To Sunday Shillong,
This is in reference to the article, ‘Always at your service’, which was published on April 12. The article draws attention at a time when home delivery has become a necessary and safe option in this time of lockdown and social distancing.
The article rightly points out that ‘home-delivery’ is a high-risk job as these men have to go from door to door to hand over essential goods. From food, vegetables, meat to even kwai, they deliver everything and have to maintain the social distancing and other protocols. And they do this job for no extra amount, which is laudable. But with the COVID positive case of a delivery man in Delhi has led to fear psychosis and most of the home delivery services have been stopped in Shillong. We, the consumers, can feel the pressure in their absence. I think the services should be resumed with adequate precautions so that citizens, especially the elderly, can avoid going out.
Thanking you
Gavin Kharshandy
To Sunday Shillong,
This is in reference to the article, ‘Victory garden a way to build resilience in crisis’, which was published in the April 12 edition. In this time of lockdown, food-sufficiency has become an issue and the urbanites can feel the heat. So becomes necessary to be food secured. And how can we do that? We can take up farming in small scale and produce our basic food. Kitchen gardens are a saviour in this time of crisis. We have a small kitchen garden in our backyard where we grow spinach, potatoes, curry leaves, coriander, chillies, mustard leaves and lettuces, among other things. This has made it easier for us at a time when fresh vegetables have become a luxury these days. It is true that our education remains incomplete if we do not know how to grow our food. It is necessary that all of us, including the city-dwellers, learn the basics of farming. It is also necessary that we teach our children about farming as they are the future of the country and agriculture is the basis of our economy. With the lockdown and short supply of fresh vegetables and fruits in the market, urbanites can now understand how important it is to have knowledge about agriculture. So it is time that they utilise their time in a productive way to remain food secured in future.
Thanking you
S Gupta