Delivery boys urge: Don’t be harsh with us amid the pandemic

On the occasion of Guru Poornima, Aparna Nevatia’s new book ‘Arghya’ was launched on YouTube Live session by Swami Muktinathananda, president of Ramakrishna Math, Lucknow. She dedicated the book to her guru Shyama Churn Lahiri Mahasya.

Published by Niyogi Books, Arghya is an encapsulation of spiritual poetry weaved into intricate photography by Nevatia. It is a sum-up that combines words and pictures to tell a story of life, expressions, emotions, contemplations and sometimes realisation. The picture gallery is an illustration and poetry a viewfinder that bridges the gap between different time zones and beliefs. In the words of Swami Muktinathananda, “These are rare photographs and each one is like a painting on its own.”

Nevatia is the initiator of Atma Gyan Dhyan Sadhana and has acknowledged her family members and AGDS volunteers for supporting her in her book.

On Friday, Annadaan was carried out by each individual member by distributing food to the needy in their proximity, hence covering hundreds of people while maintaining social distancing. A day on social media was dedicated to ‘Jagriti’, the wing of underprivileged kids being provided spiritual and curricular education by the centre. Since past two months, she has been holding regular classes of Guided Meditation and Gyan Charcha.

The book’s pre-launch was held last year in Lucknow in presence of Kanak Rekha Chauhan, MC Dwivedi, Sameer Nevatia, Chandrashekar Verma and Anjana Mishra.

MONDAY, JULY 06, 2020

As delivery boys run from pillar to post delivering goods around the city, they share experiences of how their interactions with people have changed in the face of the pandemic. Requesting denizens to treat them fairly, they rue over having to compromise on their dignity.

“Log kehte hain yahan phaikh do, door raho, sanitise kar do... bura toh lagta hai, but bimaari hi aisi hai ki kuch keh nahin sakte. Despite the couriers being sanitised all the time, we do get a lot of flak most of the times for nothing,” recounts Delhi-based delivery boy Jagpal.

Santosh, a delivery boy based in Gurugram, wishes people would not make him wait unnecessarily under the scorching sun. “Sometimes, people ask me to come upstairs to their door, but I ring the bell and say ‘Aap neeche aa jaiye, packet main tabhi deliver kar doonga’... itni der dhoop mein khada kar dete hai aur samay barbad hota hai alag,” he says.

Another Delhi-based delivery boy, Vinod Sahani, feels that things worsened after a delivery boy was infected some time back. “Bura to tab lagta hai jab hume dekhte hi customers sanitiser leke aa jate hain. We tell them that we have sanitised our hands and packets, par unki satisfaction ke liye dobara kar lete hain,” he shares.

And amid the soaring temperature, city-based delivery boy Rajan talks of not even getting a water refill during the job. “We mostly fill our water bottle when we leave, but at times we run out of water. But nowadays, you ask anyone for water and koi na koi bahana bana dete hain. Sanitiser maango to fatafat laa denge. Bolte hai ‘distance rakho’ ya ‘andar mat aao’,” he reveals.

NNAEI EPRSS CEILNP CNUYHP