How dare you!

At around 12 today, the police jeeps started buzzing their sirens at Khade Bazar, Ramdev Galli, Ganpat galli and Maruti Galli. The police started forcing shops to shut down. Some shopkeepers did immediately, some were puzzled and waited.

A few others pulled their shutters to half and peeped. My office being at Khade Bazar, I came out to see what’s happening and found people rushing helter skelter. There is talk of a notification that all shops will remain closed till 4^th May barring essential goods. So now what will happen to the other businesses? There wasn’t a lockdown announced. Then why this suddenly? Because we brought this upon ourselves. I write this with utmost pain as a common man who has suffered the lockdown of last year’s heavily. My business will halt for the next 15 days. So will that of others. And I, like many others, followed all rules all the time ever since.

The news tells us that the European countries brought Corona under control through people’s self -discipline. If it’s known that one must wear a mask and not venture out unnecessarily, no one does there of their own accord. We just don’t care to follow any rules and that is the reason for our anguish. You must see the faces of the shopkeepers at my area. Pain writ all over their face. Another 15 days shops closed. They had suffered huge losses just last year.

Businesses have just begun to look up and now this. Why? Because we all pay the price for the lax attitude of some, that “I don’t care” nature of ours. Up until last week, people were enjoying themselves at rallies, at gardens, at weddings, at markets, like everything’s hunky dory. Even today, one could see people crowding everywhere without masks.

I don’t understand how painful and difficult it is to wear a mask and stay home when it’s not needed to venture out. Those who support lockdown and advice to shut down everything are usually the ones whose income is not dependent on whether the world is functioning or not. Many of them aren’t really aware how organizations have slashed salaries and even jobs. They don’t realize how it feels to sit at home twiddling your thumbs when all you wanted to do was go out there and work and earn your living.

They didn’t have their loved ones in hospital battling for life. Last year was a lesson we did not learn. We still have to stop people with sticks in hand and levy a fine for not wearing a simple mask and told not to crowd. The kids are not enjoying at home. They have lost two years of an active school life where they could have developed intellectually, emotionally and socially. The elderly are tired sitting at home for they fear to venture out.

No one loves to suffer, but everyone did. One can understand the helplessness of the administration when they have to control the pandemic amidst a stressed out healthcare system. One also feels for all those whose loved ones suffered because of the infection. But still we didn’t deserve this, at least not this year. You could have learned a lesson. You chose to ignore.

You chose to defy. It is time we start exercising self -discipline. If you find anyone without a mask, stop and tell. Click pictures of those who defy rules and post them. Call out people who show disregard for others’ wellbeing. There can be no exception to it.

I am sitting at home today when I should have been working in my office. I followed all the rules while some didn’t bother to. I feel anguished and helpless. I don’t know how and when things will be normal again. I don’t know what the new normal will be. I and many like me suffer because of you, who didn’t bother to think about me and others and the nation. All because of you. How dare you!