I want to share my experience with cops in India. We rented out 1 portion to a medicine distributor office cum small godown in our house.l When lockdown started, renter kept coming every other day. He did not wear mask, he didn’t sanitize common gate. I asked him to reduce his visits and sanitize common iron gate. Next time, he used small bit of hand sanitizer ( usual one, not with alcohol content over 65%) on his handkerchief and cleaned handle of gate. I again asked him to use cheaper option like bleach which is recommended by CDC.

All of this was not an easy communication. He was entitled because he has medicine business but he was neither communicating with us, nor was he following up sanitization, use of masks etc.

He was putting my senior citizens mother at risk ( we have common entrance ). Suddenly I had this doubt, if he had permit, because even medicine businesses need permit in lockdown. I told him to connect me with someone from district administration office because I really needed to understand rights of medicine distribution office in residential house.

Meanwhile, I tweeted to many offices like municipality, district magistrates, local police account. I was worried. No one was responding.

I just could not allow someone in our house area anymore who is disregarding safety of others ( remember that he wore no mask, no gloves, he was not sanitizing, he was not communicating properly).

I was dealing with a difficult person. Something which can be sorted out with communication and compassion for others, I was forced to seek local administration help. I was told that I was overreacting. I was making mountain out of mole. My work was getting impacted.

I got a call from local police office and I got to know that our medicine distribution renter complained about us. Police did give me couple of minutes to talk about my grievance but they did not address it. They dismissed me, they tried to create fear. They asked me to let him come and go as he please. Police also told me, I couldn’t expect people to do sanitization every hour ( when did I expect that?) I was coarsed into letting him come. I was pressurized on name of law.

My phone has default call recording on. So, when I was helpless, I whatsapped the recording to supritendent of police number. I said over chat its unfair how this was handled. I told him that I wanted everyone to know how police is resolving serious matters like this . Ofcourse, he too was.not interested, because it’s matter of 2 people life, how important it can be.

In the evening, after going through major stress for weeks and especially that day for hours, I got a call from local office. My recording worked and suddenly they offered me better resolution. The renter will come infrequently and he will wear masks and gloves.

All of this left me shaken. In India, we have no rights to think about our safety, our lives are not important. All I asked was clarity from local administration and all I got grief and worry. I was tagged as an angry woman who is being paranoid. I was offered some resolution only after I recorded how they handled it. They scared me over phone, on name of state minister and name of prime minister, on name of bogus law.

Yah, you got better deal than me, I am happy for you.