IN Kotarang, Hind Motors area in Hooghly, peoples’ kitchens are a saviour for hundreds of families in this difficult period of lock down. One such kitchen, run by DYFI activists serve lunch to around 500 people. Initially DYFI activists were distributing rice, pulses, salt to houses. They felt that some families would literally face starvation after some days. Most of them are house maids, cobblers and van drivers. The strategy was changed and a list of 122 families was prepared and coupons were distributed. DYFI activists distributed coupons to these families in the evening. Women of the locality start slicing vegetables from the morning and cooking is done by youth. Those who cook include drivers and brick-kiln workers.  By noon, the kitchen starts catering food. The monetary support for this effort is coming from people of the area. Another kitchen, nearby, is run by local people with help from the local Left councillor.

Every noon witness hundreds of people lining up in front of a table in Jadavpur in southern Kolkata. SFI-DYFI activists are serving cooked food here. Street hawkers, workers of unorganised sector who lost their livelihood gather here. “We can sustain because of them”, says Krishna Sarkar, a street food vendor. SFI, DYFI, AIDWA, Vigyan Mancha activists are helping people of this area in other ways too. They are bringing medicines for aged and children. In many areas they are even managing the daily marketing for older people whose sons or daughters live outside the state.

The stories are same in almost all areas of West Bengal, from Siliguri to Murshidabad.  Left activists have joined in full-fledged relief work for people in various ways. They have collected money from people to buy food materials and distributed among the poor. They have outshined even the municipal staff in disinfection drive in many areas. In slum areas, the Left activists have campaigned for health awareness and then distributed masks and sanitizers. They have also distributed food to thousands of families.

Left activists are also in the forefront of blood donation. It has been decided that they would either donate in hospitals or organise blood camps following lockdown rules. SFI organised blood donation on April 2, the martyrdom day of Comrade Sudipta Gupta . In Jadavpur, after such a blood donation camp, police detained a DYFI leader and local councillor. In almost all areas, SFI and DYFI has publicised helpline numbers through social media. People are calling them for emergency blood donation.

CITU has organised relief works in industrial areas. They have worked in workers colonies in jute and coal areas in particular. Food and essentials were served to head-loader workers in big market areas like Burrabazar in Kolkata. Trade unions played important roles in standing by the migrant workers who are staying in West Bengal. CITU and other mass organisations have provided food and shelter for them in many areas. On the other hand, CITU has co-ordinated with trade unions in other states to help migrant workers from Bengal.