Anantnag: Kashmakash, a group of youth in Pulwama district, is reaching out to the needy, including migrant labourers stuck in Kashmir, in wake of the Covid-19 lockdown. The group came into existence last year and was primarily aimed at providing a platform to local talent, including writers, poets, painters and others. However, witnessing the crisis right now, these youths have decided to come forward and help the destitute around them. “The decision was taken a few days back after we got to know that a group of 300 migrant labourers was kept at a local college and had been given no food for the last 36 hours,” said Shahbaz Mushtaq, leader of the group. He said that members of Kashmakash approached the district administration and sought permission to arrange food for these labourers. “We managed to feed them breakfast and dinner on Saturday,” general secretary of the group, Nida Farooqui, told Kashmir Reader. She said that satisfied with what they managed to do, they have taken up the work further and are raising funds locally to help all the destitute around them. Umar Wani, a photojournalist from Pulwama who is associated with Kashmakash, said that there were hundreds of people around them who are in dire need of help. “Like there was this woman who has a family of five and no one to feed them. She was getting ration for two members and the family was forced to manage with that. We got to know of her and have extended some help,” Wani said. The group members are overwhelmed with the response they have been getting from the community. They say that everyone who gets to know about their work is contributing to the cause. “The amount does not matter. What matters is that everyone is coming forward to help,” Farooqui told Kashmir Reader. She said that the group expects to extend their help to more people as many are coming out to support the group in their work. “We are only carrying forward what every Kashmiri wants to do in this time of crisis. Because we are an organised group and we can do better than individuals, we think it becomes our duty to do so,” Shahbaz said.

Suhail A Shah