Kuldip Kumar from Gummer village in Jwalamukhi sold his cow for Rs 6,000 to purchase a smartphone. With the lockdown in force in March, schools were also closed. His children, Annu and Dippu, were studying in Class IV and Class II. As the schools started online classes pressure mounted on Kuldip to buy a smartphone for the children to continue the study.
For a month, Kuldip moved from pillar to post to get a loan of Rs 6,000 to buy a smart phone. He approached banks as well as private lenders but, because of his poor financial condition, none was ready to help him. In tears, Kuldip told this reporter said since the schools were closed, he was told by school authorities that his children needed a smart phone if they wanted to continue their studies. He said as he did not have even Rs 500, arranging Rs 6,000 was a big task.
When he failed to get money despite all efforts, he sold his cow for Rs 6,000 and purchased a smartphone for the education of his children.
Kuldip lives in a mud house. Kuldip has neither a below poverty line (BPL) card, nor is he a beneficiary of the Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP). Kuldip said he had given a number of applications to Panchayat for financial assistance for the construction of the house and inclusion of his name in the IRDP, BPL and Antodaya, but all in vain.
This reporter, Barkha Dutt tried to contact panchayat pradhan but he was not available. Barkha Dutt wrote in a tweet, “Kuldeep Kumar had to sell a cow for 6000 rupees to to buy a smartphone for his children’s online classes. “Have lost a major source of income,” he tells @themojo_in, “Just pray my children have a different life.” Thanks to Tribune for first alerting us to this. My story”
To which Rais Shaik replied,” Hello Barkha and Team @themojo_in, I would like to help that person get his source of income back and would also gift his son a smartphone so that his education is not suffered. Let me know if that’s possible.”
To which Barkha replied, “Thanks Rais will DM details”
However, Ramesh Dhawala, MLA from Jwalamukhi, said it was shocking that a man had to sell his cow to buy a phone for the sake of online studies of his children. He said he had directed the BDO and the SDM to provide him financial help immediately.
Rais Shaikh has been helping localities and migrant workers reach their hometowns during the Covid lockdown. He, alongwith his team, dedicatedly works to provide ration to every family of his ward Bhiwani and Nagpada. He is now all set to help Kuldip Kumar.