Fully in My Sleep, Like My Grandfather
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MAY 23-29, 2021 HERE . NOW P 3,4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 SUNDAY POST MAY 23-29, 2021 MIXED BAG ANKIT MOHANTY WHO IS POPULARLY KNOWN AS RONNY IN ODIA ALBUM INDUSTRY LOVES TO CATCH UP WITH HIS OLD FRIENDS TO RELIVE THE GOOD OLD DAYS Rest day Despite being a fitness enthusiast, I prefer to stay Me time away from With strength training restrictions in on Sundays to place, I catch feel refreshed and up with my old energetic on pals through Expert other weekdays. video calls to But I routinely relive the good chef practice the old days. I never believe postures of Surya Besides, I love that cooking is Namaskar to pamper dog a woman’s Simba, my four- job. So, I make legged son, to my mom take de-stress a break on myself. Sundays and treat her with dishes cooked by me. Movie buff My elder brother Buddhaditya Mohanty, a Avid popular actor always asks me reader to watch movies to sharpen my I read a lot acting skill. So, I when I am love to watch free. Reading some select films Filmfare and a of Vinod Khanna, few fitness Feroz Khan and magazines is Shah Rukh Khan a must on my on Sundays. Sunday’s to do list. RASHMI REKHA DAS, OP WhatsApp SELFLESS WORK LETTERS This Week Dear Sir, I was moved and overwhelmed after reading the cover story ‘Friends in Need’ pub- Only on Sunday POST! lished in the last edition of Sunday POST. The initiatives taken by a group of youths in hon- Send in your most interesting Whatsapp messages and memes ouring the dead is simply outstanding when received to: [email protected] family members refuse to recognise the dead And we will publish the best ones person or simply abandon the bodies fearing THE BEST MEMES OF THIS ISSUE Covid infections. The noble initiative taken by n War does not determine who is right – only who is left. these youths without expectation of any pecu- n Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not niary gain or appreciation is praiseworthy. putting it in a fruit salad. People who cremate bodies are known for their n The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse toughness and they show little or no emotions. A WORD FOR READERS gets the cheese. But this group of youths is a little different. Sunday POST is serving a n I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather.. Their act of kindness is seen by all and I pray platter of delectable fare every Not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car. God to bless them with his choicest blessings week, or so we hope. We want for their selfless work. readers to interact with us. Please send in your opinions, queries, comments and contributions to SURYAKANT DHIR , CUTTACK [email protected] B-15, Industrial Estate, Rasulgarh, Bhubaneswar – 751010, Orissa. Phone (0674) 2549982, 2549948 SUNDAY POST MAY 23-29, 2021 COVER When the entire nation is in the grip of Covid’s second wave, these delivery boys have become as important as the frontline health service providers RASHMI REKHA DAS, OP their outsized bags and driving around the city. Knowing well that they are exposed to mid the state-wide lockdown the virus risks, many are stepping out because when people are cooped up more and more people are depending on in their homes, there are doorstep deliveries of food, grocery items some of them who constantly and heath care essentials and of course to Aexpose themselves to the dreaded meet the necessities in life. coronavirus to bring ease in the Sunday POST talks to a few delivery boys lives of others. Neither do they to ascertain their fears, hopes and concerns. feature in the list of government’s Chittaranjan Satpathy, who works with list of Covid warriors, nor do restaurant aggregator and food delivery the companies which they work company Zomato, says, “My father is a for protect them with big priest at Brahmagiri and his earnings were life/health insurance plans. inadequate to meet our family needs. So, Yes, they are the delivery boys being the eldest sibling, I did my bit to give of several app-based online services him some comfort. After doing my B.A. I who put in more than 12 hours a joined this day to drop essential goods at our company. It is doorstep risking their lives during definitely chal- these challenging times. lenging to When the entire nation work during is in the grip of second Corona times. wave of the ongoing Meeting 20- pandemic, these de- odd people livery boys have be- every day not come as important knowing their as the health care health status in- providers who are volves risks. on the frontline duty. But I can’t quit They reach us with the job for two reasons. First, I can’t afford medicines, gro- to sit idle at home. And the other thing is ceries and other there are a lot of people who depend on essentials door delivery during such difficult times. shoulder- So, I feel I am part of the team of Covid ing warriors who offer their services to the needy. However, I make sure to get myself tested if I feel unwell or I suspect that I have some Covid-19 symptoms. I will never like to be a spreader of the disease.” The behaviour of the customers sometimes irritates Chittaranjan. “Despite knowing well about the current situation, they often make us wait for long time to collect their parcels and behave rudely. That’s not all. They give negative ratings which leads to a pay cut. I suffer a deduction of Rs 500 from my salary for a delayed delivery. We treat customers as god, they should at least treat us as human beings, isn’t it,” he rues. SUNDAY POST MAY 23-29, 2021 COVER Delivery boys checking location details Hailing from Nayagarh Santosh Kumar Nayak has who are scared. Our company is been associated with a courier service company for the providing life insurance coverage last two years. He says, “Being the only bread earner of of `one lakh to its employees.” my family, I can’t afford to stay at home to stay safe. Asked about the precautions There are chances of catching the virus but as a spiritual he takes, Chetan adds: “At several individual I have left it to the Almighty. I believe he will housing societies, we need to take care of all of us.” write down our names and mobile Though he does his duty with all sincerity, he too is not numbers at the entrance. This is happy with the attitudes of some customers. “ It annoys not a safe practice as many people me when customers do not receive my calls and make me would have used them before wait unnecessarily. They should understand the fact that without following the protocol. we too are human beings. When it comes to Covid-19, So, I make sure to wash my clothes and take a bath every Beating the scorching heat, a youth pedalling his our contribution is nothing compared to efforts of frontline day before entering home. I also gargle with salt and way to deliver pracels in Bhubaneswar workers like police and media persons who are working turmeric water and inhale steam daily as part of measures round-the-clock. We had been working without any to keep the infection at bay. ” choice but to do the job for our sustenance. Besides, I protection for a long time. Recently, our company has consider it as a service to reach out to the needy. Apart extended the health insurance coverage to the delivery boys Nirmal Kumar Behera, a from working to earn my livelihood, I distribute food and executives realising the risks involved. But I don’t get delivery boy at Swiggy, says, among destitutes and feed stray dogs at night. .” panicked by the Corona menace because someone or the “According to our company’s other has to chip in to do the job. “ policy, we have been following Balaji Mishra is a Nayagarh resident but resides in WHO’s guidelines while de- Bhubaneswar after joining Zomato. He says, “My work Chetan Lenka, a resident of Jagatsinghpur, rejoined livering essentials. Ever since hours remain the same as it was in pre-Covid times. Covid food delivery platform Swiggy two months back after taking the imposition of lockdown, is there and will be there. There will be no point in stopping a break of some days due to personal reasons. He says, there has been a spike in the working due to Covid fear. I find it really bad when people “There are chances of getting infected by Covid, but who number of online orders. who tested positive hide it from delivery boys. But if we is going to provide us two square meals a day if we stop Though I carry a hand sanitiser have to deliver food at Covid homes, we place the packets working. Though my parents have asked me several times and never remove my face near the door and click a picture and send it to the customer. not to venture out during the pandemic and requested me mask, the fear of contracting That’s our no-contact delivery. As I am yet to take the jab, to come back to the village, I couldn’t afford that ‘luxury’.