Siddhi Dharmadhikari, Third Year BA.JMC, Journalism Specialization
February 28, 2022
One of the consequences of lockdown measures in the country has led to an unprecedented migration of workers and families from large urban centers to rural India. After the first lockdown in-country, workers immediately returned to their native places.
Mrs. Laxmi Aheer, a Thelewali Bhabhi, who owns a street food stall, “Krushna Bhel Kacchi Dabeli Center” at Vishwakarma University is one of those people who faced the wrath of Covid-19.
On March 18, 2020, Laxmi and her husband Madanlal Aheer and their two children went to Rajasthan as the government informed them about the upcoming lockdown.
While talking about her difficulties, Laxmi explained that it was one of the terrifying moments for the family. She said, “Unlike employees, we do not get paid at the end of the month. This sudden lockdown affected us so much that we had to return to our hometown in Rajasthan.”
“What are we going to do now? This was the only thing I could think about during the entire journey,” she added.
Laxmi used to earn Rs eight thousand to ten thousand daily at the campus. Laxmi informed, “It was a satisfying income for us. But when lockdown started it felt like our worst nightmare had begun”. She further added, “In Rajasthan, we started doing farming to earn money. We borrowed Rs two lakhs from money lenders. My husband used to drive the tractor while I used to look after the farm.”
In November 2021, Laxmi returned to Pune with her family. While sharing her experience, she said, “We were so happy when we were coming back to Pune. The experience was unforgettable. I was continuously praying and thanking God for giving us another opportunity.
She added, “I was imagining my kids going back to their tuition because earlier we could not afford the finances. We were feeling so guilty for ruining our children’s studies but what more we could do. While returning to Pune, we borrowed Rs. fifty thousand to buy ingredients for our thela”.
But Laxmi’s happiness did not last long as everything was closed when she arrived.
Covid-19 did engrave its impact on us. But the same impact was relatively worse for people like Laxmi and her family who were dependent on their Thela to sustain themselves.
She concluded by saying “The campus is now open so I am not going to cry while disturbing my God again and again.”
While laughter was echoing in the surroundings and tears covered Laxmi’s eyes, she said, “We will get through this Didi. Bhaiyya and I are very strong.”
Siddhi Dharmadhikari
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