These teens police this bazaar to enforce ‘social distancing’
LUCKNOW: Around 20 km from Lucknow, Indora Bazaar in Bakshi Ka Talab tehsil, is like any other semi-rural pocket of the country and, like the rest of the country, is under lockdown these days.
On Tuesday evening, all shops in Indora Bazaar were shut. The only exception was the evening vegetable market, which brings life to this otherwise sleepy area.
Every evening around 25 vegetable vendors assemble here with green vegetables. Gradually, locals also start arriving on cycles and two-wheelers to replenish their stock of vegetables. And with this starts the hustle-bustle in this nagar panchayat area where ‘social distancing’ was nowhere to be seen till recently.
Fully aware of the importance of ‘social distancing’ to check spread of coronavirus, three teenagers of Indora Bazaar step out of their houses every evening once the vegetable vendors settle down.
Raja Singh, Sashank and Ranu Singh, all neighbours, have taken it upon themselves to maintain ‘social distancing’ in Indora Bazaar’s vegetable market every evening.
Raja has just appeared for UP Board’s class 10 examination, while Sashank and Ranu are students of class 9. “There is a lot of vacant space here. There is also an open field here where vegetable vendors can spread out to maintain social distancing. But no one bothers,” said Raja.
“See how people are intermingling and interacting with each other,” said Raja, while pointing towards a group of people huddled in front of potatoes and lady fingers spread out by a vegetable vendor on a plastic sheet on the road.
Without wasting time, Raja reaches there and tries to enforce ‘social distancing’ among the people. But as he leaves, people assemble again.
“Yeh log nahi sudhrenge (these people will never learn),” says Raja. This time Sashank and Ranu tell the vegetable vendor to ask his customers to maintain ‘social distancing’.
“This is the scenario when officials from the nearby tehsil office have marked circles before each vendor’s makeshift stall on the road to enforce ‘social distancing’, but to no avail,” asserted Raja. “We try to do as much as we can to apprise the people about the importance of ‘social distancing’,” said the three friends.
When asked about people failing to maintain ‘social distancing’, Sunil Singh, a potato vendor who had lost one hand in a freak road accident long back, says: “What can I do? No one listens. I have to sell my crop. If I insist too much (on ‘social distancing’) then no one will come to me.”
Radhey Lal and Shyamu, father-son duo selling cucumbers, have the same reply when Raja and his two friends try to explain the importance of ‘social distancing’ to them. “See everyone has the same excuse,” says
Sashank.
BAZAAR GATHERING
As daylight begins to fade and shoppers start leaving, another group of locals starts arriving. They are here not to buy vegetables but for their daily gossip.
Shiv Bahadur, aged around 65 years, arrives on his cycle. Shatrughan, who retired from BHEL, Hardiwar, is the next to reach Indora Bazaar.
Kutan Pandey, a septuagenarian in saffron clothes and the only one wearing a mask, also arrives. In few minutes it turns into a small gathering.
“Will this lockdown continue or end on April 14,” asks Shiv Bahadur. His question is not for any individual but for the group.
The 21-day lockdown is slated to end on April 14. There are speculations that the government might continue it further. Shatrughan soon comes up with a reply. “Government has no option left but to continue the lockdown,” he replies.
He also gives a justification for his apprehension. “The jamaatis have spread the virus. Government has no option but to extend the lockdown,” says Shatrughan.
He was referring to the sharp rise in coronavirus positive cases across Uttar Pradesh and rest of the country after the Tablighi Jamaat members spread out across India from Nizamuddin Markaz in New Delhi. Everyone has his own explanation but majority feels that the lockdown will be extended.