Why the Janmoni Gogoi Story Matters amid the COVID Lockdown

Dibrugarh:

For Janmoni Gogoi, an unassuming yet enterprising youngster from Dibrugarh district of Assam, fame came knocking when it came to light that she supported her parents by selling vegetables at Borbaruah market. The internet was flooded with images of the young girl going door-to-door to sell vegetables amid the lockdown.

Soon after news of the 20-year-old's good fortune came to light, she was thrust into the limelight as a media darling and soon, she caught the attention of the local authorities. Dibrugarh police on Monday handed over a TVS moped to Janmoni Gogoi, who expressed happiness at her stroke of luck as she would now be able to cover the same distance in a shorter duration of time.

Thereafter, pictures of the youngster and her shining new scooty were extensively shared on social media platforms. Heck, it would not be too much of a stretch to say that Janmoni has now become an overnight celebrity in the 'land of lahe-lahe' Assam.

Why Janmoni Gogoi's Story Matters:

After the destructive march of the coronavirus pandemic across the world, the Indian Government too preemptive measures to curb the outbreak. The only solution, it seemed, was to impose a complete lockdown. After the beta experience of the Janata Curfew, 1.3 billion Indians were sent indoors in the biggest lockdown in the annals of History.

As the coronavirus continued its killing spree, jobs were lost and several livelihoods were supposedly endangered. Hand-to-mouth labourers, out of work and engagement, started walking home in large numbers and according to media reports, some succumbed to death. As the lockdown restrictions are being lifted in phases, the memory still lingers. As thousands upon thousands eye train tickets to make the journey back home, tensions still exist beneath surface.

It is clear that the the lockdown will go down as in history as a difficult phase for young enterpreneurs but Janmoni, knowingly or unknowingly, Janmoni has turned the historic lockdown story her story, at least in her home state of Assam. When Janmoni's struggle came light and she professed in front of media that she wishes to study further. She is the only daughter of Kiran Gogoi and Monomoti Dibrugarh Government Girls' HS School. The poverty of the her family that resides at Saphakati, Ghogora Gaon of the Bogibeel, has been highlighted amid the lockdown phase, but there are many across the country who suffer a similar fate.

Perhaps she did not anticipate the amount of fanfare that she would receive, but Janmoni's rise, apparently from rags-to-riches, could perhaps inspire the youth of the nation, many of whom are unemployed, to look towards entrepreneurship -- big or small -- to eke out a living. Further, with the services sector having taken a huge hit with companies and factories closing shop with the mantra of safety ahead of money agriculture and small scale businesses might now seem like lucrative ventures as the nation and the world seek to revive economies and get the life cycle going like it once did.

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