The Observer Volume 21 Issue 8

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The Observer An IIJNM publication

Some golu doll shops in Bengaluru see their sales fall in pandemic due to lack of online delivery | P 2 News briefs Lakhimpur: SC asks UP to give security to witnesses The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to expeditiously record the statements of all witnesses of the Lakhimpur violence case and directed it to grant security cover to the individuals. A Bench headed

by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana wondered why there were only 23 eyewitnesses to the incident when the violence took place.

Disha Ravi case likely to be closed soon

The probe into the case against climate activist Disha Ravi, arrested in February by Delhi police in connection with an alleged toolkit on the farmer protests has hit a roadblock, with neither Google nor Zoom responding to queries by investigators. Ravi, arrested from her Bengaluru home on February 13 and released on bail on February 23, 10 days later by a Delhi court, was accused of being a “key conspirator” in the dissemination of the toolkit in the form of a Google document on the protests.

Ahmedabad, Lucknow are new IPL teams

At the auction to decide two new franchises in the IPL, Lucknow became the most-valued team ever, with Sanjiv Goenka-led RPSG Group buying it for Rs 7,090 crore.

The Ahmedabad team was pocketed by one of the world’s leading sports investors, Irelia Company Pte Ltd (CVC Capital Partners), for Rs 5,625 crore.

Tawang sector sees increased patrolling

Even as Army officials have said that in the eastern sector there has only been a “marginal” increase in patrolling and China’ s People’s Liberation Army’s activities, data show that at least in the Tawang sector, the patrolling and visits by senior officers of People’s Liberation Army have seen a marked jump in 2020 and 2021 compared to years before

Nothing to do with payoff charge: Aryan Khan

Aryan Khan today denied any deal with anti-drugs agency officers or any connection with the allegations of a payoff involving Sameer Wankhede, the Narcotics Control Bureau Zonal Director; the officer leading the investigations against him and others in the drugs-on-cruise case.

Vol. 21, Issue 8

https://twitter.com/ observer_weekly Epaper: https://issuu.com/ theweeklyobserver/docs Website: http://www. theweeklyobserver.in

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Social stigma preventing mothers from seeking professional help for post partum depression | P 3

Students apply to study abroad as countries open their borders But are worried about a third Covid wave

By Simran Sharma

W

ith the fear of pandemic fading, students are planning to study abroad, say immigration consultancies.

The pandemic and lockdowns made many students step back from studying abroad. The removal of travel bans and Covid restrictions in most countries has resulted in students making a beeline for foreign universities.

Tanisha Kannan, who is applying for Masters in International Relations at the London School of Economics, informed The Observer: “Due to Covid, all colleges were conducting online classes. I wasn’t interested in paying so much money just to do it home and not experience college life, so I didn’t go last year. I’ve applied again for next year as they have opened up and offline classes are guaranteed. With talk of a third wave of Covid-19 coming up and

Students are choosing to fly abroad despite lockdown uncertainities | Credit: Tina Freese some saying it’s already begun, I have wasted one year of mine and can’t do the same for the next year. So, despite whatever happens, I will have to continue with

my education, of course with safety and precaution in place.”

Her parents would fund her education expenses abroad.

Students are worried about the imposition of lockdowns due to the virus. Tushar Satish Ekar, who is studying at Coventry University, said: “By the time I had applied for the course, the second wave of Covid had just passed and the UK had already recovered from it.They opened their doors for international students, so I thought it’s not a bad idea to go.I am not scared of the virus but I’m worried that there might be another lockdown if a third wave comes, which means I would not be able to attend classes on campus.”

Mahitha Owk, who is awaiting her visa, plans to join a college in the US in the coming year. “No one knows what is going to happen, but whatever has to,will take place so we have to accept it. If things go well, I’ll be there.”

Many parents and students dislike the constant uncertainty.

Tanisha’s mother, Judy said: “Since Tanisha is completely vaccinated, I do not have the fear of sending her abroad. I was a bit scared and unwilling to send her

when we were initially hit by the virus. I would not say I am skeptical now as I cannot let her take another gap year due to Covid.

Her life has to go on.”

Immigration consultancies have an interesting take — the number of students did not decline due to the pandemic. Sunayna Chhabra, a consultant with Y-Axis, said there was never a dip in the number of students going abroad.

Ankur Sharma, also from YAxis, said: “The number of students going abroad for education increased in pandemic time. During the pandemic, other visas were taking longer, so many people started taking student visas instead, as they just take six to eight months to come.”

Raksha, a Consultant at International Development Programme, Bengaluru, told a similar story. They have been getting around three lakh applications in a year for studies in Canada. “The number of student applications for studies abroad never really dipped during the pandemic as many students attended online classes and some got their admissions deferred.” ►Continued on page 3

Biomedical waste rose during the second wave of Covid pandemic

Sex ratio at birth has improved in Bengaluru

Disposable masks are major contributors

B

By Swarali Bodas

F

ace shields, PPE kits, and single-use face masks have added to the medical waste in Bengaluru hospitals after the Covid-19 outbreak. Disposable face masks are used widely and improper disposal of the same is a danger to the environment.

M.A. Srinath, Vice President of Operations at Maridi Bio Industries Pvt Ltd, a waste management service in Bengaluru, informed The Observer: “The gov-

The hospital staff segregate waste according to guidlelines laid down

by CPCB| Credit: Swarali Bodas ernment gave orders to separate Covid waste from day one. So general waste and Covid waste were

segregated from the beginning.

(We) saw an almost 30% rise in this waste in the second wave….”

There is a biomedical waste (BMW) room on every floor of The Bangalore Hospital. Nagamohan V, in charge of housekeeping shared: “There are seven floors and there is one BMW room on every floor. We sanitize it every day.” Masks are categorized as hazardous waste. “Disposable masks used by doctors, and hospital staff are contaminated and hence thrown in yellow bins.”

Doctors follow the guidelines on disposable masks. Dr Anuja Dalvi said she prefers disposable masks to cloth masks as they are better for prevention against Covid and much more breathable. ►Continued on page 3

engaluru has taken a small step towards gender equality as the sex ratio at birth has improved over the years, reports Saumyangi Yadav.

NFHS-5 data reveal that in the past four years, the sex ratio at birth in the city has stabilised.

The reasons are government schemes promoting the birth of girls; better quality of education, more opportunities for girls; and a shift away from the orthodox norms and rules of the society.

Female infanticide and foeticide cases in Karnataka have also decreased significantly over the past few years. The idea of “the man carrying the family’s lineage’’ is slowly fading, according to sociologist Nirupama Kumar. ►Details on page 2

CITY

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The Observer Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Golu shops struggle against the charms of online shopping

Shops that can’t deliver find their sales falling

By Shristi Achar

A

fter the pandemic broke out, popular “golu” shops in Bengaluru are facing stiff competition from those that can arrange online delivery.

Golu is a tradition in South India to display different dolls on uneven number of cascading steps during Navaratri. During ‘Gommbe Habba’, sales skyrocket, with people looking to update their doll collections. It is a cultural norm to add at least one new doll every year.

However, due to pandemic, sales of these dolls have declined..

Geetha, owner of N.L. Dolls, Jayanagar, informed The Observer: “The sales have fallen at least 40-50 percent for us since Covid. Earlier, people used to stroll into shops, at least windowshop, and then buying some. But due to social distancing and lockdowns, that wasn’t possible. At least this year it is better…. ” “Customers keep calling us and ask us if wecan show them the dolls on vedio call and if we can Dunzo them. But it is costly for us to do such things for a few customers,” she added.

However, sales have not decreased for all golu shops.

L. Krishnamurthy, co-owner of N.H. Dolls, Basavanagudi, has

Around the city Shankar Chugani Live ,Stand up comedy ,Tea Trails at Brigade Road, Bengaluru, Sunday October 31st at 7.00pm Narayanagri Sunrise Trek and Water activities, Meeting point-Gopalan Arcade, Bengaluru, Friday October 29th – Saturday, October 30th.

Uncommon Sense with Jeevanshu Ahluwalia ,JW Marriott,Bengaluru, Saturday, October 30th at 5.30 pm.

SCC Skycinema Halloween special,Sky cinema at Skydeck ,VR Bengaluru, Saturday October 30th –Sunday, October 31st.

Quiz 1.Diwali commemorates the spiritual enlightenment of which two saints?

2. Thalai Deepavali is a unique Diwali celebration of which Indian state?

3. Which goddess is worshipped on Day 1 of Diwali?

4. What is Bhai Dooj called in West Bengal?

5. Where outside India does the largest Diwali celebration takes place?

6. What is the line that Lord Lakshman drew for Sita called?

Colourful Golu dolls, displayed at a shop in Gandhi Bazaar | Credit: Shristi Achar had good business over the past couple years, even during the pandemic. “People have somehow found a new interest in buying dolls and displaying them. Sales had dipped a couple years ago; but since then it has only been growing. I have been doing this for 35 years now, and business has been as good as ever,” Krishnamurthy commented.

Asked about sales via online methods, he said: “Yes! We have had a lot of those recently. It is convenient for some of our customers, especially if they live outside. I have even shipped some pieces to Australia and the USA. They video-call us, and choose what they want. They pay for the courier. And we ship it to them.”

Hemant Kumar, owner of

Dasara Bombe Mane, Basavanagudi, however prefers to not ship his pieces. “We do have customers that want them shipped, but it is preferable not to. We only ship when it is necessary.” He has had customers who wanted to buy dolls for themselves and send some to their relatives living in other states and cities. “So we usually parcel such pieces in these inter-state buses.”

Kumar added: “But golu dolls aren’t things you buy online. You should come visit the shops, see what pieces you need according to the concept you’re trying to build.

When you buy online, the dolls might look good in the photo, but their look and features might not be the same when they get delivered to thier homes. ”

Rohith Aras, an architect, prefers to buy dolls from shops.

But he goes online when he is looking for vintage pieces. “I buy one or two pieces every now and then; I don’t wait until Navaratri to buy. But it is mostly boughtphysically . I have some very beautiful vintage pieces that I could find only online. N.H. Dolls in Ghandhi Nagar is a store that i like to visit regularly.”

Asked why he prefers to buy the dolls in shops, he said: “When you buy online, you see one set, you like it and buy it. But when you go to the store, you see so many options…and you end up buying five or more.”

The situation is, however, grim for the golu manufacturers.

Nithyapathi, owner of Arts and Handicrafts, said sales were affected during the lockdown.

“Navaratri is a festival where you visit homes and see their displays of golu, and explain to kids about our traditions using those dolls.

But in the pandemic we couldn’t do that. So people didn’t buy much either. With lockdown restrictions, we couldn’t ship our dolls properly to other places...

This year has been better.”

Golu dolls are made mostly in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, and then shipped to other parts of the country. Some wooden varieties come from Channapatna. According to Hemant, the building blocks of golu displays are the wooden ‘marpachi’ dolls. These dolls are often gifted to new wed brides. shristi.a@iijnm.org

Citizen’s Voice Govt should now aim at fully vaccinating people While our healthcare workers deserve congratulations on the administration of 100 crore Covid vaccine jabs, the government, on the policy front, shouldn’t lose sight of the bigger target: Fully vaccinating as many people as possible to negate the threat of a possible third Covid wave.

Shubham Chohan

Manchester United badly need a new manager

On Sunday afternoon, Liverpool handed Manchester United their heaviest defeat at home in the Premier League era. United’s homeground, fondly known as the theatre of dreams, turned into a cauldron of nightmares as the home team conceded five goals inside 50 minutes. As a United fan, I feel the club is in desperate need of a new manager if it wants to compete with the best of Europe.

Sourasis Bose

Careful who you marry, Centre is watching!

Unfortunately, we live in a country where we can’t choose who we want to marry as the Centre told the Delhi high court that only marriages between a “biological” man and a woman is valid.

Tina Freese

Cricket can be both cruel and merciful

India lost a T20 International by 10 wickets for the first time. And Pakistan won a T20I by 10 wickets for the first time. Cricket is like a religion in both countries, and, hence, can be cruel and merciful at time. Pakistan has finally got the monkey off on their back.

They must have partied hard.

Bansal Shah

Sex ratio at birth in Bengaluru city improves Change is due to better education, govt schemes

By Saumyangi Yadav

T

he sex ratio in the city has seen a major improvement over the past four years.

The National Family Health Survey-5, 2019-20, showed the sex ratio in the past five years was 1,163 females to 1,000 males.

It was 727 females per 1,000 males in 2015-16, when the survey was last conducted.

Nirupama Kumar, a sociologist and, explained: “Women are getting better education now, and more and more young women are excelling in different professional sectors. This is changing the image society had of the girl.”

“In our society, especially in metro cities like Bangalore, orthodox notions that people had about the girl child are changing.

Previously, there used to be a preference for a boy in, as they are believed to carry the ‘lineage’.

Though these notions still exist,

There were no cases of female foeticide and infanticide reported in Bengaluru in 2020 according to NCRB data | Credit: Saumyangi Yadav slowly the beliefs are changing .…

With the rise of more unconventional families in India, this idea of ‘the man carrying the lineage’ is disappearing,” Kumar added.

This is backed by no cases of female infanticide and foeticide cases being reported. NCRB data show that in 2020, no cases of were reported in the city.

Meenakshi S, an inspector at the Basavanagudi Women’s Police station, informed The Observer: “Yes, cases of female infanticide and foeticide have de-

creased over the years. No cases of infanticide or foeticide have been reported in my division.”

To curb cases of female foeticide, and to stop the declining sex ratio, sex determinig testswere banned by the government.

Under the Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1994, any medical practitioner who is found involved in illegal ultrasound imaging, or any individual who seeks a prenatal diagnostic technique, may serve a jail term that

may extend up to three yearswith a fine of Rs 10,000.

Chethana Mohan, owner of the Janani Maternity Home in Bengaluru informed that on an average there is rarely any huge disparity between male and female births. “At most, the ratio gets to 60: 40. But the number is usually pretty balanced. On some days, the number of girls born is even slightly more, but that is only the natural disparity.”

Various schemes and policies in the past to check infanticide and female foeticide were announced. .The Karnataka government introduced a scheme in 2006-07 to promote the birth of girl in BPL families, Beneficiaries get a health insurance cover up to Rs 25,000 a year and also an annual scholarship of Rs 300 to Rs 1,000 up to class X to the girls.

According to a report published in The Hindu, that “85.5% people believe the attitude towards the girl child in society is changed” Centrally funded schemes for the benefit of girls in the country include Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Balika Samriddhi Yojana and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana. saumyangi.y@iijnm.org

CITY

Few women with post-baby blues seek aid due to social stigma It can result in depression if not treated fast

By Tina Freese

P

ostpartum depression is common among young mothers in Bengaluru.

With a social stigma attached to it, few women seek professional help, experts say.

A survey of young mothers in Bengaluru conducted by the Indian Journal of Community Medicine (IJCM) found that 58.5 percent suffered from postpartum depression; 91 percent of them were literate and 77 percent were homemakers.

Tanupriya Gupta, a baker who suffered postpartum depression, informed The Observer: “It was much later that I had postpartum blues. I started feeling weird. I had questions like ‘what am I doing with my life?’ Suddenly I started giving more importance to myself more than anything, even my baby, and I used to feel very guilty about it.

I remember pouring a whole bottle of water on my little boy because he was pestering me.

That’s when I realized something was wrong.” Her child is now two years and two months old. She is better after seeking professional help from a psychologist.

Experts:3rd wave unlikely ►Continued from page 1 Contrary to this, Kiran Muralin, a consultant with Global Gateways, said they faced losses during the pandemic and now their business is reviving slowly.”

Roohi, a consultant with Sandpiper Education Abroad, said they have seen an increase in the number of students going out for studies. There has been a 40 percent rise after the lockdown was lifted.

The coaching institutes The Observer spoke with had a similar take. Chandrabati Chatterjee from Hurray Overseas Education said: “The number of students coming for coaching had gone down drastically, but now things are getting better slowly.”

Abjy Kurian, an instructor in Crack Verbal Institute, said the student strength of their institute increased in the beginning but then it fell down in late 2020.

“Since most universities have waived GRE and GMAT exam requirements, students are trying to make the most of it.”

Dr Amit Maheshwari, a physician,practising in Agra said: .There is a very slight possibility of a third wave as vaccination is going on in full swing and no new variants are found.” simran.s@iijnm.org

Post Partum depression remains untreated due to social stigma | Credit:Tina Freese Apeksha Priya, a confidant of Tanupriya, said: “I had a feeling something might be wrong, but I had no idea she was suffering so much. I did not even know that such a condition is so common.”

Atashi Sharma, a primary school teacher and mother of two, recalled her experience with postpartum depression: “I was always cranky. Not that I wanted to hurt the baby…, but I felt helpless. I had severe mood swings and could not understand what was happening to me. I had

lost my job because of the baby and… that might be one of the reasons why I was feeling that way.” She did not get any professional help at that time.

Homemaker Neha Gupta shared: “I was very cranky. I used to yell at people for no reason. I had severe mood swings.”

Dr Vidya Bhatt, a senior gynecologist at Radha Krishna Multispeciality Hospital, Bengaluru, explained the three stages of postpartum depression: “Baby blues is something that is bound to happen biologically. It is a combination of mood swings and being cranky. This can lead to depression if not dealt with properly. Postpartum depression is far more serious, mood swings are far more severe, mothers can sometimes refuse to give basic care to the baby. The third stage is psychosis, where the mother… tries to hurt herself and sometimes even the baby.” Mothers need to get help early so that this stage can be avoided.

Sumitra Shridhar, a senior therapist at Heart it Out, a Bengaluru-based mental health organization, explained:“Post Partum Depression is when new mothers go through certain changes physically and mentally.

A woman who has been having so much attention in her pregnancy doesn’t get any attention.

All this happens so quickly that mothers feel lost. They feel they have no significance… it is all

about the baby now. In the Indian context, most new mothers are kept within a room so they do not strain themselves much and also so that the baby does not catch any viruses.”

Isolation can trigger postpartum depression, she added.

Questions like ‘What am I doing with my life?’, ‘Am I going to be only a mother for the rest of my life?’ and ‘What is the purpose behind my life?’ crosses the new mother’s mind. This might lead to an identity crisis. When they feel this way, guilt pushes them into depression, she said.

There is a lack of awareness During pregnancy, women are taught everything except postpartum depression.

Postpartum depression needs to be addressed with professional help. Dr Deepa Patil, who is a consultant psychiatrist in Mumbai, said: “The issue is far more urgent than normal depression.

A mother suffering from Post Partum Depression needs to get (to) a psychiatrist as soon as possible because the symptoms might affect the bond between the mother and the child. This can become a problem for them in the long run.”

Several mothers, that The Observer interviewed did not know about the prevalence of this condition. To them, feeling insecure and having mood swings is a part of being a mother. tina.f@iijnm.org

Doctors prefer disposable masks ►Continued from page 1 ani VND, the infection control nurse at the Jayanagar General Hospital, said “Every ward here has four dustbins. We make sure that waste is thrown in the correct bin.” They don’t have Bio Medical Waste rooms but there is one area outside the building that has four rooms for four types of waste.

“We have a barcode scanning system which provides information about the type of waste in a bag and its weight. This information is then forwarded to Maride services and CPCB,” she added.

Dr Sangarsh M N, an intern in Mangaluru, said: “I prefer N-95 masks. It they are not available, I use three-layered masks.”

Dr Tapan Kumar Basu, a consulting anesthesiologist, said: “The pores in surgical masks are smaller compared to those in cloth masks. So they are more effective. Ideally, one should wear a surgical mask and then wear either an N-95 or a cloth mask.”

Dr Tushar Joshi, a physiotherapist at Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai, too, prefers disposable masks. He thinks they are better to avoid the spread of infections and cross-contamination Dr Arvind Maruthi, ayurvedic practitioner at SVYASA Yoga University, holds a different

V

3 This day that year On this day in 1979, South Korean President Park Chung Hee was assassinated by his lifelong friend Kim Jae Kyu, head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, who was sentenced to death for his actions. Chung Hee's 18-year rule brought about enormous economic expansion , though at the cost of civil liberties and political freedom.

Quote of the day “One of the penalties of refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” ― Plato

Quiz answers 1.Vardhaman Mahavira & Swami Dayanand Saraswati 2. Tamil Nadu 3. Godess Lakshmi 4. Bhai Phonta 5. Leicester, England 6.Lakshman rekha

The Observer Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Weather Maximum temp-26°C Minimum temp- 19°C Precipitation: 20% Humidity: 71% Wind: 11 km/h

Twitterati Talk @IrfanPathan Even I was part of #IndvsPak battles on the field where we have lost but never been told to go to Pakistan! I’m talking about India of few years back. THIS CRAP NEEDS TO STOP. #Shami

Team Observer Bio Medical Waste room in which the waste is segregrated in different bins | Credit: Swarali Bodas view: “I use cloth masks as they are very comfortable and we can reuse them after every wash.”

According to Indian Medical Device Industry, India has a production capacity of 1.5 billion three-layer face masks.

Akshay Heblikar, environmentalist and director of the NGO Eco-Watch, said the disposal of bio-medical waste is a big problem. "Sometimes people throw disposable masks in just any garbage waste bin. It should be

properly disposed of and then incinerated correctly. Because if not, there might be adverse effects on sanitation workers and also the environment.”

According to Science Daily Journal, masks that cannot be biodegraded may fragment into smaller plastic particles that are already widespread in the ecosystem.This further stands as one of the major contributors to pollution of the environment. swarali.b@iijnm.org

Editor: Swarali Bodas Reporters: Simran Sharma,Tina Freese, Shristi Achar A, Saymyangi Yadav, Swarali Bodas Copy editors: Simran Sharma, Tina Freese, ShristiAchar A, Saymyangi Yadav PageLayout: Simran Sharma, Tina Freese, ShristiAchar A, SaymyangiYadav Photo editors: Simran Sharma, Tina Freese, ShristiAchar A, Saymyangi Yadav, Swarali Bodas Supplement: Bansal Shah, Nitika k

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The Observer Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Work Dynamics

SUPPLEMENT

Street vendors’ rights remain on paper Street vendors in the city continue to be evicted in an ad hoc manner despite the law saying otherwise, writes Nitika K.

M

aria, who has been a flower-seller for 16 years, is making a meal of a small piece of cake while manning her cart. “I know my customers well and they come to buy flowers whenever there is a festival. But sometimes, the BBMP tells me to leave. They say it is a nuisance for pedestrians to walk because of my vending cart.”

Worse, sometimes they confiscate everything, including flowers, carts and all. “They never give it back and that leaves me with huge losses,” says Maria.

In 2014, the central government passed a law called ‘Protection of Livelihood of Street Vendors Act 2014’. The Act promises protection to street vendors. It requires municipal corporations to form Town Vending Committees (TVCs) in cities. In Bengaluru, there were to be eight TVCs in its eight zones. The TVC would have to give vendors their vending certificates and create vending zones. Vendors would then be allocated a particular zone where they could conduct their vending

These colourful flower-vending stalls in Bengaluru still remain vulnerable to getting evicted | Credit: Nitika K activities. Vendors who get caught vending in the wrong zone could even be legally evicted.

Bengaluru Jilla Beedhi Vyaapari Sanghatanegala Okkuta (Federation of Street Vendors Union of Bengaluru) is an association that works for the welfare of street vendors in Bengaluru. S. Babu, the President of the Association said, “In 2017, we filed a case to get vendors their license.

But for many vendors, this has still not happened. The problem being that many people file complaints about disturbance from the vendors. It could be noise, footpath encroachment, etc.” He also pointed out that the Town Vending Committees exist only in seven out of eight zones in Bengaluru, with Bommanahalli region being an exception.

BBMP Joint Commissioner

(Bommanahalli) Sri Ramakrishna said, “We have not created a Town Vending Committee yet because there is an ongoing court case. Once that is settled, Bommanahalli will also have a TVC.” Despite the creation of the TVCs in the other seven zones, no vending zones have been created.

Meanwhile, street vendors of Bengaluru city still continue to be evicted in an ad hoc manner.

Vinay Sreenivasa, who has been an advocate for street vendors’ rights since 2017, said: “Under the Protection of Livelihood of Street Vendors Act 2014, eviction of vendors is not legally allowed.

There are about 1.5 lakh street vendors in Bangalore. A BBMP survey identified 26,000 but gave an ID card only to 20,000. They are supposed to do a survey again but haven’t done it yet.”

BBMP Joint Commissioner (West Zone) Shivaswamy B said, “We have not disturbed the street vendors and we are trying our best to help them. Because of COVID-19 pandemic, we could not complete the survey. After Dussehra, we will carry out a survey to update the information.”

But Padma’s eyes seem empty as she hands over flowers to a customer from her vending cart.

She says, “They tell me I should not keep my flower cart and even took it away once. Sometimes, we just give them Rs. 500 to quell the trouble. This is my livelihood. I have no other means, isn’t it? nitika.k@iijnm.org

The new workspace: Home or office?

Employees start to find work from home quite monotonous as offices remain closed for more than 18 months, says Bansal Shah

W

ake up. Brush your teeth. Have your breakfast. Unfold your desk.

And open your laptop. This has been the morning routine of many finance professionals since the pandemic started and working from home became the new normal. More than 18 months of working from home, are they happy with the arrangement?

It all started in March 2020 when most of the people went home to celebrate Holi with their families. Little did they know at that time that they will not be coming back to their offices for a long time. Even the Big Four vacated office space considering that the pandemic would not allow employees to come back to office at 100% capacity.

For the employees, while working from home felt relaxing and flexible initially, they now find this workstyle quite monotonous.

They feel that they are missing out on learnings that would come along with tea time talks.

CA Shejal Jain from Indore, an analyst at a well-known private bank says, “Working from home sounds amazing, as it is flexible and you are doing it in your own environment. Nobody is monitor-

ing you constantly and all that matters is work assigned to you should be completed on time. But, work from home has its cons as well: I feel like my growth has been stuck. Since you are not interacting a lot with your colleagues, there is no knowledge sharing and bonding with teammates. Working from home is good only for one or two months, and not more than that.”

Shejal points out that working from home can make a person a “lazy lump”, alter eating habits and bring on health issues. While work from home can actually give you time to focus on your physical health, corporate employees tend to work at odd hours of the day (and night) thereby disturbing their schedules. In a situation when they genuinely have a chance to make their routine disciplined, in fact it has worsened, she says. “Excessive workload, team calls at odd hours of the day and deadlines have led to several health issues such as back pains, computer vision syndrome, severe headaches and neck related issues,” she adds.

As a result, finance professionals are now persuading their employers to adopt a hybrid work

Work from home started off as a relaxing way to work, but employees don’t feel the same after more than18 months | Courtesy: Sunil Madnani culture in which the accountants have the choice of working from office or home based on the nature of the task on hand.

Karan Agarwal, a chartered accountant who works at Agility

says, “Looking at the last one and a half years, we understood that even working from home for longer periods results in inefficiency and laziness. Hence, a hybrid system which would allow

employees and the team to decide the work place on their own will be the best option for both the company and employees. Companies can even look to minimize their rental costs and employees can try to maintain a proper work-life balance.”

In a survey on LinkedIn, 51% of finance professionals voted for switching back to working from office, while a few preferred a hybrid model.

CA Naresh Sankhlecha, an assistant manager at one of the Big Four, says that a hybrid model is the best way forward. “A hybrid model is better than complete work from home or complete work from office. One gets to work with colleagues and also get the peace and ease of working from home when needed. They both have their own perks and cons. ” Many firms and corporates have adopted such a working model wherein they allow the managers or team leaders to decide whether the team members work from their homes or meet at office.

While the pandemic has taught us a lot many things, it may well have brought in a new way of working – ‘Work from anywhere’. bansal.s@iijnm.org