RAJBIRAJ, JANUARY 1
Mahendra Marik, 60, of Saptari's Agnisair Krishnasabaran Rural Municipality is facing a hard time coping with the cold. Barely eking out his living by making bamboo-based articles, he doesn't know how he is going to ride through this cold winter season.
Living in a small hut in an unregistered strip of land, he has a total of five members in his family. Lacking any other means of livelihood apart from his craft of making bamboo-based articles, he doesn't have enough clothes to protect himself and his family from cold.
"We somehow made it through the rainy days by igniting fire. Now, the cold has got worse, making it difficult for us to survive," he said.
Mahendra's neighbour Sitara Marik's situation is no better. Not only has the poor economic condition of her family subjected her to the harshness of the winter, her condition is worse than others also given the fact that she went through a stillbirth a few weeks ago.
"Obviously, our small hut can't protect us from cold and since we can't afford the luxuries of duvet and blankets, we are using hay to get warmth," she said.
According to Dom Upliftment Society Saptari Chairperson Yuktilal Marik, winter presents the worst nightmare for most of the Dom families. "We got so many assurances from leaders, especially during election, but none of those assurances have ever materialised. The poor families are struggling to survive through this harsh winter," Marik said, accusing the government of abandoning poor people.
"Governments say they will provide relief to the victims of cold, but when?" Marik asked.
A version of this article appears in the print on January 2, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
