“A wise man accepts
himself as a fool when put in the company of fools”...
Well, who else but me (read as a fool) & its outcome of
final phase of lock-down (hopefully) philosophy & bound to be bitterest of
all, can’t help it! Well, the bitterness isn’t outcome of lock-down, rather comparing
to many other (read as men) I personally feel I have accommodated lockdown in
much better way yet when I come across stories from those who are not as
fortunate as me in term of profession or say circumstances, then it does makes
me bitter feeling the frustration of helplessness for them! Usually when it’s
writing about someone’s experiences about the system I share it last but here I
felt like starting the sharing with what has been shared with me, then will
comment on it! Here is first hand experience of my cousin who came back along
with his family which includes twin kids of just one year old & after listening
to him, I asked him to write his entire experience to me, so here it is in his own words...
1. Thank you Vande
Bharat Mission for arranging Rescue flights. Me, My Wife and my 1 year old
Twins were able to get a flight from Singapore to Mumbai on 10th May 20. The
boarding experience in Singapore was very nice and well organised. Thanks to
Mr. Deshpande- Deputy High Commissioner Indian Embassy.
The flight was also
very good and all precautions were taken to avoid physical contact.
The problems started when we landed in Mumbai. They were taking us in a batch of 30. So by the time they
reached our rows at back it was already past 45 mins. Some kind lady took
notice of my babies and decided to let us go ahead without any further delay.
However we had to waste another 45 mins at the Arogya Setu app downloading
counter as international numbers were not accepted neither the network. Only
Tata wifi has to be connected to get the OTP. But to understand this procedure
it took us 45 mins. Finally we cleared immigration and collected our luggage.
No help was provided to drag the trolley, however looking at our condition one
kind hearted person decided to help us. He came with us until we got out of the
airport. We saw there were counters for people going out of Mumbai. We saw
there was a counter for Pune. I went there and was given a bus no. Which was of
MSRTC and was supposed to be an AC Volvo bus. However to our horror we were
given a regular Red ST bus. I somehow managed to put the 30 kg bags inside with
help of fellow passengers. No safe distancing rule was applied. My kids were
hungry and thirsty for 3 hours now and they were crying due to 3 pm heat in the
afternoon. I spoke to the bus contractor but he showed no compassion or mercy
and said he can’t leave the bus until 22 passengers sit in the bus. He said
that I can complain if I want. I went to talk to another officer in charge. He
said once the money is collected he can allow the bus to move. People from
Singapore are used to cashless Payment system. However the payment machine
which the ticket collector had brought was not working. I decide to buy tickets
for those people who did not have cash as I could not see my children suffering
anymore. The bus finally started and reached Pune at Apte Road after 5 hours. We were treated like dogs. The bus
stopped at the Orbet hotel where we were supposed to be quarantined for 14 days.
The hotel manager was very welcoming and
was trying to attend to us one by one. We could clearly see that they were
short of staff and were struggling. The rooms were dirty and toilets unclean,
as the hotel was closed from past 3 months. However the authorities forced them
to open the hotel and informed them at the last minute that there were people
arriving. However within 3 to 4 days the hotel managed to get more staff and
things improved. Authorities did not inform us when the tests would be done
until 10 days. On 11th day they said that tests will be conducted tomorrow. We
also don’t know how we will go home after 14 days. By the way all of this is
self paid - charges for ST bus from Mumbai to Pune - 750 rs per head + Hotel
stay 3,200 Rs + tax per day + 3400 Rs for test per head. All in all I spent
around 1 lac Rs for 4 of us in 14 days...
Well, I think what my cousin has gone through gives clear idea
about the way we (read as govt) handling the situation; I am not disclosing his
name & details (can provide if he permits , if someone wants to know). As
not all citizens are ready to take on the system head on, that’s the main problem
of this country! And then most of the people thinks what’s difference it’s
going to make any ways as this is India & I think this is why I keep on
writing as some where someone will feel & make the change , at least will
try to! And I do believe there are good people around in the system we call
govt as well out of it but collectively we fail to act & majority is of non-doer.
My cousin isn’t the only one who has such horrific experience as earlier also I have come across one such
on FB but then it’s when your own blood spills you feel the pain, & I am no
exception to the law, though I do feel
pain every day, sometimes its bit more!
Now if you have read my cousin's sharing then you must have understood
the problem started when he landed in "Aamchi Mumbai"! I have few
questions keeping in mind due respect for every authority concerned as well its
intentions...
...such as, when you (Indian authorities) knew how many planes
are arriving at every hour & from which destination, why were not adequate
separate channels with man power has been in place at Mumbai air-port? What’s
purpose of making compulsion to download Setu app & why this has not been
informed to the airlines so the passengers could have done it right at the beginning
of their journey only? Why some particular net work to down load this app, how
the people who had been residents of foreign countries can have local network immediately
after getting out of plane? The why not enough AC busses has been provided for
travel to the destinations for the people coming from out of India, especially
looking at the summer season? How can we say only in case the bus will start
only when full i.e. 22 passengers as this doesn’t happen even with regular
public transport, the public transport runs on time table & not its full or
empty isn’t it? Why there was no basic facilities like water, snacks type
things on these buses (well, sorry I asked this question like a fool)? How can
be there no arrangement for e-payment when you are dealing with foreign
returned people & other side Hon PM requests for cashless transactions? And
most importantly how come there was no officer in charge to monitor this entire
operation (read as mess)?
Now coming to “Aaple Pune” episode, why it was not allowed to
take these people to test on first day itself than making them wait till eleven
days? Again reading the hotel was not ready part, why these basic arrangements
are not don’t in advance? How can you ask some hotel on some random day to open
& accommodate guests with families & small kids on very same date of
arrival of the guests? Why there was no choice given to these people to quarantine
at their homes as they are not slum dwellers? Who decides the room rent &
why it’s supposedly to be paid by these people when PMC has given free accommodation
to thousands, as agreed they are foreign return yet looking at the figures Rs
one lakh something is not small amount for nay higher middle class family also?
And again who decides all such arrangements & why it’s not been made known
to the international travelers in advance? Lastly, who was in charge &
person to take action if any of the passengers or traveler (read as many) had
so many problems which are genuine? Unfortunately no authority even bothered to
inquire all these travelers in fourteen days about their well-being barring
the hotel management, thanks to them!
And post this incidence does any system (read govt dept) has
guts to acknowledge the botheration or humiliation it has caused to my cousin
& sure all other families along also must have witnessed the similar treatment
of our great country’s hospitality! And this is story of one family whom I know
in person, hundreds of people are travelling back from other countries &
imagine what all image they will be carrying back of their own country &
then our rulers (as well many so called big names) appeal our fellow Indians to
come back & we cry over brain drain from the country! On one side we
portray our image as welcoming, warm & friendly treatment to so called
investors of foreign countries & on other side we can’t even take care
leave apart treating well our very own countrymen, indeed India is Shining!
And by such criticism,
I am not taking away credit of many people who are fighting hard in this war
but somewhere the victory will have a black border or say taste of bitterness whenever
it will come, is a fact with all such incidences along! And if this is case
of foreign returns then another story is labour class who wants to move out of
Pune city & is the scene in many major cities in the State & social
media as well news papers are full of these images. Just two days back while
driving back from my site to home I saw big queue of people in front of one
police station in my residence area. These are faces of typical work class of
our country & they are standing in queue for hours in harsh sun with their
kids along with luggage. I asked one fellow named Charanprakash from MP what he
is standing in the queue for, he said he lives in a slum along sinhagad road
& is afraid that infection may caught up with him & his kids so he was
going back to his native place so he wants police pass to travel. He want to do
the job as he knew at his village he won’t be having any means of earning but
here he has no place which he feels safe as where he lives there tin huts are
cramped together with one toilet block in nearly fifteen families & social distancing
is impossible! He was asking me after he knew I am a builder too, can I give
him & his family some place to live so he need not have to leave this city!
I had no answer as today even being a builder I felt ashamed that I can’t give
him a safe home he wanted to have! And if this is with labours from outside
more chaos was & is about house maids which are back bone of our so called
upper society! Right from the day one of lockdown the confusion about allowing
house maids which are again living in the slums or illegal settlements is going
on. And problem is no authority is taking lead to clarify the confusion
creating heated arguments among society members on this issue. And when an
individual approaches to the so called authorities, then every individual gets
different replies from the different authorities. I repeat in all this lockdown
period the most “kamjor kadi” (weak link) was clear definition of whose responsibility
of managing epidemic As its okay in Brazilian total football concept where
every player plays on every position but here in lockdown game, even the goal
keeper was running around with no one to guard the goal post was the scene!
I think our real
fight is not with some flue or external virus but it’s with the virus in the
form of shameless, emotionless, selfish, egoistic entities which have occupied
or say infiltrated in to every organ of our society, making it weaker every
day! Till we don’t kill this virus within, no victory will be ever final, mind
it!
link of labours waiting at a police station...
--
Sanjay
Deshpande
Sanjeevani
Dev.
Please view my sharing about real estate in Pune at U-Tube link below..
Please do visit my
blogs to know about our philosophy at Sanjeevani ! (Click the links below)
Creating Togetherness; team Sanjeevani Way(Click link below)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/65629150@N06/albums/72157627904681345
For any of your complaints about city, log in at link below
www.punecorporation.org
Take your issues to
Hon PM at link below..
Think
Green, Think Life
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave ur name, email id along with ur comment. It will help me to reply ur comment as well improve the blog as per ur suggestions if any... :)
Sanjay