Braving the cold

The most intense period of chill, Chilla-e-Kalan, is really merciless. With night temperatures dipping well below zero, it is no less than a challenge for a common man to manage the routine of life in such harsh winters. For the poorer sections of our society life during such severe winters brings too many hardships. Leave aside the darkness that descends on our localities when the power outages happen, forget the freezing water supply pipes, and for a while leave aside the debate on climate change. Just think of those who don't have enough provisions, adequate clothing in these difficult days.

When our health department issues advisories, particularly for older people, just imagine the families where we have ailing old people and they have no money to get medicine. When we have all the means to warm up our rooms available in the market and the well-to-do families benefitting from them, there are households where young and old are freezing with cold. In this severe cold we usually talk about the climate change that has contributed to this disturbance in the weather patterns. From global to local, this talk on climate change is so prevalent.

Given the shortfall in our electricity supply the power cuts make the bulk of our news that is consumed by the people. We have all kinds of stuff in the regular and social media about the irregular power supply. But in all this we tend to forget those amongst us who suffer silently. Winter is an economic burden that all families cannot equally hold. The government must not forget its responsibility towards such families. It is the responsibility of the current dispensation to reach out to such families and ensure that these sufferings don't go unheard. At the same time, those in our society, who work selflessly for poor and needy families, should come to the rescue of such families.