People express value for friendship amid lockdown

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Aug. 2 (EMN): Ever since life came to a standstill with the imposition of nationwide lockdowns following the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, people have resorted to virtual spaces and social media platforms to communicate with friends.

On the occasion of Friendship Day on August 2, Eastern Mirror reached out to some youths to find out how they are coping up with their friendship amid the lockdown.

The lockdown has not impacted so much for Mughato Kiba, who spent most of his time alone. Kiba works at a company and lives alone at an apartment in Bengaluru.

"Since I stay alone in a rented apartment, I feel lonely at times missing my near and dear ones. On week-days, I work from home and I get connected with office colleagues over Skype and WebEx, eight hours of night shift and the remaining 16 hours I spend in cooking, cleaning and sleeping," he says.

Kiba reached Dimapur on July 24 and is currently confined at a paid quarantine alone. He informed that his family and friends are nearby his quarantine centre. "Curiously waiting to get my test done, complete my 14 days of quarantine and go home, while little concerned too on how my people will accept me in the colony with so many negativity around our society," he shared.

On the importance of connecting with friends, Kiba, who is also the president of Naga Students' Union Bangalore (NSUB) says, "Taken over by virtual world now it is very much necessary to stay connected with friends," adding, "They boost me when I am bored and when I miss my family. I get connected with my friends over phone, video calls and online game."

"Before the lockdown we meet over dinner and drinks but after lockdown it’s just this virtual connection now. There was a time when I was very busy with social work and my personal office work and I couldn’t connect with family and friends due to my busy schedule. But now since most of my social work is completed I have time to connect with friends and family," he enunciates.

"It’s interesting for me as I got to discuss so may fruitful ideas with my friends to implement in my social work, being a social worker I find it very interesting to discuss this topic with my friends and they help me lots in sharing their ideas.

“After my quarantine period is over, I am planning to start over some social work here in Dimpaur too to help the deprived and needy people in very small ways I can. I shared this thought with my friends and they are excited about it. Hope I get the opportunity and support to implement it," Kiba added.

Another youth from Kohima, Asano Zashu, while stating that social media is playing a key role in keeping people connected remarked, "on the brighter side, this lockdown has given me an opportunity to revisit my childhood memories.

"I managed to reconnect virtually with my long lost friends, which has been a huge blessing," she says.

According to Zashu, her kin are also her friends. "Sharing spaces, home cooked meals, and availability of time for heart-to-heart conversations with family members has birthed a new level of friendship with my own family members too," she shared.

"Regardless of boundaries and age, opening up with friends and strangers about our shared common fears, challenges and difficulties, amidst this pandemic, has made us all a little more matured, sensitive and caring towards the needs of other fellow humans," she says.

"We have learnt to make more sacrifices and compromises, on scales unbelievable, which otherwise would have been impossible without the chaos and uncertainty brought about by this pandemic," says Zashu.

"Connecting with friends is as important as having my morning cup of coffee to kick-start my day! I am so blessed and fortunate to have a bunch of wonderful friends who are keeping me sane, and giving me the reason to look beyond the pain and challenges of these trying times," explains Zashu.

"Being a millennial, most of my friends share the common and constant fear for ageing parents at home as well as taking care of young children too. However, friends are acting as the shock absorbers and making life easy and less painful. For me, friends are synonym of hope and happiness, she adds.

"Lockdown has both pros and cons, undoubtedly people have stopped from their busy schedule and it cost much in terms of their career aspects, yet looks like it heals the human bonding that was losing in the process of self ambitions and aspirations," says Akumsen Kichu, another youth from Mokokchung.

Referring to MacIver's words who once said, 'society is a wed of social relationships,' Kichu queried, "what’s worth having if it loses its core aspect".

"Amid this lockdown, people spent more time with family, friends and dear ones, which often we take for granted. Having a quality time is co-equal with an expensive therapy,” said Kichu who is pursuing her PhD in Sociology from Chennai.

She said wealth and fame maybe prized possessions, but not the ultimate happiness while emphasising the importance of being connected with friends, which according to her is "innumerable and a gem".

"To complete one’s existing is to have a God that guides you, family that accepts and loves you unconditionally and a true friend that supports you in every wax and wane. Starving to achieve one’s goal is obligatory especially in contemporary society but not the ultimate goal for a lifetime.

Loneliness is normal human feelings but encroaching its limits causes many serious problems like addiction, anxiety, depression, stress etc. and some even end their life," Kichu articulates.

"Best solution to get rid of this problem is to stay connected with people that give room to open your heart’s content and understands you despite how farrago it may sound. Therefore, we should encourage one another to be connected in this catastrophic situation and help to build a community that got each other’s back at all times," she says.

"I believe this pandemic has seen the creative side of people. People have been bonding over baking sessions, over virtual spaces encouraging each other to showcase their hidden talents and hobbies and most importantly getting to spend quality time with the people who matter the most, "family," who are also our first friends," says Albert Rutsa, a youth in Kohima.