Adversity teaches a person to be humble and self-reliant. This adage is once again proved when people across the globe are experiencing an unprecedented situation in the wake of Covid-19.
Barring Government employees, pensioners and salaried class people, while almost all people across various professions lost their means of earnings during the past one and a half months' lockdown in India, some have found alternative means of earning shedding their ego and status.
In Baleswar district, many such cases were seen when people other than their parent professions accepted to sell essential commodities ,ie, potato , onion , vegetables etc. when only those commodities were allowed during restricted marketing hours .
Sushilamani Rout , a resident of Satyanagar of Baleswar town took to selling of vegetables to earn a living as she has two children and her spouse lost his job due to the lockdown.
She while was running a cosmetic outlet, her husband was working in a garage as a mechanic. Both of them had lost their jobs.
“We thought to sell vegetables and fetch some earning to meet our daily needs,” Sushilamani said.
Linkun Upadhay , a resident of Meghadambaru residential colony of Baleswar town is one among several of these glaring examples, as he chose to sell fish by roadside after his earlier profession had gone.
He was working in a college in Delhi and after some problems he came to Baleswar quitting hos job in the month of January. However, during the prolonged lockdown, he instead of sitting idle at home, opted for selling fish near ITI square. He is earning Rs 200 per a day.
Similarly, Sk Tahir , a well known tailor master in the town, has embraced selling vegetables and earning between Rs 200- Rs 300 per day as the lockdown restricted opening of his tailoring shop.
Not just these people, many others including those who were constructions workers , tea vendors , cycle mechanics etc are on the streets to sell those commodities which are permitted during the lockdown.
When one goes around the daily local market, one can see many new faces selling vegetables, bread, egg and packed eatables.