CHANDIGARH,29.05.20-During these difficult times,I have learnt the virtue of doing house hold tasks.I realised how much I owe to my mother.When I was doing MA English,I would come home from library and my mother ji would prepare tea and later cook food for dinner. She would finish her day by washing utensils.Today I realised how tough and tiring these chores are.

I have settled to write this today after cleaning two rooms and after cleaning the utensils.

Reading books after finishing these tasks become more enjoyable as full day is there to read some book.I get about four newspapers and I remain update with current happenings.

Managing Committes of schools and colleges should introduce a new optional subject for boys entitled "Household Work".Boys should be given training in upkeep of home,cleanliness,kneading flour,cooking , cleaning utensils,washing clothes,cleaning toilets and bathrooms,watering plants,buying vegetables and decorating the house.I read in a newspaper today that some residents are fed up.of eating cooked rice and "chappaties " everyday.

Paradoxically ,I am happy that most of these unusual days ,I have been cooking rice and eating paronthas and savouring pulses.I feel blessed that ingredients for these have been made available from.nearby shops .Vegetables are available at our doorsteps.These are really very testing times .We should learn to live simple life and help the needy persons as per our financial viability.ASK NOT WHAT SOCIETY CAN GIVE YOU,TELL WHAT YOU CAN GIVE TO SOCIETY.

The importance of self help needs emphasis in lives of all youth.My focus is both on boys and men in particular.After getting a job or even while studying a young boy may have to live alone or share a room.So such a person should be conversent with cleaning of room,keeping things properly,cooking ,washing clothes and cleaning utensils.I have been told that in other countries having a domestic help is very expensive.So many youngsters are self reliant even though they are having good jobs or pursuing high academic careers.But it is disheartening to observe that boys from.even ordinary middle class in India are pampered lot.The doting parents are giving no responsibility of household work to them.Add to this the hobby of being on mobile playing video games or posting on social media has become another big distraction.Now this new situation of lockdown has resulted in such boys being in difficult situation.Many of those who were staying in rooms doing a job or studying in a college got in a predicament.They found it difficult to clean rooms or cook.Even they fell short of money.But people like me had been trained to live in difficult circumstances.I picked up the groom and have been cleaning a 7 rooms house.Sameway I took to cooking on induction as it is safe .I knew no one would come to my resue and because of covid 19.it is not safe to allow domestic helps .Even otherwise they live in different area and were not allowed to come out.I used time teaching Idioms and Grammar rules online.Coming to youth,I being a Blogger met many young boys who were living in rented rooms.I found that those who had been pampered were totally confused and living in untidy way.But those boys whose parents have taught them to do housework adjusted to new situation.Same holds for even senior citizens ,some had to depend for outside help to get food.They were helped by Govt Welfare Dept and other good voluntary organisations.But I preferred to cook on my own and spent 50 odd days by really working hard.So I learnt to be "Atam Nirbhar" or self reliant.