Exactly one year ago, if you asked anyone about life in 2021, people would have said ‘free from COVID, and back to living life as we know it.’ But here we are, exactly one year later, with cases still on the rise, hospitals still suffocating with more patients than beds, and more deaths than our crematoriums and burial grounds can take. In times like these, what does the average citizen need? Security for today and hope for tomorrow. What we don’t need is celebrities shoving their privilege right in our faces, like Pooja Bedi has done. Read on to know what I’m talking about.

Of privilege and absurdities in scary times

On April 14, 2021, Pooja Bedi shared a video of herself on a boat along with her fiancé Manek Contractor, asking her followers, “If you died tomorrow after year of masking/lockdown.. what would ur greatest regret be?” Of course, the bizarre tweet got a lot of people asking her to keep her privilege in check but Ms Bedi had a response to that too.

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What one fails to understand in the current scenario is this — how is it possible for our dear celebs to be this tone-deaf when the entire world is grieving? So far, India has reported over 14.3 million COVID cases (source) and 1,74,000 deaths! On the day when Ms Bedi tweeted about ‘living life sans fear’, our nation saw a rise of more than 2,00,000 fresh cases and over a thousand deaths.

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Earlier in 2020, she even complained about the COVID-safety protocols for interstate travel.

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Not just Pooja Bedi, till a few weeks ago, when the Maharashtra government had not announced the current set of restrictions, Page 3 pieces flashed images of celebrities heading out for parties in matching masks. We get it, you have all the time and resources in the world to enjoy your lives to the fullest even when the common man is struggling to find two meals per day.

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The least you can do is have some compassion and not spread such bizarre thoughts on public platforms. The least you can do is use your position of power to spread positivity and strength to those who really need it.

Dear Ms Bedi, while you may have the resources to access free beaches and ‘avail the privilege’ with your ‘positive mindset’, the rest of the world is trying to just get by and not lose any more loved ones. Being locked in at home is not a choice, it’s the need of the hour. It’s only our desperate attempt at survival to be able to see a better tomorrow WITH the people we love. It’s not a “mindset”.

Check. Your. Privilege.

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Related: Privilege And Nepotism In Bollywood: Why India’s Celebrities Need A Reality Check