Nishtha Shrestha

The restrictions are gradually being eased after the exhausting months of the second wave. As we make attempts to follow the everyday flow of life, this second wave has revealed a different side of the society. It is the unspoken rule in every power dynamic that the stronger dominates the weak. The poor and minority sections in any community bears the heavier load in any social problem. This was seen during the lockdown as many struggled for both food and healthcare and relied on the upper class for support.
But if we change the lens, the burden of discrimination was also faced by the privileged community which could not have been anticipated in normal circumstances. Discrimination in any form creates psychological changes in an individual. In the context of Nepal, this exists in the form of caste, gender, region and sometimes even on the basis of colour. Some of these practices continue till today in the name of religion and culture while many have been abolished due to science and the exposure to the global world.
In the first wave, the impact of COVID-19 was not felt by the privileged groups as much as this time around when the infection spread rapidly taking the lives of many loved ones. Due to this, problems such as stress of finding a bed, separation during sickness, restrictions to mourn and stigma of COVID-19 was experienced by this group. This is not to rejoice in the misery of the advantaged groups but to encourage sensitivity as they have got a first-hand experience of how the oppressed groups feel when they are ignored and disrespected for belonging to a construct that was assigned to them.
It is also worth highlighting that along with the doctors and nurses, the sanitation employees, delivery workers, ward boys, taxi drivers, etc. have contributed behind the scenes to help the society function during this challenging hour.
These professions which are looked down upon and considered to belong to the lower class have helped the people in times of need. Individuals in these professions did not have the luxury to stay at their homes and performed their duties risking their own lives.
The so-called non-respectable jobs were an asset in this pandemic and we owe our respect to these marginalised sections of the society. If there is a lesson to be learnt, it is that discrimination needs to stop as we begin our re-entry to the old lifestyle. COVID-19 has been a grounding exercise for many as it showed the vulnerability of humans that cannot be overcome by material possessions and social status.
It switched the experience of the fortunate and less fortunate groups. The former had to rely on those whom they have disregarded and overlooked at different points of their life. This discrimination was created by the elite groups and it is their duty to find a solution, too. Every crisis brings an opportunity to start a change in the society. The disadvantaged groups have faced a dual burden of virus and social discrimination and the aid provided so far only targets the former. It is time we talk about these issues in an accessible way and bring a systemic change which has been long overdue in our society.