Our honorable PM announced a 21-day lockdown due to the pandemic caused by the deadly COVID-19. Many people felt it was the right decision. Some even felt it was a week too late. However, considering the havoc it caused in countries like China, Iran and Italy-all 3 in different levels of development and government, what we do know is a danger we can no longer ignore. Even if the myths of the virus not surviving Indian heat and the resonance of the thalis last Sunday will shatter the cytoplasmic membrane of the virus is true, considering how closely knit we live, the lack of personal space and the lack of medical facilities in our country make social distancing a good start. I believe things will get better, while my better and more anxious half believes its the beginning of worse things to come. The next few days will be crucial and will be an indication of things to come.

Nevertheless, we must have observed that the stock markets are going through a blood bath, many SMB will be in serious trouble soon due to the shutdowns. The economy is at its bottom-most nadir. Essential substances are getting more expensive. Even if Corona is stopped, the economy will take months or even years to recover. 

After all these bleak observations, let me come to the bright part-if the social distancing exercise works, and if you are not infected already, you have a very good chance of escaping unscathed. Also, considering the age of my readership (the 5-6 people who will end up reading this), chances are you will probably escape with a scratch, even if you are infected, assuming there are no other immunodeficient people in contact with you. But of course, with all the FB posts, and WhatsApp forwards of pictures and gifs with statistics and videos of famous unknown doctors giving their advice, you already know it. So what’s the point of this post at all?

It’s my humble observation, that at this moment, we are mostly at a comfortable juncture financially. And, if possible, we should try to help. Most of the people in the Metros are heavily dependent on the service industry, more so with everything closed and restriction of movement. It would be great if we start tipping for the service. It might not be much, but adding tips to all deliveries done during this period will really help the people risking their lives providing us service. Post the lockdown, when normal life resumes, consider continuing tipping for a few more days to help the people settle their debts that they have accrued during this period. Most cabs and delivery persons have loans to pay and insurance for their bikes and cars, apart from their family that they have to take care of. And a shut down isn’t going to help their cause at all. The daily wage laborers will run out of work. The maids and cooks will stop coming, and many of them will lose their salaries and even their jobs because of their unscrupulous employers. Small eateries will suffer and many might close down. Strays dependent of these places will be left starving. The sufferings are endless, and almost like a domino effect, and I don’t want this post to be a depressing monologue. Instead, I want to highlight that we have been given a chance to make a difference. We all want to have a positive impact on this world, but we have continued to postpone it, until now. Let us help them get over this torrid time, each one depending on our financial capacity. Perhaps the 21 days of savings from the lack of commute and eating out and the definite lack of alcohol can be used for this? 

There will always be a constant battle between the rich and the not so rich. Maybe the rich gets all the tax breaks. Maybe they will make more money from this pandemic, turning this catastrophe into an opportunity. But we should never underestimate the power of being in the middle. With our taxes and our purchasing power, we actually make a difference to the economy of this country. And, with a bit of philanthropy at this juncture, I am sure we can turn the tide of gloom to a blaze of glory. Because, if we don’t, are we really human?