India Is Unlocked, But What Is More Scary? COVID Or The Possibility Of Losing Everything?

If we go out we could be infected. If we with our privilege don’t, how will small businesses be supported? They will die of hunger anyway, or of COVID. What can be done?

The traffic today while coming back home was as bad as any pre covid day. All shops starting from puchka to chai, fast food to food courts have opened up. People are flocking up like any other normal day. The buses are plying in its full capacity and probably even till date not all offices are running in it’s full strength.

The only preventive measure taken by radio cabs are they are not switching on the AC that too exceptions are always there. The driver is wearing a soiled mask and wiping sweat off his forehead 5 times in a minute because of the humidity in kolkata air. Is he safe?? I do not know!

But who is to be blamed? How many days the lockdown could be continued? If not COVID, people would starve to death anyway. Are we expecting people to wear a mask and sanitize their hands who cannot even afford two square meals for the day? How practical is that? I do not know!!

We are sitting in the comfort of our house and ranting about our pay cuts and how all the shops have opened up like they are not scared for their lives. They are scared. They are scared that they would die of hunger. Should they get an option if they want to die of hunger or COVID? I do not know!

Small businesses dying

The small sized business have already died. All these start ups, small sized restaurants and other business, roadside tea stalls, the hawkers carts – are already dead. I am confused. If we do not support them now they will anyway die. So should we go out and help them sustain? I do not know!!

With our kind of infrastructure and population how easy it is for the government to handle such a crisis? I do not know!

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I do not have an answer for any of these questions. But tomorrow I will have to go to office again wearing a mask which I can afford and carrying bottle of sanitizer hoping that I am doing enough.

But is it still enough? I do not know!

P.S. These are just my personal and apolitical views. Please take precautions and stay safe.

Image source: YouTube

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