Hi Readers,
I know I should be punctual when it comes to blogging but please blame my laziness for the longest break I took.
To those new readers, let me reintroduce myself. I am Tenzin Choezin and I started this blog back in 2013. I usually review products and sometimes I scribble my thoughts into words here.
Anyway, now without further adieu, let’s begin today’s writing.
The reason I am writing this blog is because, I wanted to share a very personal issue that I recently encountered with. It’s going to be a little long but make sure you read it. How about grabbing a coffee or a tea? Lol..
Okay so, I am an independent entrepreneur and 9-5 is something I have been avoiding my whole life. I always wanted to be my own boss and never wanted to work for or under anyone. But then in 2020, when the nation wide lockdown hit India, it directly affected a lot of companies including mine.
My company “Gurlscloset” is a registered sole proprietorship company which failed drastically during lock down and I have been staying home for the longest time ever since then.
People I am close to often come with different ideas so that I can get out of bed and do something. When ever there are “Job Vacancies” around Mcleodganj, (the place I stay) they make sure to sent the advertisement to me. I usually look through it but a lot of time, I slide away their messages because a lot of the job didn’t meet my interest until one fine day, when my aunt and my best friend sent me a picture of a Job requirement in TIPA.
As a social media influencer myself, this job sounded really interesting to me and for the first time, I felt like this is a 9-5 job I can actually do.
On 5th March 2021, I mailed my resume along with the required documents they asked for.
Days passed by and I was patiently waiting for them to revert back with interview date. And finally on 6th April 2021, they mailed saying they are finally conducting a written and a skill test on 9th April 2021. I was told there will be about 5 applicants, so the next two days, I was busy preparing for the exam.
7th April 2021. Around 10 pm, I was at a friends birthday dinner. A message popped on my WhatsApp from my aunt. “Get away from there, Sonam is positive” I felt a spark down my spine and left the scene.
Sonam is my brother and he has been ill last few days and now he’s tested positive for covid.
Next Morning
It’s the 8th April and I woke up to a call from an unknown number. The girl on the other end said “Hello, Is this Tenzin Choezin? I am calling from Department of Health, you recently had a contact with a covid patient so please self quarantine yourself until further notice”
The first thing that came on my mind is the tomorrow’s exam and I asked her “Oh! I have a job interview tomorrow” and before I completed the sentence she interrupted “I am sorry but you cannot go”
I was furious and decided to call the person in charge of TIPA to tell him about the situation. I asked if they can reschedule my interview or postpone the date because at that very moment, I wanted the job so bad. He said he will let kung-ngo-la ( head) know about it and get back to me. Then a few minutes later, he forwarded me kung-ngo-la’s number.
I then called her!
Lady on the phone- Hello!
Me- Hello Chonzom la, I am Tenzin Choezin, one of the applicant for tomorrow’s job interview. I called to say that I recently had a contact with a covid patient and I was adviced to self quarantine by Department of Health. So I was thinking if there’s an another way to conduct the exam?
Lady on the phone- Oh! I am sorry, Since DOH asked you to self quarantine, You cannot come. We have to listen to their order since TIPA is an organisation.
Me- Oh! Then can I conduct the interview online or can you postpone the date? There must be an alternative.
Lady on the phone- No! Sorry, I cannot postpone, it’s going to be unfair for the other applicants and no! You cannot give the exam online. If you are in Nae–le–Khang (Quarantine centre) then I would have allowed since there’s going to be govt. staff working there but you are at home, so you cannot. (didn’t make much sense to me)
Me- So there’s no other choice? (By the time I was feeling helpless and was controlling the tears that’s about to fall)
Lady on the phone- Hmmmm…..
Me- Okay! If that’s the case. I will come with my mask on and follow all the covid protocols. May be, you must have an empty room where I can sit and give the exam alone? My home is really near TIPA.
Lady on the phone- Oh no, we don’t have a facility like that. (
what???) Or may be you can come in a PPE Kit and give the exam. She smirked… so I guess she was not being serious. But then she added. Perhaps why don’t you get a rapid test done and come?
Me- Ah!! Okay! I will see if I can get the rapid test done. By that time, its already past 11:00am and zonal hospital won’t do rapid test after 11. (Zonal hospital is a Govt. hospital that does free covid test) I also added, what if I didn’t tell anything in the first place and come? you guys wont know right? But i thought its important to be honest (why in the world did i even think that?)
Lady on the phone- Get the test done at Fortis kangra and then if it’s negative. You can appear.
Me- Ahhh okayyy… Thank you!
“Hung up the phone“
I called my aunt and told her the details, she said “Just go, get the test done at a private lab. Wear your mask and do not talk to others. You will get the result in the evening and go directly tomorrow and give the exam. “
The same time, someone from Welfare Office called and told me that I cannot appear for the exam tomorrow. I said “Okay!!” and hung up the phone.
I rode my bike to get the rapid test done and I was told that I will get the result in two hours.
While waiting for the result, I got a call from Welfare Office. The staff was outside my home to give me medicines. I told him I am out for a rapid test. He asked me why I am out when I am suppose to be home for quarantine. I said, I needed the rapid test result for my exam tomorrow.
He said “come back straight and call me before 5, My Kung-ngo-la will scold me if I won’t get your signature after handling the medicine”. I said “Okay” but deep down, I was annoyed. Yet! I let everything slide and was just waiting for the result. (Calls after calls from them made me really weak.)
Shortly after two hours, the Laboratory mailed me the Rapid test result.
It was negative, I screamed in joy and returned home.
Tring Tring……
It was the Coordinator, the guy in charge from TIPA.
Guy in Charge- Hello Choezin, Kung-ngo-la told me to tell you that you cannot appear for tomorrow’s exam. She received a call from Welfare Office and they told her to not allow you for the exam tomorrow and if you come, you should be stopped from entering the premises.(Are these guys incharge of stopping the virus from spreading or incharge of me not appearing for the exam? Wow!!!)
Me(By that time defeated and disappointed) -Okay! Sure!!!!
“Hung up the phone”
I was emotionally broken by the time, I did everything from my end. I was at a really vulnerable situation and they without thinking twice tore my confidence apart. How they handled the whole situation was sheer unethical and incompetent. I didn’t even tell him about the rapid test result, cuz I felt defeated and tortured that very moment.
I understand that in these crazy times of covid, they are concerned and have to do all they could to stop the infection from spreading but guys! I am not positive. I am just a contact. They should atleast have some empathy and think about a solution to this problem first.
Atleast see if there are any other options. How about online? How about letting me sit for the test in an empty room or in an open space? If possible, postpone the test for atleast a day so that I can get my RTPC result. But forget it, nobody even proposed that idea to me. I was asking for it and they didn’t even spend a minute thinking about it.
This experience made me feel that these guys were more concerned about me from appearing for the exam rather than the virus spreading.
If this is how you treat someone who doesn’t have covid, imagine people who has covid and how they are being treated?
Our society seriously need to grow up. One should stop misusing their power. I heard even CTA conducts all their tests online. They even let their staff work from home. I am surpised to see how an esteemed organisation like TIPA (part of CTA) didn’t have any alternatives or a plan B for that matter in such situation. It was so unprofessional.
By the way, meanwhile my aunt had called Delek Hospital the day before to ask the Doctor if there was a way so that I can appear for the test while following the protocols. The doctor then told her that I should request for a virtual test to which ofcourse TIPA refuses from the beginning.
I guess the doctor did realise something the next day and called my aunt saying I can go and sit for the test in an open space with my masks on. it was too late by then. He called 2 hours after the exams started. He said he will talk to the director of TIPA and he did that indeed. He said, perhaps the director will call me now that he talked with her.
And I, with still a hope and some ego waited for the call. Ofcourse, I had by then lost all my interest in working under such administration. My answer was supposed to be “Thank you but I am not interested now”
Well, they never called. what can you expect anyways.
Lesson learnt from this incident- “Never be honest with others, Because I chose to be honest, I was treated this way! “
COMMENT DOWN YOUR THOUGHT! And hey, thank you but I am not interested 🙂
Chunztenz 
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