With no end in sight, what is to become of our Atmanirbhir economy? The fitness industry has collapsed overnight. Trips to the gym before or after work have now been replaced with more work or no work. For the ones who are lucky to still be holding onto their jobs, they are now on an overload. And for the ones who have been politely asked to rest at home, they are at a loss mentally and physically.
Restaurants have shut doors too. The favourite college ‘bun maska wale bhaiye’ is tending to cattle in his village and taken to drinking cheap liquor in the day. The ‘samosa wala’ under the office building walked 200 kilometers to his village and has no will power left in him to do anything. His anger and hatred towards the government is raging towards violence, slowly. Chefs, waiters, delivery boys, vendors have all returned back to their homeland, only to be informed that there is no requirement for them anymore.
And, what are they really going to do in their villages? How are they going to sustain their families in a place which has no opportunity to earn? Are we perhaps, in a way.. pushing them towards an exile of sorts? Are we even aware of the frustration that is slowly building up inside of them? Could we be actually giving rise to such a massive surge of unemployment, that these people will have no other choice but to resort to crime.
Theft, burglary, murder, rape.. Are you also noticing a slow yet gradual increase in the ratio? If the disparity between the rich and poor is allowed to get wider, wouldn’t we all be in yet another life threatening danger?
Who is we and who are they? Aren’t we all supposed to be the same – Indians? Our government’s 20 lakh crore scheme is supposed to be underway but there seems to be no indication of anyone in the villages receiving the money. Based on a research done in 15 villages in the states of Odisha, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the migrants that returned have looks of defeat, worry and resentment in them. In the end, it is the middle class India.. It is the class that literally runs India that are left in the lurch. We will #bounceback from the virus in any which way, but who is going to help rebuild the spirit of the people that are India!
They, that – don’t have the privilege of sitting in fancy airconditioned offices speaking their hearts out to well dressed psychologists and psychiatrists.
While We – sit about our homes, read about them and carry on with life as normally as possible.
