EXPERIENCES FROM THE NEW NORMAL

My experiences from the transition to a new normal.

On this day, last year, like others, I too was prepared to get placed in a good organisation. And in a series of serendipitous events, I got two offers.

We (I along with my batch-mates) were celebrating and the dominos effects conjugated for an abroad vacation plan, in the “graduate’s honeymoon period”, after our convocation in April 2020. My mind was flying high in the sky, but the news of Corona was on-air. Our sybaritic lifestyle was ephemeral and we had to leave the beautiful IIFM campus earlier than expected on 18th March.

Then, on 22nd March, with Janta curfew, the lockdown was imposed. Migrants were seen marching on the road for their homes, strikes were called off, among other events. This led to a new trend, and people now talk by looking into their eyes, as masks became the new normal. I was stuck at home and luckily spent one of my best times with family. This formidable virus made me a janitor and I started caring more than ever for my parents, thus learnt Modus-vivendi. The only silver lining in this pandemic.

After some months, on Aug 3, I was on a voyage to my new responsibility, my Job at BRLPS (I regret to miss the opportunity to work with MSRLM). I was fortunate, however, somewhere at the back of my mind, I was shaken by the fact that a lot of people lost their jobs and for many- offer letters were revoked. Some of my known faces suffered too. Besides the thoughts, I was welcomed by the notorious 'North Bihar flood'. With water and a fresh engagement with the new community was a fascinating experience. But as a YP- CLF Manager, in the Kingdom of Protista, I faced bitter challenges and experiences. I understood how the sanctimonious speeches of masters affect the subordinates. I maintained stoicism and learnt to always listen to the number two. Slowly, with Panglossian thoughts and the salubrious environment of the villages of Saharsa, I overcame most of the challenges with a positive outlook and gratitude toward people, thus, establishing my position in the community.

At present, Covid still has its impact and India has maintained the second position in the number of Covid cases across the globe. Apart from losing a lot of things, we have witnessed inflation, whatsoever in the form of vegetable prices. I don't even think the number of people who haven't tasted tomatoes for a long including many farmers. Oh! In my laconic post, I forgot to mention the pyrrhic victory of leaders in the Bihar assembly election and most importantly the "new farm bills".

Finally, everything has changed from Dec 2019 to Dec 2020. We all took the ladder and reached to a new apex, but there are people who've always been at the bottom, holding the ladder tightly, so that while we travel the arduous journey towards success, our base stays strong. These people are farmers. The present situation has exacerbated their problems. One farmer is fighting on the road and another is fighting in the field so that no one sleeps famished.

I wish, in the coming new year 2021, all goes back to the 2019 normal, except for the trains, where the number of tickets booked is equal to the actual number of seats.

And life continues...