Arfat Khan
Jammu: During inevitable national lockdown, countless citizens and NGOs are silently extending helping hands to the most vulnerable lot of society who purely depend on their daily earnings to support their two end meals.
However, a handful of ‘Dhanveer’ with hired cameramen on their toe are busy making exhibition of ration distribution to get noticed for their act of so called charity.
Demanding a strict ban on photo session of ration distribution to needy, Prof Sudhanshu while recalling a short hindi story ‘Pardha’of a famous writer Yashpal asserts “These Dhanveer must read the entire content of this famous hindi story before venturing into charity with selfee”.
Unmindful of the reality that self imposed ‘Selfee with Ration’ could inflict a severe damage to the self esteem of poverty ridden people who are already in distress over their survival during this lockdown.
This situation made more deplorable by shabby looking mushroomed ‘journalists’ of fly by night facebook news channel who passionately lend their 24×7 services to create tsunami in social media solely aimed at promoting these ‘Dhanveer’ with unpleasant picture of women, children and men made to photographed their exhibition of poverty before moving away with a bag ration.
People in routine visits Home for aged, SOS home, home for specially able and slums in Jammu and generously help the inmates without photography, said a renowned social and consumer activist Danish.
This current trend of posting photos of charity on social media is disturbing and must end to protect the privacy as well as self esteem of poor, he added.
Looking at this estrange practice of ration distribution, it seems the entire show of charity during pandemic is engineered as investment for future political prospects, added a college Principal preferring anonymity.
It’s also interesting to note that some self styled Massiha of poor are tirelessly making appeals through their multiple facebook accounts impressing the poor to contact in case they need ration pretending ignorance about the clusters where the poor labourers reside for decades in Jammu.
Charity is an appreciable act provided its sanctity remain intact and pursue in a selfless way to uplift the needy in society without compromising their identity and self respect.