Nisha Devi, who lost her baby due to anaemia
Credit: Cheena Kapoor
A loving husband, a steady income, and a healthy child on the way – at the beginning of last year Nisha Devi s future seemed bright. Then, her life started crumbling.
On March 22, with just four hours’ notice, a nationwide lockdown was imposed on India. As businesses and other activities ground to a halt, workers, especially migrant labourers like Devi s husband Sandeep Kumar, lost their livelihoods. Sandeep – along with hundreds of thousands of others – returned to their home villages to sit out the pandemic.
Days turned into months. With the family’s income reduced to almost nothing, there were days when the young couple had barely enough to eat. Then the government delivered the final blow by suspending its nutritional programmes.