Glimpses from an unposted lockdown diary...!

It all started way back last November 2019 itself.  Many small-time entrepreneurs had started getting the feelers of nationwide economic slowdown and as an effect of which, they hardly received enquiries / orders.  The customers who had promised to award the contracts / businesses, conveniently shelved them off for the next financial year citing the slowdown.  Post November till mid of March 2020, these entrepreneurs managed to do very few works & before the receipt of their final payments, there arrived the Covid 19, in the 2nd week of March.  Within the next 3-4 days, central govt announced its first lockdown citing the severity of the pandemic.  As soon as the lockdown was announced, those who postponed the projects / orders for this financial year, cautiously dropped the idea of doing them once for all.  So, projects got deferred.  Payments got stuck.  March passed, April & May got over and June is also getting over in no time.  Again, it has been extended till the end of July.  And now, there seems to be no sign of lifting of the lockdown as well as recovery of economy in the near future.

It has been more than 100+ days and people of many working segments, to whom 'work from home' is not at all applicable, have been compelled to stay confined in their respective houses.  For them, activities like, staying at indoors, doing no work, earning no penny, eating food shamelessly etc., offer nothing but a guilty feeling and drive them crazy.  Many are becoming mentally sick & for some suicidal thoughts do emerge as well. Those who have some money left with them as savings, are spending only for their essentials and those who don't have any savings as such, are terribly struck.  If this is the case for middle class segment, the condition of lower middle class, lower class & poor daily workers, is unimaginable.  Fearing the unprecedented situation, migrant workers were seen on the streets battling for their lives & trying to flee to their natives by foot, just like those days when people shuttled at our national borders during the partition era.

All the news’ channels have been busy showing the pandemic news & displaying the contraction cases and mortality figures like cricket score board every day.  The more you watch, the higher your pulse rate rises up.  The entire government machinery seems to be working on its toe’s day & night.  Kudos to the medical fraternity, sanitary workers, police & all those who are in the front line, who take chances with their lives at the same time tirelessly putting up a brave fight in order to save people.  The cases keep on rising all across the country & none has any clue regarding when the trajectory will flatten & dip.  It makes one think that he / she should be blessed & lucky not to get contracted for the killer disease.  In spite of following all safety precautions, still there is a fear among the public.  Many are losing their lives for no fault of theirs.  The pandemic is becoming ruthlessly dangerous as it is not sparing anyone including those who are asymptotic.  It symbolizes the role of a death reaper and awaits at the thresholds of our houses as if it is ready to take away the lives one after another.

In the name of mass urbanization, the very eco cycle of mother nature has been badly disturbed by the human race.  Thanks to the ever-increasing population & its ever-craving greedy needs.  Now it's payback time.  As a result of which, in the recent few years, we have been continuously encountering many natural disasters & calamities viz., floods, storms, Tsunami, pandemic, locust attack, forest fire etc.  So, at least now, those who are going to survive must swear not to disturb this beautiful earth & its environment.  Be kind to the mother nature & resolve to stretch out our arms to embrace its beauty.  

Manikandan B