Lockdown effects on our lives and livelihood

The word ‘Lockdown’ seems to be a new jargon on the street. Never have we come across such a word that was in the dictionary but has not been implemented in the history of the world. But we all were made aware of this word last year when covid19 cases were at the peak and to curb the spread the union government had to introduce a complete lockdown for several weeks.

A year later, this word has settled in our minds like never before. But in retrospect, if we look back a year ago, we all were confined to our homes for several months due to nationwide lockdown. Never had people of this country or around the world have experienced such confinement with stringent measures in place.

Such was the intensity of the covid19 that an average man was taken aback with the sudden spurt in cases and the entire economy coming to a standstill. Last year’s lockdown was a grim reminder of how and what happens if a pandemic strikes vociferously.

The after-effects were painful and hard to digest. Manufacturing had completed stopped and as there was no production, supply and demand also fell considerably. People from all walks of life had a bitter experience since only essential supplies were available including medicines and milk.

Burgeoning cases every single day had a devastating effect on our economy and as a result, the economy shrunk and had to be bailed out by an emergency stimulus package from the central government.

People across the length and breadth of the country lost their jobs and unemployment was at its peak during the lockdown. Similar scenes were witnessed around the world where millions were laid off leading to a talent shortage in the job market.

Restaurants, grocery shops, and hotels where migrant workers were employed bore the brunt since there was a massive exodus of workers to their native states. Salaries had to be pruned for some whereas others had to work without pay for several months.

The scare of covid19 was intense and it had a lasting effect on our economy and our daily livelihood. Nevertheless, after nearly several months of the lockdown, the economy had shown signs of recovery albeit at a slower pace once restrictions were lifted and people returned to work from their native places.

It is business as usual for many after the mayhem caused by covid19 and subsequent lockdown. But the damage has already been done and it will take a year or two before the economy rebounds and starts growing further.

To conclude it would be prudent to say that lockdown had a serious effect on our lives and our livelihood. We saw a sea change in our behavior and attitude towards the pandemic and we learned new skills and had quality time with our family members which wouldn’t have been possible during normal days.

We wish there shouldn’t be another lockdown as new cases have emerged since the last couple of days and we hope that life will continue despite the pandemic raging its head once again and people will follow all SOPs and carry on their daily routine with full vigor.