With factories, offices, and courts being shut during the lockdown the incomes of a lot of people were severely affected. Last month, The Times of India highlighted the plight of one such Tamil Nadu-based lawyer.
According to the report, 34-year-old K Uthamakumaran was practicing at the Pattukottai court in Thanjavur and earning Rs.25,000 per month as an advocate. But with a lack of cases for 2 months, he was forced to become a basket weaver in order to support his wife and son.
He was quoted saying,
“Since I had to eke out a living, I was ready to do any work. But the only other work I know was my ancestral vocation of weaving baskets from wild date palm fronds.”
He added,
“Normally a basket is sold for Rs 100 to Rs 120. If two people are engaged in it, we can make 12 baskets a week and earn 1,200 to Rs 1,500.”
Thereafter, PR Ramachandra Menon, the Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court, read the article and sent him a cheque of Rs.10,000 as a gift to his commitment to the “dignity of labour”, reports Live Law.
"Every Sunset will be followed by a Sunrise", Chhattisgarh HC Chief Justice gifts 10k cheque to lawyer forced to take up basket weaving amid COVID-19 #COVID19 #lawyers https://t.co/xIieHVlCe4
— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) July 14, 2020
Kudos, to the Chief Justice for showing everyone through his actions that “every Sunset will be followed by a Sunrise.”