HYDERABAD: On our roads, we are witnessing the heart-wrenching scenes of thousands of migrant workers, who are walking miles to be reunited with their families.
On International Day of Families, we talk to a few in the city to understand the role of families in coping with the quarantine. Sangeetha Moguluri, who is an IT professional working from home, says: “This lockdown has helped me bond with my husband. We are spending more time together and sharing all household work. Earlier, his work would require him to travel a lot. But he is at home now, and we are taking joy in each other’s company.”
Preeti Varma, who is living with flatmates in the city, says: “The initial days were hard as I had to cook, do household chores and also take care of office work. I am in touch with my family through video conferencing and calls, but it does get overwhelming sometimes. There is always something to do, and you wish there was someone else to take care of it. Right now, I have figured out a schedule, but I still miss my family.” For Lakshmi, who has been quarantining with her grandmother, the lockdown has offered her an opportunity to bond.
“With the pandemic taking over our lives, it helps to have someone to talk about little things. Sometimes, I read out Malayalam books to my grandmother because she has trouble reading sometimes, despite the glasses. This has also helped me to get back into reading slowly.” Living with families has also led to an increase in violence against women.
As many as 315 complaints of domestic violence were received by the National Commission for Women in April, when the whole country was under a lockdown. This was the highest number of complaints received since August last year. — kakoli_mukherjee@ newindianexpress.com @KakoliMukherje2