The COVID-19 pandemic has upended many lives. Out of jobs, people are being forced to dig into their savings but many don’t even have their savings to rely on anymore. At a time like this, it’s crucial for people to come together and try their best to help those in need and people from Kolkata’s Jadavpur neighbourhood are doing just that!
Volunteers in the area have joined forces to set up a free-for-all market that's open to anyone and everyone, reported Times Now.
According to a social media user, the CPIM Jadavpur Area Committee is responsible for this initiative.
The idea is simple: all one needs to do is collect a coupon, enter the market with a bag which they can fill up with the essentials they need. No questions asked.
At no point will people be asked to pay for what they pick.
One of the volunteers, Sudip, told Times Now that the aim is to help out people who do not have the money to buy ration and other supplies. Sudip has also set up a community kitchen for migrant workers who are out of jobs, stranded, and struggling to reach home.
For the volunteers, this is a project with dual objectives. Apart from providing ration to the needy, the volunteers are also helping out farmers from a village called Baduria in North 24 Parganas. The villagers in Baduria are worried about their produce as supply chains have become irregular amidst the pandemic and they might be forced to throw away the vegetables. The volunteers of Jadavpur are trying to ensure that the villagers’ produce does not go to waste.
Social workers in other parts of West Bengal are also following the same model.
(With inputs from Times Now)
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