Karimnagar: Covid-19 shatters lives of Medara people

Karimnagar: Lockdown relaxation didn't come to the rescue to the people of Medara community of Karimnagar district, who weaves veduru buttalu (bamboo baskets) used for several occasions.

There are no takers of these baskets as there is no demand for their products due to the lockdown, making their lives miserable without any earnings.

More than 10,000 Medara families of Karimnagar district are dependent on their caste-based profession since several decades. Both women and men will sit their houses during daytime, whittling bamboo and weaving baskets and other materials used for wedding and other functions.

Especially, summer is the best season for them to earn money as different varieties of baskets, fancy things were prepared with bamboo sticks with large number of marriages taking place in summer season. They also make temporary tents used for shade in front of shops, temples and for festivals celebrations and setting up pandals.

Bamboo basket weavers were already facing problems with the increased rates of raw materials and low income.

Many men of Medara community are working as labourers at construction sites or as autorickshaw drivers.

Following government orders not to conduct marriages and any other functions during the lockdown after the widespread of Covid-19, there is neither work nor income for them for the past five months.

Speaking to The Hans India, Medara community district president Rajanarasu lamented they used to work day and night and had very good income in the past. Now without any work due to the lockdown, they couldn't get even one day meal, he stated. Rajanarasu urged the government to extend financial help to bail out Medara community people out of financial crisis.

He demanded the government to include Medara community in caste-based profession category and sanction Rs 20,000 to

each family and to distribute at least 1,000 bamboo sticks.