New Delhi:
For the homeless, sleeping under the open sky can mean having to go hungry. In the winter chill, a blanket, mattress, and a plastic sheet are bare essentials, but it costs money to rent one every night.
With inadequate government shelters, it is a cruel choice between a meal and a blanket and between life and death.
Entrepreneurs like Ganga Ram have sprung up in the walled city who charge 10 rupees a night for a blanket, 10 rupees for a mattress and another 10 for a charpoy. It would cost Rs 30 a night for all three. For most, who earn less than 50 rupees a day, it is an animal-like existence. On some days it has meant sacrificing a meal.
Studies show the homeless eat less in winter because they spend that money in keeping themselves warm. This makes homeless people, who already suffer from high malnutrition, vulnerable to the cold weather.
The homeless also have to pay for basic public services. Every visit to the toilet requires them to pay Rs 2, and if they don't have the money, they are pushed out.
Small privileges that those who live in homes take for granted are impossible for the homeless.