Open house (edited)

Life wouldn’t be same for many

It is really appreciable that almost everyone is cooperating with the government by staying at home. As we have entered the lockdown 3.0 period, the country has been divided into red, orange and green zones. Some relaxations have been given to those areas which fall under the orange and green zones. But, there is no relaxation given to the areas that are placed under the red and containment zones. After the Covid-19 pandemic bids goodbye to us, life would not be the same. Everyone will take precautionary measures in his/her life in future. Businesses would take a long time to come back on track. As far as students are concerned, their syllabus may be cut short. What makes me sad is that the underprivileged and the poor will get poorer after the pandemic is over.

Izleen

Relationships to become thicker

One hopes the pandemic will leave an indelible impression on many of us, making us to maintain cleanliness and follow good discipline in our life. After the pandemic has run its course, we — men, women and children — will develop more emotional proximity towards our kin. Relationships may become thicker and communal intolerance may end if there is corporate support. The consumption pattern will certainly change in favour of simplicity and restraint. The habit of washing hands, learnt during the Lockdown, will continue, at least for some time. It will help prevent many tropical diseases like conjunctivitis, cholera and typhoid with slightly enhanced immunity. All said and done, it will alter our lifestyle for the better.

Prof Mohan Singh

Things will be back to square one

The clean air we are enjoying these days may be replaced by pollution soon after the lockdown is lifted. People would tend to behave in the same way as they would before the lockdown. Factories would resume belching out toxic smoke and discharging poisonous effluents into drains and rivulets. Roads would again be chock-a-block with vehicles, emitting toxic fumes. Tranquillity and quietude will give way to noise pollution on roads. As usual, stubble-burning will take place in some states, creating smog and haze in the atmosphere.

Prof Vikram Chadha

Lifestyle, habits set to change for brief period

Social analysts are quite vocal in asserting that our lives will no longer be the same post lockdown. A big change would be seen in our lifestyle and habits. But I beg to differ. Once the lockdown ends, slowly but surely things will revert to earlier positions. Even during the lockdown period, one can witness how the protocols are being violated. For example, one can see a long queue of people outside banks and liquor vends who do not follow the social distancing and other norms. Ours is a densely populated country. Millions of people are dependent on a meagre income. In a country like ours, two-square meals a day is a big challenge for people, leave alone hygiene and better living conditions. We may be passing through testing times but people tend to forget bad phase very soon. A few years ago when carcinogenic elements were found in noodles and a reputed soft drink, almost everyone stopped consuming noodles and cold drinks. After a few months, people started consuming them again and are still having them daily. I believe once the present crisis is over, people will soon forget social distancing, wearing face masks and washing hands repeatedly.

Rajiv Sharma

Auto drivers, passengers to face consequences too

In the holy city, the air-conditioned BRTS service is providing free travel to school students and a heavy discount is extended to college goers and senior citizens in it. Now, the social distancing norm would be followed for months to come in BRTS services, causing a great financial loss to it. Fewer passengers in them would mean less profit. Similarly, autos, running in thousands, are a cheaper mode of transport for people. The auto drivers would be worst-hit as the government will not allow them to carry more than two passengers. In that scenario, they would lose customers or passengers have to pay more to reach their destinations. Passengers in groups may not be able to travel in autos in future.

Naresh Johar

Adversity, the best teacher

Adversity is the best teacher. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown how fragile and unpredictable our lives are. Post-lockdown, almost all countries of the world would face a slowdown in their economies, besides facing business disruption, travel obstruction, public seclusion, etc. It would bring a paradigm shift in thinking and working. Institutions around the globe have switched to online modes of working while global mobility has come to a standstill. The biggest enemy of mankind — arrogance — has disappeared giving way to humility and patience. Nature has shown us that it is supreme. It has turned atheists into theists overnight.

Nanak Singh Arora

People will understand the value of hygiene

We all know that the coronavirus has already changed the world and it will not be the same again at least for years to come. Our social life will have many new norms, especially in our social functions or outings. On the other hand, many employers may decrease their staff, leading to unemployment. Moreover, the work-from-home culture will stay. There is a possibility of NGOs changing their focus on promoting nature as the lockdown has made us understand the importance of nature. Henceforth, when it comes to travelling, the focus will be on places that bring us close to nature.

Rameshinder Singh Sandhu

Visiting shopping malls to be a thing of past

When a goldsmith can turn a vegetable vendor to earn a livelihood in these testing times, scores of others meeting a similar fate cannot be ruled out due to Covid-induced economic crisis. With the chances of revival of industries looking bleak, there will be a possibility of fewer job opportunities. Workers in the unorganised sector would be left with no choice but to explore other jobs for survival. With wearing face masks and maintaining being major norms these days, one hopes people’s lifestyles, shopping and eating habits would change. Thronging famous eatery joints and shopping malls will be a thing of the past. The Covid-19 scare will continue to haunt social life of residents in times to come as grand celebrations will be reduced to low-key affairs. On the positive side, the ban on spitting and littering in public places would help in maintaining cleanliness in surrounding.

Anil Vinayak