Lighter side of serious pandemic

COVID19 pandemic is something which the world has not seen or experienced before in the living memory of the current generation. However, there are two sides of each aspect and while on one hand there’s news around lockdown, suffering and deaths, there’s also some wit around the work from home (WFH), especially by menfolk!

Unlike several international giant IT firms more specifically Apple, Google, Microsoft which are epitome of flexible work culture, including WFH, in India, this practice has not really taken roots, till Corona lockdown has brought about a radical change. Apart from IT professionals, bankers, bureaucrats, consultants, chartered accountants have all taken to WFH in a big way.

However, we are celebrating the role of Police – always known to be a saviour in normal times , now enforcing lockdown, sealing hot spots, helping medical fraternity in doing their duty and dealing with rogues breaking the rules of lockdown and social distancing. It gives me shudders to think if they were to work from home! Ditto doctors, though non Corona patients they are consulting doctors virtually over video calling.

BEST is providing local transport and electricity, both essential services. Poor chaps have no option to WFH. Clean up Mumbai removes our garbage daily and maintain hygiene of our city. Milkman delivering morning milk, persons providing daily bread, eggs, vegetables and other necessary provisions, local chemist and druggist and above all the soldier guarding our fronts and protecting us from enemies. Can we ever imagine all these doing WFH?

As the title of this blog is lighter side of this serious situation, let me narrate the incident on the eve of lockdown! I told my wife that our domestic help has decided to WFH and daily at 9 AM, she will be making a video call guiding us on bartan, jhadu and pocha, so that we don’t leave any nook of the house dirty or any utensil not cleaned properly!