Mumbai: American Poet Langston Hughes poem ' If only rent was heaven sent' is resonating true in today's troubled times. An Andheri based tenant has initiated an online signature petition demanding CM, Thackeray to make a public announcement allowing deferred payment on housing rents amid the lockdown period.
She is prompted to do this as many flat owners and landlords are hell bent on procuring their rents from their tenants and threatening them of eviction, in case they fail to comply.
Andheri's Tejaswini Divya Naik, a script supervisor at the Bollywood film industry has started the campaign stating the government is paying a blind eye to the freelance workers in the city.
Naik, like every other freelancer is struggling to make her ends meet since the lockdown has been imposed, as her payments have been stalled since last month. As a result, she is cash strapped and struggles hard to pay her rent.
"There are multiple cases of harassment of landlords. People are being told to empty their flats in case they fail to make their payment. In these uncertain times people need some assurance so that the roof above their head is not lost," urged Naik. "I have paid my last rent from my savings.
However, payment per projects have stopped and I am surviving on savings till they don't run out," added Naik. Till Monday the petition turned viral and 19,000 people have signed it so far. " The freelancers are mostly from Bollywood which in better times has generated a good revenue for the state.
The government needs to take a stand during our challenges," says Nilanjan Samaddar, music composer and a petition signatory. He pays 40 thousand rupees as monthly rent and fears he may lose the roof above his head. "If the owners can't defer the payment, they can relax the rent to an extent.
This will benefit both the parties. This is a testing time and people need to be compassionate and sensible at the same time" added Samaddar. Goregaon's Sonal Singh, who lives with her ailing mother in a one BHK flat has been reminded by her landlady, to empty her flat if she doesn't pay the rent on time.
"I pay rent on time every month, however my landlady messaged me earlier last week and told me that she will evict me if I don’t pay the rent in full amount till the next month" Singh states. Considering the collective plight of these people, Naik is hoping the state CM to take a stand on the issue.
