Prejudice

About 12 weeks ago, when I last visited my office space, I was well aware of the pandemic that had hit the world. Even though I was reading and keeping myself updated, I don't think I was ready for the impact that I see now. Within few days, international flights were cancelled and we all knew we were heading towards a nationwide lockdown. I reached home on 24th March - the last day of domestic travel - the day when a three week lockdown was announced. Within India, few societies understood the gravity of the situation far earlier, while few are yet to understand - even after 10 weeks of economic standstill.

While movement restrictions have continued to change over the course of time - both within and outside India, there is one thing that remained constant during the entire period - deteriorating work life balance. Whether it be someone who runs a shop, provides a non-essential service, earns daily wages by helping businesses or runs a family - the situation is no different. There is no doubt that it has been a nightmare to be able to provide all these services during a pandemic. Being a software developer, a huge section of my contacts that I built over the last few years are in similar professions. Being a tier-2 city dweller with a huge Marwari footprint, the other section of folks I am close to are shopkeepers and businessman. Being born in the 90s in India, most of the females in my family are housewives and thereby play a major role in running the family. Fortunately, a service provider who can work from home has been able to work through the pandemic - there appears to be no problem at all. 

With no maid and cook at disposal, work for housewives have increased multifold. With schools taking the online route, there is an additional help that the kids need with regards to education. While there are few households where the men of the house have started to help, it is still a dream for plenty. The shopkeepers of non-essential services are badly hit - for their incomes have halted but fixed costs continue to incur. However, does this justify telling someone who has an option to work from home that their life is sorted? I have friends who are barely getting any salaries since weeks, have to work day and night while sacrificing their work life balance and all of this while taking care of their families. More importantly, they are bracing for a possible pink slip coming their way - as and when their organisation decides to cut its expenditure.

Recently a grocer told me that the stamp of expiry date on a packet was incorrect and that it should be January 2021 instead of January 2020. On asking for a letter of intimation from the manufacturer that he might have received in this regard, he barely had a response. Even after knowing that we purchase all our grocery from his shop, he asked me if I had any proof of buying the product from his shop in the last few days. I took the packet back, told him to give me a proper bill next time onward and left - only then he came rushing after me to replace the product. Imagine a similar situation when one orders from BigBasket - neither would one have to fight for their replacement nor would one be violating "vocal for local" - yet however, when the delivery arrives, these neighbourhood shops would give a stern look as though the grocery has been imported from China. In addition, I would also receive a bill from BigBasket - which most single door retail shops in India do not provide and thereby evade paying taxes.

As of today, I am fortunate to be able to pay my daily helpers in this time of crisis even though I am not being able to use their services. Although I have had to take a pay cut, I am blessed to have a job that pays me every month. I have been immensely lucky to be with my family through the pandemic. I totally understand that in times like these, it is important that we support each other - in whatever form we can. I believe that irrespective of the pandemic, buying locally manufactured goods help the local businesses to flourish and we must practise this as far as we can. However, it is important that as humans, we learn to respect others for their work and for what they are trying to achieve. These are unprecedented times for each one of us - for none among us were prepared for this. We need to understand that people - whether it be an essential service provider, a homemaker or a mere software developer - are not working in their usual conditions. We are trying to do our best to help ourselves, our families and our society in a pandemic hit world. We need to spread love. We need to empathise.