’ groups come together to spread Puja cheer among needy

KOLKATA: In a bid to ring in the festive spirit in the lives of the families of the unorganized sectors’ workers that were hit by the lockdown and Amphan, citizens’ groups in the city have come together to gift new clothes to the women and kids.
An initiative — ‘One new cotton saree’ — launched last month by Humans of Patuli, an organization that works for communal harmony, has already distributed 950 cotton saris and 450 clothes among the women and kids of the neighbourhood.During the pandemic-induce lockdown, they had supported these families with dry rations and medicines.
Most of these women and kids are from slums. The men in the families are rickshawpullers, masons, out-of-work daily wage earners with uncertain futures. “Working class neighbourhoods have been the worst sufferers as they lack savings as well as employment opportunities,” Dwaipayan Banerjee of Humans of Patuli.
Another member and coordinator of the campaign Syed Mohammad Shabbir said that the response to the initiative has been very encouraging.
Meanwhile, two citizens’ groups — Sahomon and Sangjog — distributed new saris to the sex workers of Munshigunj, who have been suffering during the pandemic. They also provided new clothes to the children of the area. Sumaan Sengupto of Sahomon said, “Every festival teaches us to embrace everyone irrespective of their class, caste, gender and religion.”
Purono Kolkata’r Golpo (PKG), which has been supporting the victims of Amphan in Sunderbans, distributed 75 new saris in Piyali, 100 new saris, blankets in Satjelia and 75 saris in Hingalganj. “We have been able to generate alternative occupations for the needy, underprivileged women of Piyali and Satjelia,” said Swarnali Chattopadhay.
The kids at Voice of World (VOW) were overjoyed to get new clothes. But what made these new clothes special were the makers, who were trained by PKG. Vice-president Saibal Guha of VOW feels that this initiative benefited both the kids and the women, whose lives were shattered due to Amphan. Getting new clothes made by them was very emotional and added to the spirit of the festival in such sombre times.