The Fear: ‘She has travelled from Ahmedabad’
- By Saloni Parikh --
- July 13, 2020
Surendranagar, Ahmedabad, Travel, Covid19, Social Stigma, Fear, Culture, Mind-set, Mental Health, Government, MGNF
Fear is in the minds of people, if used as a tool can break the society. In these times, we shall hence be kinder, because, it is all what the world needs now.
My flight was scheduled to Ahmedabad from Bangalore on the day of the National Curfew- March 22, 2020. It got cancelled and I did not know what was coming next. It was then the cancellation of all the rescheduled flights and hence making Bangalore my home for the coming 2.5 months of lockdown.
Finally, as the domestic flight travel opened, I flew back to Ahmedabad with a fear of being a potential corona infected person. But fortunately, it was just fear and not the reality. At the end of 14 days of self-quarantine, I jumped with joy and hopped all over my home.
Few more days passed and Gujarat team at MGNF got the news that we have to travel to our allotted districts. I could not carry my happiness of finally getting on ground, to start doing the work I had joined the fellowship for. Preparations began the moment and even did not end till the last night before the travel.
I travelled to my allotted district Surendranagar on June 22, 2020 with high hopes and an image in my mind. Surendranagar had been a district with 0 cases until Unlock 1.0 began, and I was going to work with the team and their leader who made it possible- Mr. K. Rajesh, IAS.
Having been in continuous conversation with my mentor, who is the District Supply Officer at Surendranagar, I was very overwhelmed to know how greatly the administrative team was handling things. Coming on ground, hearing it from people themselves, made me feel prouder on working with such a zealous team.
With a huge smile I sat in the car with mask on, and departed for Surendranagar at 7:30 am. Adjusting to the new normal has been tough for everyone and so was for me. But with time, things become a routine habit, and so will it. I was happy, finding no traffic on the highway but as soon as I reached Surendrangar, the situation was whole lot different. I saw people on streets, vegetable vendors in groups, some chatting in pan shops and some just having a leisurely walk. Mind me, it was Unlock 2.0, government gave freedom, but now it was citizen’s responsibility to stay safe.
The government tries its level best in most of the times, but how will the change come till the citizens play their part? Ahmedabad is not a good example that I am defaming Surendranagar, but people are too casual of their and others’ health around them here. Not taking care of their health, they blame people coming from different parts of the city- especially Ahmedabad.
It somehow started with a fear, and today the inward migration is in such a situation here that the rent prices have increased beyond expectation. In one section of society, where there is high amount of fear, there is whole other section which is roaming free without any precautions. This attitude of ‘What will happen to me?’ might cost some lives.
Travel during COVID-19 times hence makes us realise to value the things around us that we have not taken things for granted. It teaches us to understand our own responsibility towards our world and be a bit kinder, because it is all what the world needs now.
Saloni Parikh