Hit by COVID-19 lockdown, Andhra Pradesh teacher forced to sell bananas on street

Coronavirus has affected everyone's life and the lockdown seems to have an adverse impact on 43-year old Pattem Venkata Subbaiah. A couple of months ago he was teaching in a corporate college and was running the family of four including two sons. However, the COVID-19 lockdown wrecked havoc in his life. Today the double postgraduate degree holder is selling bananas on a pushcart on the roadside in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. Son of an agriculture labourer couple, Subbaiah did post graduation in political science and Telugu along with B.Ed. Till March end, he was running the family with the Rs 16,780 monthly net salary. He spares a part of it to repay the Rs 3 lakh borrowed for his second son's medical treatment two years ago.

In March, when the cruel coronavirus spread in India and the unplanned lockdown was imposed, the college management asked the staff to run classes online from their homes. The management paid March salary (with a one day deduction to contribute to the COVID-19 relief fund).Later, the college withheld the April and May salary. "When we asked, the principal said salary would be paid only if we get admissions for the next academic year.Every teacher was given a target to bring ten new students,"Subbaiah said, while sharing his miserable story with Mumbai Mirror. "Unfortunately, no parent allowed us to their homes for counselling due to fear of COVID-19. Meanwhile, pressure began to mount from debtors for money. It was amidst this crisis Subbaiah decided to put up a banana stall with Rs.1,000 investment and currently he earns Rs. 200 daily. The teacher admits that life has become miserable but he has no other option but look after the expenses of his family, says the teacher-turned-vendor.