Covid Help Centre Distributes Rations Demand Day
AIARLA observed Demand Day across the country on 17 May amidst the 2nd wave of Covid. Responding to the countrywide call given by the organization, Demand Day was observed with full adherence to Covid protocol at homes, work places and offices in various Districts. CPIML activists also participated in the Demand Day program. The demands were raised through dharnas, posters, slogans and social media and a memorandum addressed to the President was sent.
AIARLA sends Letter with Demands to Prime Minister
AIARLA organised countrywide protests from homes and offices and a meorandum submitted to the Prime Minister asking him to guarantee Covid vaccination for all within 3 months; Rs 10 lakhs compensation to families of all who died during the Covid pandemic; government should take responsibility for children orphaned by the pandemic; timely vaccination without registration; mobile medical teams for testing and treatment in villages; setting up Panchayat level Covid care centres.
Former MP Rameshwar Prasad said that people in the world's 5th largest economy are gasping to death for lack of oxygen. Large scale deaths in rural areas are happening in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and other States but these deaths are not being recorded in the country's death toll. In every village large numbers of people are suffering from cold, cough and fever but no testing is being done.
This situation has forced the entire country to live in fear and terror. There is a huge lack of scientific awareness and prevention methods. In this hour of crisis scheme workers like ASHAs, rasoiyas and Anganwadi workers are working as frontline warriors, but there are no arrangements for safety kits or necessary transport for them. The entire country is going through a dire health emergency but our government is paralyzed and stone-hearted. The whole government system has become disabled and handicapped. Dhirendra Jha said that in the midst of this unprecedented calamity black marketing of oxygen and medicines is flourishing. A large section of the country is facing unemployment and near-starvation, women and children suffer from malnutrition and spiralling prices are making life impossible for the common people.
The following were the main demands raised:
- Acknowledging this a national health emergency the government should guarantee free testing, vaccination, treatment and right to food for all. Needy and low income families should be provided Rs 10000 monthly assistance for a minimum period of 6 months.
- Covid Care Centres should be set up at Gram Panchayat level with arrangements for testing, vaccination, primary treatment and quarantine facilities. Villages should have ambulance facility to transport patients to PHCs and District Hospitals. PHCs should be upgraded and provided with oxygen beds and competent doctors. There should be arrangements for ICU beds at Community Health Centres, referral hospitals and District Hospitals with guaranteed 24x7 emergency facilities.
- Deaths in villages during this period should be deemed Covid deaths and the government should pay Rs 10 lakhs compensation to each family.
- The government should run an extensive campaign to dispel the myths, superstitions and quack medicines prevalent about Corona and a scientific temper should be fostered in society. All communication media should be used to break the superstition that Covid can be treated with cow dung and cow urine.
- All MNREGA workers should be paid on the basis of 'deemed work' for 50 days during the pandemic period. The government should provide work for all who want work and the circular for age limit of 50 years should be withdrawn.
- Rs 10000 Corona special allowance for migrant workers, ASHA, Anganwadi and Rasoiya workers Rs 5000 pension for social security beneficiaries.
- Rs 35 kg food grains plus Rs 5000 special monthly assistance for ration card holders and small and middle farmers; guarantee of government procurement of farm products.
- Guarantee of vaccination for all residents within a period of 3 months.
- Smartphones for all students studying in government schools and arrangements for online classes.
- Loan waivers for all farmers and workers; loan waivers for Self Help Groups and debtors of micro-finance companies; stay on interest collection during the pandemic period.
In Uttar Pradesh leaders speaking on the occasion said that the death rate in rural Uttar Pradesh is extremely high but the government is undercounting and presenting much lower figures to hide the reality. Villagers are dying in large numbers of cold, cough and fever symptoms but no agency is testing them. Scheme workers and frontline workers must be given respectable wages, special allowance, insurance and safety kits. It is a shame that people in the world's 5th largest economy are gasping to death due to lack of oxygen.
The protests were held in UP various Districts including Ballia, Azamgarh, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Banaras, Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Devariya, Prayagraj, Rae Bareli, Ayodhya, Sitapur, Lakhimpur Kheeri, Pilibhit, Kanpur and Jalaun.
AIARLA demanded from the Bihar government that they should remove vaccine shortage without delay and start taking action on a war footing to fight the pandemic.
