Take 7 from the Gritty 2020
7. Chaos and Covidiots : Close on the heels of the pandemic, the other malaise of infodemic reared its ugly head. Tweets and WhatsApp forwards blitzed the cyber space and created chaos and havoc. Conspiracy theories and quack cures ruled the roost. Bizarre therapies like cow dung and cow urine were touted as ‘indigenous’ cure for covid and covidiots had a field day. As 2021 dawns on us, with a glimmer of hope in the form of vaccines, there seems to be no cure or let up from this spread of misinformation, half-truths and blatant lies.
6. Social Distancing – what the hell is that?: For a nation notorious for over crowding and over enthusiastic socialising, the concept of social distancing was completely alien. Right from day one, nobody cared to distance themselves -social or otherwise. Paradoxically, social distancing norms were thrown to the winds when desperate people jostled for space to receive the benefits and welfare schemes announced by the government or private charitable agencies specifically to alleviate the sufferings from the pandemic. It was even more ironical to see politicians harping on the benefits of social distancing and entreating the citizens to maintain social distancing while they and their coterie were seen crowding and milling around unmindful of maintaining any sort of distancing.
5. Virtual offices and online classes: Work from home became the norm with WFH and WIFI becoming inseparable partners in this exercise. Genial fifty plus year old uncles turned out to be computer geeks overnight when they were forced to work from home. For the IT savvy younger group, it was Déjà vu but in a turbo-charged variant as they no longer had the luxury of shifts and 24/7 became a dreaded reality with bosses sending reminders and deadlines on WhatsApp well past midnight. Lounge-wear became the new normal and corporate etiquette and grooming was confined only to the upper body.
As for schools, teachers were caught off guard when they had to suddenly and irrevocably switch over to online teaching. They were subject to trolling and undue emphasis on their apparent lack of English knowledge. So called elite private schools came under fire for lack of quality of education vis-a-vis the exorbitant fees they charge. Swept under by this extreme bias is the hard work and efforts put in by the teachers. They had to come out of their comfort zones provided by their familiar classrooms, get to grips with technology, overcome the many technical glitches and still find innovative and smart ways to teach and convey the message in a setting that’s mostly one-way without any meaningful interaction or feedback.
4. Journey to nowhere: The unprecedented and in retrospect, uncalled for strict lockdown has done more damage than any good. With barely four hours to grasp the significance and come to terms with the implications, scores of poor migrant labourers were caught completely unaware and unprepared. With a bleak future staring at them, they panicked and packed their meagre belongings and with their improvised family, embarked into the unknown - a journey of thousand kilometres on foot. Many perished on the way burnt out in the heat and exertion, with not a drop of water or morsel of food and not a single soul to care for them. The help that came from some kind strangers and real-life heroes was unfortunately too little too late. The heart rending images of the poor souls carrying their babies and belongings with women and younger children walking barefoot on the scorching tarmac will forever remain branded in our hearts and minds and continue to disturb our sleeps for eons to come.
3. Marriages made in Internet: All marriages may not be made in heaven, but many marriages that happened in 2020 are hosted on the ‘cloud’ or in lay-man’s terms on the internet. That’s as close as one could get to heaven I suppose. Virtual marriages showed us that the ceremonies need not be lavish and ostentatious show of wealth but could be simple affairs with minimal fanfare. Live streaming saved the day for the couples who could not postpone cupid’s call even during the raging pandemic. However, these same couples when they look back at their wedding albums after many years, will be disappointed to see only selfies and screen grabs staring back at them. They’d surely miss the sweet chaos of a marriage medley with entire families and friends in attendance.
2. So near, yet so far: One of the cruelest memory of this wretched year is our inability to meet our family and friends and give them a comforting hug or a shoulder to cry. Any number of video calls or chats could not compensate for the loss of face to face interaction and silent communication. We could only mourn inside the four walls of our stone homes as we were brutally denied even the small consolation of saying our good-byes to our loved ones in person. It was a travesty staged by cruel fate to watch the dead descend to their graves through the cold images forwarded on WhatsApp.
1. Covid Saviours: Amidst the havoc and disaster created by the contagion, there was rays of hope and heartwarming stories of brave and kind souls who were aptly christened as the covid saviours. As scientists toiled hard across India and the world to bring out a vaccine in record time, many doctors and health workers were braving the odds to save lives in the frontline right from the day when the first patient was tested positive. Overworked and completely exposed to the virus, these doctors and health care workers put their lives on the line in the call of duty. Unmindful of the risks to themselves and to their families and sometimes amidst unwarranted criticism, these angels in human form reached out to the millions of souls who had given up all hope and provided them solace and succour. With folded hands and heart full of gratitude, we bow down to their selfless sacrifice and service to humanity.
A big salute also to the unsung heroes – the house keeping staff in offices and apartment complexes, the sanitary workers who helped in cleaning the unmindful trash and junk generated during the lockdown and after. A shout-out to the humble delivery boys and girls who tirelessly made several trips to reach us our daily supplies within the safety of our houses. These humble and heroic covid warriors are our saviours and ones who made sure that we wake up to see the dawn of a New Year 2021.
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