Bigger challenges await India in post Covid era due to prolonged lockdown
While the world continues to battle the novel corona virus, which has claimed more than 150,000 lives to date globally, some people have started romanticising about how our lives would be like in the post Covid-19 era. Confined to their houses with limited movement, they are seeing a positive change in their lifestyles and their musings about the future clearly reflect this. They feel that the family life that they are enjoying after lockdown, and which they had been missing out on all these years
due to a hectic daily work schedule, is there probably to stay for ever.
Furthermore, stories of people upholding human values in this time of crisis flooding mainstream and social media platforms seem to have relegated filthy communal discourses to the background and people are becoming religious in the true sense of the term. They are celebrating human values on a daily basis. Lockdown is also helping some people in quitting bad habits like smoking and drinking due to the non-availability of these items in the open market, bringing peace and happiness to their families.
Lockdown is also helping some people in quitting bad habits like smoking and drinking due to the non-availability of these items in the open market, bringing peace and happiness to their families.
So, there is no denying the fact that a lot of positive things are happening due to Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdown. But, will it last beyond Covid-19? I don’t think so.
To see Covid-19 as a temporary social reformer is alright but to consider it as a harbinger of lasting positive change in society is a little to romantic to accept it. There is also another side to the story. There are people who are getting depressed due to the lockdown as they don’t have a clue as to how they will overcome the financial crisis that will follow the lockdown. There are families witnessing growing domestic violence. People’s sense of insecurity due to the uncertainty of their jobs and businesses in post Covid-19 era is giving them long sleepless nights. And yet, the lockdown seems unending as cases continue to rise across the country. Another reason why this romanticism about life after Covid-19 is not tenable is that people will go back to their old routines with same mundane daily concerns.
My fear, however, is not that things will be back to the square one after Covid-19. Rather, it is about the economic paralysis and financial mess that loom large over the country in the post Covid-19 era. The lower middle class as always will be the most affected in the absence of government support. People might lose jobs and smaller businesses might shut down owing to the prolonged lockdown. The number of chronic patients, who are lying low due to the virus, may also multiply for lack of screening facilities for them in the current scenario. So, things will be far more difficult than what we are visualising now. Lockdown was necessary no doubt, but stretching it too far was not and it might have far reaching impact on people.
(Rajesh Mishra is a senior journalist)
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of BiharConnect and BiharConnect does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
