Organizations extended help to barbers amid COVID-19 lockdown

A CORRESPONDENT

DHUBRI: Over 15,000 daily wage earners in the unorganized sector, including 2,500 family members of barbers, are in dire straits due to lockdown since March 24.

Daily wage earners, including roadside vendors of fruits, vegetables, fish, tea sellers, chat sellers and barbers, are having a difficult time sustaining themselves due to the lockdown. The Dhubri district unit of Akhil Assam Bhojpuri Parishad (AABP) first came out last week to extend help to the barbers of Dhubri town and distributed rice, flour, dal, soyabean, mustard oil, salt and potato to 104 families at the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Mandir in ward no. 1 of the town.

Vice-president of AABP Bhagirath Ojha said that they had been distributing relief materials among the down-trodden people of the society since March. "But of late, we realized the plight of barbers. So we gave food items to them," he said.

The Dhubri Agarwal Samaj Samity too extended food materials, including 25 kg rice packet, 1/2 litre mustard oil, masur dal and salt. President of Agarwal Samaj Samity, Suresh Harlalka said, "Helping them is serving humanity. I hope more generous organizations will also come out to extend possible help to barbers and others who are finding it hard to sustain themselves."