Tribal and Hakki-Pikki communities living on the forest fringes and small hamlets of Hunsur and Hanagodu might stay safe from COVID infection but they are pushed into poverty and starvation as their lone source of livelihood, passed on from generations has been cut off, thanks to lockdown.
The lockdown has not only made the urban rural divide conspicuous but also gave a glimpse of the depth of inequality in our societies. Unless urgent measures are taken to uplift them through Government schemes, their survival even after the lockdown is lifted looks doubtful and arduous.
