Rajbiraj, January 8

Though there was some respite today with some sunshine after a week-long cold spell, people in Saptari, especially impoverished Dalit families, are yet to be assured that their winter ordeal is over.

“On the one hand, we are worried about protecting our kids from the freezing cold, while on the other the excessive cold has made it impossible for us to go out to find work,” said Radhadevi Ram of Parsahi, Rajbiraj Municipality-14, sharing her plight of having to go to bed hungry for a few nights this past week.

Naresh Sada of Hanumannagar, Kankalani expressed similar concerns.

“As I couldn’t go out to work for a week or so, feeding my family was very difficult,” he said, adding that members of the Mushahar community comprising 60 households also fared similarly.

Dom, Musahar, Ram (Chamar), Khatbe, Batar and Paswan are the impoverished communities in Saptari, for whom the winter is really an ordeal every year.