Watch – ‘Indo-China War Untenable For Both Nations’

As Line of Actual Control between India and China hots up, with both militaries delaying disengagement, TV news channels are on an overdrive sounding the war bugle. Nationalism is the flavour of the season amid common masses, and electronic media is encashing the sentiment to the hilt.

Amid this hullabaloo, LokMarg finds some saner, educated voices among common people who advise caution against the hysteria. While Saurabh Upadhyay, a social activist, says chances of a war, despite their two bloating egos, are little due to international pressure, Nishi Yadav, an educationist, feels both countries are making an effort to avoid military confrontation at the highest level and this is a mutually beneficial situation. Dr Ravi Chauhan, an academic, too believes no country will like to indulge into a war which will set them many years back.

Even as all of them repose faith in Indian armed forces capabilities, they counsel peace and development to continue. Watch the video:

‘Covid-19 Wreaked Havoc On Slum Children, Their Studies’

Dev Pratap Singh Chauhan, 22, who spent his teen years on platforms consuming cheap contrabands, now runs Voice of Slum, an NGO which aims to save many a childhood

I was a child when I left home and became an urchin. I would roam in trains, used contrabands and became an addict like many children you may spot on platforms across India. After spending almost my entire teenage on tracks and platforms, I got in touch with an NGO which enrolled me for detoxification, rehabilitation and education. I must consider myself lucky therefore.

Hence, as I grew up, I always wanted to give back to our society; particularly to the underprivileged children. Although I had been employed in various positions in marketing, I was not oriented towards a career there. It was my friend Chandni, a rag-picker in her early years, who suggested that we could start our own NGO and translate our dreams into reality.

We discussed a blueprint and quit our jobs. We had little savings so we connected with like-minded people through NGOs and laid bare to them our plan. Finally, in 2017, our own NGO Voice of Slum, came into being.

The original plan was to provide basic behavioural training, in some cases even elementary education, to children from poor families and then lobby with local schools to get them admission under EWS (economically weaker sections) quota mandated by the government.

During early, struggling days, sometimes I had to sleep hungry as we had a rented an accommodation and had hired an expert teacher to impart the enrolled children basics of a civil society, etiquettes and language skills so that they may fare well in their interviews for school admission.

ALSO READ: ‘Covid-19 Is Time Give Back To Our Society’

We successfully placed many slum kids in good schools from our first batch and the work got us some attention from people with similar motivations. Some of these people offered monetary help too, and number of children in our NGO grew further. We contacted children of housemaids, security guards, sweepers, housekeepers, drivers, roadside vendors and many other such people from economically weaker sections and encouraged them to enroll with the NGO.

We had started with one rented hall for training the children two years back and now with growing numbers, we have to rent a three-storied building to accommodate all members. As our resources grow, so does the number of our enrollment.

We were charting a steady growth when the pandemic struck in March 2020. The lockdowns wreaked havoc on daily wagers. The children in my NGO mostly belong to that strata. Many parents of these children became jobless. We decided to shift gears immediately. We focusing on and provided food to the slum dwellers. We sought help from Donatekart in providing quality meal for these families.

WATCH: ‘No Smartphones, No Classes; Kids Play All Day’

Noida police officials also came forward to extend their help in distributing food packets. During a series of lockdowns and subsequent weeks of uncertainty, we have been able to distribute food worth Rs 50 lakh, through various donations.

I do not want to see our children begging on the streets or selling flowers and other wares on traffic signals. I do now want these children to be susceptible to same threats that I faced.

I am proud that many of the children who trained with us are also helping their parents in their work, in addition to pursuing their studies, as they have picked up hard lessons at an early age. It is a long road ahead of us, but we haven’t stopped; we are marching on.

‘I Delivered My Baby Girl Amid Covid-19’

Sulekha Madan, 35, a fashion entrepreneur in Delhi, would cover herself from head to toe when she had to step out for check-ups. Madan regularly practised Yoga and switched off news to beat stress & negativity

Motherhood and pandemic! I had never thought I would be uttering the two words in the same breath, leave alone going through it. But go through it I did. I gave birth to my second daughter (who is perfectly healthy) on August 26. My elder daughter was born five years ago and together we are all adjusting to the changes brought into everybody’s life by Coronavirus.

I conceived my daughter in November 2019 and for the first three months we were very excited. We had no idea about the looming pandemic. I had my parents as well as my in-laws to support me and life was going like a dream. Things suddenly changed in the second trimester of my pregnancy, for the pandemic was officially declared. I had just begun my pre-natal Yoga classes in March and I had to stop them due to lockdown.

Thankfully since I practice Yoga regularly and knew all the pre-natal poses properly since my previous pregnancy, I could still continue at home. But I stopped following the news to avoid stress as I didn’t want to be negatively affected by the panic over pandemic. I am a homebody so I didn’t feel suffocated at home but the idea of not being able to meet my parents or in-laws despite them staying nearby pinched.

ALSO READ: ‘I Moved To A New Country During Pandemic’

The biggest issue though was that I couldn’t go for routine check-ups. While online consultation was available, there are many check-ups for which one has to appear physically during pregnancy. I had to step out during the lockdown for an ultrasound in April. It was risky to go out. But finding the condition of the baby was equally important.

I covered myself from head to toe and ventured to the doctor’s clinic. The clinic was following all social distancing as well as hygiene and sanitation measures. Another ultrasound was done in June-end and this time there was less anxiety because the ‘Unlock’ had started. In July end, I again stepped out to get my Covid test done. Mercifully, the results came negative.

When I went into the labour, I had to wear a mask. The hospital had been sanitised and all the doctors, nurses, attendants were all following the protocols. Yet I couldn’t bear wearing the mask for more than a few minutes, for, while in labour, we need to draw huge amounts of breath, which was difficult with a mask on.

ALSO READ: ‘I Not Only Fought Covid-19 But Stigma Too’

The staff then found a middle path and placed the mask on my face without tying it; I could then draw deep breathing. They put a curtain a little away from my face, as a second wall of safety, before starting the process. I forgot all about the pandemic once my gorgeous and healthy little one was put in my arms. I am currently staying at my in-laws place as I am following the 40-day ‘quarantine period’ advised after delivery in many a Hindu family.

Sulekha (left) believes Yoga helped her remain both mentally and physically strong. Her fashion brand Juno (right)

What next? I am a fashion entrepreneur and my label Juno has been on the backburner for some time. I hope to get it moving when I feel like it. I love to balance between work and family but the pandemic has taught us that we need to slow down and take things at our own pace some time. So, I have decided to enjoy each day thoroughly.

I believe it was Yoga that both kept me physically fit and mentally strong or handling a pregnancy during the pandemic wouldn’t have been easy. Most of my friends and extended family members have seen my baby only through video calls and photographs and I hope this pandemic gets over soon so that we can celebrate a birth and life in general like in the pre-Covid times – in person.

JEE Main

‘I Am Happy, Govt Decided To Hold JEE Main’

Shreya Vyas (18), an aspiring architect, narrates her anxiety before taking JEE Main and the unprecedented safety measure at her examination centre in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh

When the pandemic first broke out, no one had anticipated that it would last so long and things would change so much. But nearly six months into the pandemic, we students have made peace with the fact that we will have to move ahead with the uncertainty.

I wish to study architecture post high school and though there is a National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA), one needs to rank well in Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) Main for admission into a reputed college. This year, I appeared for my Class 12 Board exams just before the lockdown was announced. First, our results were postponed and later there was much confusion about holding of JEE Main. I am glad the government decided in favour of holding JEE-NEET.

I took JEE on September 1. Coronavirus made it different this year. I live near the Cantonment Area in Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh) and my exam centre was quite far. Earlier, vehicles would be allowed right up to the gate of an exam centre but due to contraction fear this year, we had to walk to the centre from quite a distance.

ALSO READ: ‘Online Classes Totally Drain Parents’

There was also heavy police deployment to ensure social distancing measures. A temperature check was done right at the gate before allowing us inside. We were asked to take off our masks and replace them with new masks at the exam centre.

From the main gate of the campus to the exam hall, we had to sanitise our hands three times. Even the pen we used for the exams were provided by the centre. The exam halls had also been thoroughly sanitised.

I believe we need to be cautious but not be scared. Having taken all prescribed hygiene measures, I wasn’t scared about the pandemic as much as about faring well in the exams. While the preparation for the exams were stressful given the confusion before the exams, I heaved a sigh of relief at the end of my exams. I am passionate about architecture and thus had studied really well for the exams.

ALSO READ: ‘Covid Has Taught Us Valuable Lessons’

It is in the hands of our generation to rebuild our society ravaged by the pandemic. I believe that because of Covid-19, the field of architecture too will see major changes and we will have to adapt quickly to those changes. We may have to go back to the architecture of old times where natural light would flow in, where houses and offices were extensions of people’s personalities. The lockdown has taught us all the importance of our homes; how these four walls can either turn into a safe haven or a prison.

During lockdown Shreya painted wall of a relative’s house

I am now taking another exam on September 12 and I hope to get through a good college and follow my dreams. Thanks to my banker parents, my childhood was spent shuttling between cities/towns and thus the idea of one particular rooted space that I can call home appeals deeply to me. In my free time, I even painted one whole wall of a relative’s house by myself. That’s how much I love the idea of housing. Architects ‘build’ houses, people ‘build’ homes; together we ‘build’ societies.

Covid Care

‘It Was Hard To Get A Hospital Bed For Covid Care’

Geeta Shintre (43), a homemaker in Mumbai city, narrates her month-long battle with Coronavirus, which also ruined her 25th marriage anniversary plans

This year, we were about to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary on May 12 when Coronavirus became the third wheel and ruined our plans. I developed high fever on May 8. My husband took me for a test at a camp immediately.

Apart from running his cable business, my husband also plays an active role in the social arena. He had been helping authorities as well as common people during the pandemic which is why he had a fair idea about how to go about things and didn’t panic. He had also been following all the measures and precautions etc. However, that didn’t make things easy for us.

After testing positive I was sent to the Kalina IT Park at Santa Cruz for quarantine. The facilities were good. My fever subsided but by May 15, I started having breathing issues. For two days, I was kept under observation and on May 18 the doctors advised that I needed to be admitted to a hospital.

ALSO READ: ‘I Not Only Fought Covid-19, But Stigma Too’

Thus, not only did I spend my 25th anniversary away from my husband, I was also left wondering if I would ever get to see him again. My son was also away in Chennai. The pandemic was raging and Mumbai was the worst hit.

On May 18, my husband and I first went to Cooper Hospital in an ambulance provided by the quarantine facility but there were no beds available. Next we went to 7 Hill Hospital at Andheri around 10.30 am. My temperature as well as oxygen level was normal, so I was denied a bed there. For 2.30 hours nothing moved and I was feeling extremely suffocated while waiting inside the ambulance.

We next asked our contacts to help us and then with great hope drove towards Nanavati Hospital. The same story was repeated there too. By this time, the ambulance driver was getting restless because he had to return to resume duty. We let him go and finally reached Nair Hospital in our own car. Thankfully, I was given a bed but by then my condition had worsened. Finally, my treatment started around evening in the fourth hospital.

Geeta Shintre with her husband

My second test came positive as well. I was finally discharged on June 5. So, I spent nearly a month away from home. My extended family had been taking care of my husband all this while. I must admit that I still suffer from breathing problems even though I don’t have coronavirus anymore.

ALSO READ: Virus Is There But The Fear Is Gone

We consulted various doctors until one doctor diagnosed that breathing problems were stress-induced. He counselled me and advised us to keep an oxymeter handy. I was supposed to consult a doctor if the oxygen level ever went below 95. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. But I did lose around 10 kg of weight in this ordeal.

First of all, to enhance my mental health I have stopped watching news altogether. My son has also finally been able to reach home. We enjoy and laugh a lot and also regularly keep in touch with our extended family and friends through digital mediums. Community interactions and support are very important to build immunity. Thankfully my 53 year old husband and I will be able to celebrate another anniversary together.

Quota

Watch – ‘Job Quota For Locals Pushes Statism, Negates Equality’

After Madhya Pradesh government promised to bring a law to ensure state government jobs to be reserved for local youth, LokMarg sought its reaction from young job aspirants in MP and neighbouring states.

Most of them roundly critisised such a step, which they called discriminatory, anti-Constitution and one that would promote regionalism. At a time when people were losing jobs, such protectionist policies by states like Haryana, Andhra Pradesh and MP will only create rifts in society, they said in one voice.

Watch the video:

‘I Not Only Fought Covid-19 But Stigma Too’

Piysuh Kumar Singh, 34, who had a lung problem since 2018, his pregnant wife and ageing mother all contracted the virus at the same time! It wasn’t an easy journey for Singh who also felt stigmatised at some of the places

My name Piyush means amrit (nectar), the fluid that makes one immortal. But when I contracted Coronavirus, I had to battle hard for life. It is said that this virus is fatal for people who have pre-existing health conditions. Unfortunately, I checked quite a few boxes on that score. I suffered from a lung problem called pleural effusion in 2018 and had to be in hospital for nearly a month. My already weakened lungs meant my chances of survival were lesser than others.

To make matters worse, my pregnant wife, my ageing mother and my elder brother all contracted the virus at the same time. Imagine! All three categories considered most susceptible to the contagion were under one roof.

I had always taken ample precautions at work and at home, maintaining hygiene and distancing. So I still wonder how I contracted it. On July 18, when I showed the dreaded symptoms, I dialled one helpline number after another to get myself tested at a government facility. Even for getting myself tested I would have to wait for at least three to seven days. At private diagnostic centres, the waiting period was two days.

ALSO READ: ‘Covid-19 Is Time To Give Back To Community’

I tested Covid positive on July 20. By then, my brother had started complaining of fever and I knew the virus was upon us. I had to get admitted while the rest of my family had to be in home quarantine. The real struggle began thereto!

Government hospitals were overflowing with Covid patients while private hospitals were charging a fortune. When I contacted private hospitals in Kolkata, beds weren’t available. I had high fever, stomach aches, loss of appetite and many other problems (Thankfully, breathing problems were not among them). In that condition I was making the rounds of hospitals.

I felt stigmatised at many of the places. While waiting at one of the hospitals, I wasn’t even allowed to use the washroom. I had expected the facilities at private hospitals to be up to the mark but I was in for a rude shock. I managed to get admitted on July 21 to a satellite hospital of one of the properties of the hospitality industry, thanks to my friends and their contacts. I shudder to think about the fate of families without the right contacts.

During the treatment, I couldn’t even enquire about my family’s wellbeing. Then the breathing trouble began. The doctors had to use an asthmatic pump to help me breathe. The next few days passed by in a blur and my health didn’t pick up even until July 27. Seeing and hearing about people losing their lives around me made things worse.

ALSO READ: ‘Virus Took My Job, But Not My Resolve’

I started giving up the mental fight until a doctor sensed it and counselled me for over an hour. I regained confidence, and my strength began to return. Until then I was at the mercy of the health professionals, who I would say, did a fabulous job. The hospital did a good job, but here is a special shout-out to the doctor who breathed life into me with his counsel. Now I understand why doctors are called gods.

I got to know that my friends were, at great risk to their health, supporting my family handle the isolation. This included my boss as well as other colleagues who were of tremendous help right from the beginning till the end in everything. My family would not have survived this phase without them. I was finally discharged after testing negative on August 8. I am a new man these days.

There have been post-recovery issues. For past week, I have been suffering from severe skin rashes. Doctors have asked me to observe my symptoms as these could be allergy but I am a little scared. My wife is also doing fine and our main focus is now on keeping ourselves mentally fit and emotionally strong.

I must warn other that the various apps which claimed to help us fight against Covid are of little use. I didn’t feel socially stigmatized but my experiences at many a health facility wasn’t pleasant. Social distancing doesn’t mean emotional distancing.

‘Covid-19 Is The Time To Give Back To Our Community’

Konpal Mishra, 28, an e-commerce manager in Mississauga, Canada, says she was supported by Indian community to settle down in a foreign country. It is payback time for her now.

I too was once an immigrant in this country (Canada). I know how overwhelming it can be for anyone landing in a foreign land and settle down! When I first moved to Mississauga, I found help and support from my friends and colleagues who made sure that I settled well. They had helped me set my house, even let me borrow their belongings

So, when I was approached by a female friend for help in her moving to Canada, I decided it was payback time. The current Covid-19 crisis has made the process more complex and demanding. But this time has also taught us to stand together as a community and help each other.

While moving to a new country, a person does a lot of planning to look for a suitable accommodation, essential supplies, paperwork etc but shifting in the time of a pandemic can require additional care and support.

ALSO READ: ‘Every Individual Can Help In Battling Covid-19’

My friend told me that due to Covid-19, it was mandatory for the newcomers to show the authorities a proof of pre-booked, non-sharing space to go through two-week isolation. Along with that one had to also share a detailed plan ensuring regular supply of groceries and medicines during these times.

The bread and breakfast inns are the most affordable option in the beginning for any new immigrant. However, due to the pre-requisite quarantine norm, they have been reluctant in renting their spaces for self-isolation.

My first job was to look for suitable options for my friend’s prospective accommodation. I learnt that many landlords were taking advantage of the pandemic and resorting to irresponsible overcharging, even imposing inconvenient conditions on the people looking for spaces to quarantine. I decided to personally visit each accommodation that was on the table.

Travelling from Mississauga to Toronto daily can be exhausting. For two weeks, I drove every day to look for houses. It was very important for me to find the right house for my friends because if the landlord does not turn out to be a good host, it would only add to the inconvenience during self-isolation.

ALSO READ: ‘I Moved To Another Country Amid Covid-19’

Fortunately, the house we finalised had a humble landlord who was happy to issue a letter of accommodation for the authorities. He also allowed me to stock groceries and other supplies in the apartment even before my friend could move in.

Next was shopping for medicines, groceries and other essentials for our new guest. A few visits to the supermarket saw this through. Everything fell in place in the nick of time and I felt relieved that my friend will not have to go through any hardship during her self-isolation period.

Many asked me why I went out of the way to help a friend, and the only answer I had was that it could have been me in her place. It is the spirit of giving back to the community that motivated me to help a friend in the Covid-19 pandemic. As a community, we all have a collective responsibility to step up and extend support to all those in need.

Church

‘If People Can’t Visit Church, Then Church Must Visit People’

Ravish Ronald (40), a pastor in Bihar’s Siwan district is happy with the reopening of religious places. For, he believes that both pills and prayers are needed to battle Covid-19

The government has allowed places of worship across the country to open and we are very happy about it. However, during the lockdown when people could not come to the church, we were using technology to take the church to the people.

There are around 250 people in our congregation and even before the lockdown, we sometimes used to do Facebook Live, but post-lockdown our dependence on technology increased. Since not everyone in our congregation has a smartphone or even a Facebook account, we had to figure out ways by which we could reach each member of the congregation during lockdown.

Faith becomes of paramount importance during uncertain times and Coronavirus has created the most uncertain times that most of us have ever seen in our lives. In India, the division between science and spirituality is not very defined. So people visit both the doctor for medical guidelines as well as pray to God for the early recovery. Dawa aur dua dono me vishwas karte hain hum Indians. (Indians believe in both pills and prayer.

ALSO READ: Virus Is There, Fear Is Gone

We also have sporadic power cuts which means many a times even people being able to charge their phones properly is a problem. Once we get over this hurdle we sometimes use our WhatsApp groups for preaching. However, by far the most effective method has been that of conference calls.

So I start the call and then every person who keeps joining adds five more people to the conference call, until every one we serve is connected and then the sermons begin. Conference calls require no internet and anyone with a basic phone can join the conference call. It took us nearly one month to figure things out properly as to how we could best reach people.

However, I am also of the belief that people need to come back together so that sense of community is not lost. Many people feel alone and isolated the church is the right place to make people feel like they are important and they belong to the community.

ALSO READ: Misery And Hope Amid Covid-19

However, I also would request people to strictly maintain social distancing, take care of all hygiene recommendations as well as other preventive measures and also respect each person they come across because we are all in this together.

I feel the coronavirus crisis is a course correction because people have stopped keeping faith in themselves and God. Most people are scared of the unknown, while if you have faith in the unknown, that God is taking care of things after you have done your best, then stress levels decrease. As stress levels decrease, immunity increases. So faith is also an important component of immunity and therefore health. Self-discipline is of utmost importance now.

Online Classes

‘Online Classes Completely Drain The Parents’

Roma Aggarwal, 37, says online schooling is tiresome for parents who have to juggle among domestic chores, office work and children’s assignments. She prays for the pandemic to end and schools to reopen

Online classes aren’t really my cup of tea. I love the idea of children being formally educated inside the school premises with real-time interactions between teachers and students as well as among themselves. Education is not only about the stuff we are taught, it is also about the social skills we learn, how we understand non-verbal cues from other people and how we learn to carve our own space in the sea of people. But it is what it is!

The pandemic hasn’t relented for so many months now and I wonder when my two daughters will be able to go back to school. My younger daughter, aged three, was supposed to start school formally this year, but then things changed drastically. My elder daughter is in Class IV and she misses her school a lot.

I have had to change and update gadgets continuously to enhance the quality of the online interaction. As an urban family, we have access to smartphones, laptop etc. which we share on priority basis, and still online classes aren’t an easy navigation. So, I wonder about those families who may have to share gadgets, like one phone between two siblings.

ALSO READ: ‘Online Classes, PUBG, Web Series… Lockdown Is Fun’

It is difficult for the young children to make such huge changes in lifestyle. My elder one generally oscillates between her iPad and her laptop for her studies, but there are days when she complains of sore eyes and mild headaches because of the intense focus she has to keep on the electronic mediums. So I have also now started connecting the laptop (net book) to the TV. And since my younger one accesses her classes on my phone, it means I neither get the TV, nor the phone to unwind after a hard day’s work.

Whatever free time I get is spent in helping my elder daughter with her assignments. I am a housewife but there is so much online involvement with my elder daughter that I feel like I have joined a fully functioning office. We as parents have to help our kids with conducting their lab experiments, then with their homework across subjects and multiple assignments. Plus there are also their various online tests.

Then there are video and photo uploads to be done. My elder daughter starts her classes around 8.20 am and one class goes on for 40 minutes. And I have to be alert along with her. My younger one’s classes start much later and she has also been complaining about her eyes watering during the classes. Since ages we have told kids to use the screen less or sit far away from the screen so that it doesn’t impact their eyes. But now the screens have become unavoidable. Continuous and long use of ear phones might also hamper the children’s sensitive ears, so I don’t allow them to use earphones for online classes.

WATCH: ‘Online Classes Are Only A Temporary Option’

My house is right now divided into water-tight zones. One room has been taken up by my husband, where he dedicatedly does his work as an IT Professional. Another room has been assigned to my daughter in which she can attend her classes undisturbed by any outside sound or noise. My younger daughter and I have taken over the living room. She gets easily restless during the classes and I have to then help her soothe.

I sincerely hope the schools open soon and we go back to the pre-pandemic world. Till now there are no updates as to when schools would open in Chennai. Since there is not much physical activity during online classes, the kids don’t expend much energy and they eat fewer times saying they don’t feel hungry and the portions have also been getting smaller. In this pandemic they can’t even go out for physical activities, which is not good for their health.