The phrase 'come rain or shine' seemed to acquire new meaning on Tuesday, after locals braved a hailstorm to buy liquor in Uttarakhand's Nainital.
Amid the novel coronavirus pandemic and the consequent lockdown, many businesses, including liquor shops -- falling as it does under the category of non-essential items. On Monday, the restrictions were eased as India entered the third phase of lockdown.
A video posted by ANI showed shoppers armed with unbrellas or nothing at all, converging at a liquor store on Nainital's Mall Road. Those standing in the rather long queue seemed to be following social distancing measures.
Following the video, it would seem that netizens have nothing but respect for these "true economic warriors". "Ye hota he dedication," wrote one Twitter user. Another spoke about how nature was providing them with the ice to go with their drinks.
Of course, not everyone agreed, and some Twitter users opined that such behaviour was reckless and foolish.
Take a look at some of the comments on Twitter:
It must be mentioned that even as people in Nainital braved a hailstorm, they continued to follow social distancing norms, thus ensuring that others were not harmed or even threatened. This unfortunately does not hold true for all parts of the country.
In many areas, social distancing went for a toss as droves of people stepped out and crowded liquor stores. In many areas police officials had to step in, and some localities were even forced to shut stores as the crowd swelled.
