Mumbai, the financial capital and backbone of India, is home to as many city-born and bred residents as it does to immigrants who have set their sights on this conglomerate metropolis in search of a livelihood. Mumbai is not only the epicenter of the Indian economy, but also dictates the terms of the contemporary economy globally. Coming from far and wide, the suburban demographics of Mumbai have been constantly changing with the arrival of people from different cultures and ethnicities and it is safe to say that many residential suburbs in this metropolitan city have undergone rapid change to become the ideal model for cosmopolitans. coexistence for the rest of the country. A city built on the expanse of land that kisses the shore of the sea; it sure presents a mesmerizing sight to behold, with tall skyscrapers populating its skyline on the horizon with the stars almost kissing them in the background. At night, when illuminated, the seashore looks like a dazzling diamond necklace on the back of a woman’s neck, no less than the stature of a Queen. But this great city has also seen its share of bad times and sadness. When the bubonic plague arrived in 1896 on ships, as a result of colonial efforts, in the ups and downs, fear and death almost emptied the city to look deserted almost overnight.
Mumbai and New York are not very different in their basic structure and approach to life, although they are at opposite poles of the world. Although the coronavirus-induced pandemic barely manages to draw such a grim figure, thanks to advanced technology and medical science, parallels can still be drawn. A megalopolis home to more than 20 million, few cities face the crisis around infrastructure and industries that Mumbai is struggling to come to terms with during the coronavirus-induced pandemic. Here are 6 stories from the lives of 6 Mumbaikars, as they prefer to be called, that are completely independent of one another and yet intertwine to reveal how this pandemic has drastically changed lives from what they knew in the past.
Union Leader: In 6 decades with the Indian Railways, Mr. Union Leader has witnessed Mumbai’s lifeline, rail services were disrupted and stopped for just one day when the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in 2006 brought the movement of trains for a whole day. On a typical day, rail services serve an overwhelming number of people, often with an excess of expectations, with people hanging from the running board by a single handrail for miles at a time. Keeping a safe distance is not a viable solution even on less crowded days. But with the arrival of the COVID pandemic, Mr. Union Leader has now seen Indian Railways close shop and draw the shutters to a complete halt for 6 months straight. Passenger rail services have been completely canceled to avoid and deter the risk of contagion. Trains are the city’s arterial route carrying the truckload of laborers and laborers from the far interior to the center of the city every day. So Mr. Union Leader, armed with the patience of a saint, is quietly stalking time to see his beloved city come back to life when passenger trains resume service. Until then it’s a lonely walk down memory lane.
Banker: On a typical day, Mr. Banker would make a delightful image, dressed in smart three-piece suits, complete with tie and waistcoat, as he stepped out of his chauffeur-driven sedan and hurried to work in the bank area. downtown mumbai. But with the arrival of the pandemic, the daily commute seems almost equivalent to moving in a war zone. Clad in appropriate certified PPE suits, Mr. Banker leads from the front with his mandatory gate pass to avoid police scrutiny for disobeying the lockdown. Financial services have been labeled as essential services and therefore Mr. Banker makes his attendance at work without fail following the same measures every day. Today half of his time is spent managing sanitizing operations at his branch on a regular basis, which takes up most of his time with little left for new business. For now, the focus is on the evolution of disinfection solutions than on banking or financial services.
Delivery Man: The delivery man lost his job at his fast food franchise because people were too afraid of coming into contact with unknown people after the pandemic outbreak. Born and raised in this city of Mumbai, he laments that not even terrorist attacks, bomb blasts, floods or riots could do what COVID has done to them. He not only stole the livelihood of millions, but he scared people in the confines of their homes, who were unwilling to face new people. With a family to feed and elderly parents depending on him, the delivery boy is struggling every day, hoping that the next dawn will bring change for the better.
Chambermaid: Chambermaids are the last rung of the ecological system in the city of Mumbai. They provide their cleaning, washing and care services in different domestic households in exchange for a meager compensation. They usually stay in the nearby slums, which are hit the hardest during the COVID outbreak due to the heavy congestion they live in. So automatically, with the isolation guidelines floating around, domestic workers were the first to be removed from the list, as they live in a hotbed of infection and contagion. As a result, our maid lost her last line of survival, her work as domestic partnerships began to be more strict with the influx of strangers to keep the contagion at bay. Hand sanitizers or certified PPE suits couldn’t even win her case for her.
Stockbroker: Mr. Stockbroker, head of his venture capital agency, was still reeling from the shock of the pandemic-induced lockdown when he was hit by the wrath of technology coupled with the COVID-induced pandemic. With markets collapsing from the COVID-fueled economic meltdown, their last chances of retaining customers have also vanished with people exploring stocks and shares for themselves through digital technology. With plenty of time on their hands and cooped up at home for their own safety, people began to eliminate the need for a broker and began to get personally involved in the trading process, thanks to the benefit of technology. Now, Mr. Stockbroker has not only lost many accounts, but he is struggling to gain a foothold in the industry he once called his kingdom.
Actor – Bollywood, as the Mumbai film industry is called, to Inspired by Hollywood, it relies heavily on human intervention to get the job done and move things. Due to the lockdown, the film industry has also come to a virtual standstill with many support professionals losing their livelihood and many others unable to get their due back. Although the authorities have allowed some work to resume with strict restrictions, very few new projects are being started under such strict scrutiny. Our beloved actor, who has yet to make his mark in the industry, continues to look for opportunities, hoping that things will change soon. But will they? And if they do, will it be soon enough?