Deepavali for frontline workers in Chennai: Terms and conditions apply

CHENNAI: Deepavali. It is that time of the year when we spend an entire day with our family and friends rejoicing in the moments of togetherness. When we go out on to the roads to burst firecrackers, we find police officers and firefighters vigilantly watching the situation to avoid mishaps. Similarly, if we get hurt while playing with fireworks, we have doctors on duty to treat us. Then, we order food from eateries for which delivery partners get on their bikes and come to our service. But have we ever thought about these frontline workers when the whole world is indulging in festive euphoria?

Dentist Vidhya Sabari, who has been in the field for more than two decades, went on a nostalgic trip down Deepavali memory lane. "Back then, I had a lot of time to spend with my family and leisurely start preparing for the festival at least 10 days in advance. The chit-chats I used to have with my mother while making palagarams (sweetmeats) was unbeatably the best. We also used to go to our native place to celebrate Deepavali. But after taking up medicine as a profession, things have changed to a large extent,” she shares.

She also observes that “people book appointments only on holidays because that is when they would most likely be free.. it is understandable. But nowadays, people have become more demanding and less empathetic."

Cops too have tough jobs, which doesn't get any lighter on festival days. “Since the time I joined the police department, my Deepavalis have never been with my family. I buy crackers and new clothes for my husband and kids before the festival day. When they will be busy in celebrations at home, I will be on duty, taking care of the city. There were times when I used to see kids celebrating the festival with joy, and remember my children,” police inspector Angammal reminisces with a bittersweet smile.

Not everyone has been able to come to terms with the sacrifices their profession demands. A firefighter, who wished to stay anonymous, rued that his job has taken him away from his family. “Firefighters have to put their lives at stake during such occasions. Earlier, my happiness was in meeting friends during festivals. Now, I feel isolated from society,” he says, adding that he doesn’t want to be a frontline worker in his next birth.

To make things a tad easier for them, the firefighter suggested regulating duty hours and not bringing in firemen from other districts to Chennai during Deepavali. “Fire calls have considerably reduced in Chennai, so we don't necessarily need to transfer firefighters. At least they can spend some time with their families on this auspicious day,” he adds.

Adding another perspective is Lokesh, who has been working as a food delivery executive for four years. “Honestly, we can earn more during festivals as people will place more orders. We will also get incentives for successful deliveries," he says. It does still get to him sometimes, he adds, when he sees people with their families on festivals, whilst he is busy delivering orders.

The customers too can be a mixed bag, quips Lokesh. “There are some people who give us homemade savouries and wish us on festivals. But there is also handful of customers who will be rude to us, citing late delivery, knowing there are many orders," he explains.

On his festival wishlist is job security for delivery executives while from the customers' end, "a pleasant smile would make our day happy,” Lokesh suggests.