You are Pankaj / Priyanka. Write an email, in about 80-100 words, to your friend describing how you are spending your days during the lockdown.
Answers
Hi David,
Nice hearing from you, I'm glad to hear you're getting by okay in these grim times. You asked how’s it going for us back here in New Zealand.
You would have heard that the whole country is locked down and with breaks for exercise and shopping, we’re all living under a sort of voluntary house arrest. The start of the lock down triggered in me an old feeling from past years.
From those car assembly strikes we took back in the ‘70s. The feeling at the strike’s onset; after our vote to stop, the conflicting feelings, the element of excitement, dare I say it, of fun. The usual boring routine suddenly wiped away, all of us together on the brink of an adventure, with a strong sense of collective purpose. A feeling of being vibrantly alive.
So the authorities here have chosen to impose a lockdown, to try and break the chain, a strategy which so far seems to make sense. It’s been quite a ride and we’ve found out some interesting things, even after just three days.
The situation in some deprived overcrowded New Zealand homes right now doesn’t bear thinking about and its still just early days under lockdown. At the moment there’s understandable faith in the authorities line of march and positive response to the Prime minister’s injunction for everyone to be “kind to each other”. Some people angrily dismiss any questioning of our government over this.
Already in the short term, different class interests here have sharply asserted themselves. For example, some employers have insisted on unsafe work practices and there’s been workers strike action in response.
In the new circumstances there’s a sudden social awareness of low paid workers vital importance. Society's dependance on rubbish collectors, drivers, cleaners, hospital workers and, not least, checkout operators.
Today the working class is in from the margins, it’s value strongly apparent. When we get through the present stage of the drama, will these realisations translate into a revived socialist current? During the last few weeks, the capitalist class has shown they can make radical decisions. I’m hopeful that our side can too.
Best to your and yours,
Priyanka