Man sells cow to buy smartphone for children’s online studies: La Tribune India
Ravinder Sood
Palampur, July 22
A poor man was forced to sell his cow, his only source of income, for Rs 6,000 for buying a smartphone for his two children’s online studies.
Kuldip Kumar belongs to the village of Gummer in Jwalamukhi. With the lockdown in effect in March, schools were also closed. Her children, Annu and Dippu, studied in class IV and class II. As schools began online classes, pressure mounted on Kuldip to purchase a smartphone so the children could continue studying.
Difficult to organize Rs 6,000
- Kuldip approached banks as well as private lenders, but none were ready to help.
- Since the schools closed, teachers have told him that children need a smartphone if they want to continue their education.
- It was difficult for him to arrange Rs 6,000 so he sold his only cow and bought a smartphone.
For a month, Kuldip went from pillar to post to obtain a loan of Rs 6,000 to buy a smartphone. He approached banks as well as private lenders but, due to his poor financial situation, none were ready to help.
In tears, Kuldip told this reporter that since schools closed, teachers have told him that children need smartphones if they want to continue their education. He said he didn’t even have Rs 500 to organize Rs 6,000 was a Herculean task.
When he failed to get the money despite all his efforts, he sold his cow for Rs 6,000 and bought a smartphone for his children’s education.
Kuldip lives in a mud house. Kuldip does not have a card below the poverty line (BPL) nor is it a beneficiary of the Integrated Rural Development Program (IRDP). Kuldip said he made several requests to the panchayat for financial assistance for the construction of the house and for his name to be listed in IRDP, BPL and Antodaya, but to no avail.
This reporter tried to contact the Panchayat Pradhan but he was not available. However, Ramesh Dhawala, MP for Jwalamukhi, said it was shocking that a man had to sell his cow to buy a phone in order to study his children online. He said he asked the BDO and the SDM to provide him with financial assistance immediately.
