An otherwise socially unacceptable and culturally sensitive phenomenon like social distancing has become a buzzword in everyday discourse due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Indian tradition, the practice of reasonable closeness and acceptable physical proximity is valued as against the idea of isolation and social distancing. The upsurge in COVID-19 cases and consequent prescriptions for social distancing have pointed to an interesting and unnoticed sociological consequence of the pandemic alongside its impact on the economy and livelihood.
