SHILLONG: As if the constant anxiety for their husbands is not enough for Renu Devi and Rina Devi (first and fifth from left respectively in picture alongside), both residents of Madanrting, they have to face humiliation only to feed their children twice every day.
Dinesh Rai and Raimangal Rai, the husbands of Renu and Rina respectively, are migrant workers. The duo — Dinesh works in Delhi and Raimangal in Madhya Pradesh — are not among the lucky ones who could complete miles of arduous journey to reach home before despair turned overwhelming.
The husbands are struggling to survive somewhere in the middle of nowhere in two unknown states. But back home, the situation is worse as the wives and the children are bracing for hungry days. There is no help at hand and the locality the families have been living in for over five years now has turned its face in this time of crisis.
“We did not get rice from anywhere, not even from the Dorbar. We both have ration cards and still haven’t got anything,” said Renu, who has to feed four children.
Both Renu and Rina are from Bihar’s Hajipur.
“Our husbands are stuck outside without any job. They cannot even send money home and we are home-makers. We are on the verge of penury as our savings are drying up. At home, we are managing with whatever little vegetables we are getting. But rice and dal are about to be over,” Renu’s eyes and cheeks turned red as she tried to fight back her tears while narrating her ordeal.
Procuring milk for the toddlers at home has also become difficult amid lockdown, panic buying and trickling supply.
Rina’s face was covered with shawl, like a mask, but her eyes told the same story. Raimangal left Shillong in December, a month before Dinesh, who worked as a carpenter here, went to Delhi.
“It was after the trouble in Shillong. Getting work became difficult for them and there was no other option but to migrate,” said Rina.
Mobile phone is the only medium for the separated families to share their tales of struggle and feeling of despondency. “My husband does not have a phone and depends on a fellow worker staying with him. So I cannot talk to him whenever I wish to,” Rina said mechanically. She was still looking at the shops around in the hope of getting some food for her three children before 4 pm.
Any news about when their husbands can come back? A flitting silence followed a long conversation. “No idea when this will end. We don’t even know whether we will scrape through this vulnerable time,” said Renu.
