World and lives with an unseen enemy

Jan-2020:

Heard about a disease being spread from human-to-human by a virus called Coronavirus. Somewhere in Chinese town called Wuhan. End of the month, heard about the news of lockdown of the Chinese cities. Saw empty streets of Beijing in a website.

Feb-2020:

Flights to and from China cancelled. The Chinese goods were blocked at customs and some of our equipment to be shipped to office were blocked too. Many of us were laughing at the situation at that time. Thought about it as an outbreak which cannot reach us like Ebola/SARS.  The passengers arriving from China were screened. Heard ~3 cases of such affected people in Kerala.

Mar-2020:
First case of affected person was reported in somewhere Whitefield area in Bangalore, the city I lvie. Still it was far. Then the number of cases of affected persons being reported slowly started increasing linearly.

Then the scenario of it becoming an epidemic was evident. Human nature is to not to bother about or having empathy towards issue happening elsewhere, until the problem is at our doorstep. Now the panic started. WHO declares the spread of disease from Coronavirus as Pandemic, something which has affected multiple countries. Everyone is cautious of going out of home. Suspecting almost everyone we meet. Washing hands becomes obsession suddenly. Then the Government declares an imposition of lockdown to make Social distancing compulsory because of which people cannot venture out of their homes. A new world which the people have not seen or never experienced even from our parents’ time unfolds!!

All these happening and we are watching the world only through the windows of media from home. The world has come to halt. All this while especially the new generation(our generation) has only seen the world running at a mad pace. To conquer something which others have not conquered, to see something which others have not seen, to experiencing something which not many have experienced, to eat, travel, socialize, work, have fun, to acquire worldly materials, to feel superior and to reach places including Moon and Mars! To please whom, to satisfy whom or to achieve what we were running so madly?

 All this for what? – A big question when an unknown enemy invades the human race now which puts half of the humanity under lock down, the way we keep the animals in Zoos as if they are our possessions.

I used to hear about phrases like – ‘To save earth’. There is no such thing. It is only about saving us and Earth knows how to save itself. Earth will be there for another billions of years. It is we humans who were at the edge of perishing with our over-possessiveness towards nature and its elements as our own. The nature has put a pause on our activities now if not brake. Of course we will continue our activities even after this pandemic is gone as if nothing had happened.

But when in-pause it is time for our self-realization as individuals, family, society, the human race.

1.       We may not need the luxury we all will be looking for in worldly materials. Our ancestors had lived with minimal living and were happy. We are back to same situation now, happy or not?

2.       It is not the living which is costly but the lifestyle – are we all living healthy now with home cooking and with reduced costs?

3.       What matters the most is human relations. When we cannot talk to someone physically who are close to us. Some of the stories which moved in this time which I came across:

·       I see a mother giving birth to her baby, but was not able to see her baby because she tested positive. When the re-union happened after her recovery, it was an emotional one.

·       A son in Mumbai hears about his father’s loss in Kolkata, not able to reach seeks help. Then his friend helps and gets permissions from authorities to travel in his car. Mumbai to Kolkata – 2300kms. What an example of friendship and a kid’s love

·       A mother travels 1400 km in her tow-wheeler from Telangana to get her son back who is struck in Andhra Pradesh.

 Like these there were many situations reported, which actually rekindles our beliefs in human
relations which are fading away.

4.       The indomitable spirits of frontline workers – Doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, sanitation workers, media, Police, Shop keepers providing essentials, our house maids, essential Govt service providers, some of our leaders. Absolutely stunning, they know they are interacting with a highly contagious disease but still not stepping back.  These are our peace time, but crisis time soldiers/warriors of our nation or rather of humanity.

5.       A time in quarantine has helped many people spend quality time with their families which all these while were struggling to get the time required. With parents, brothers/sisters, spouses, children etc.

6.       Time to rekindle the sparks in us for our passions. Many are spending time on their favorite hobbies.

7.       It has helped the earth atmosphere to breathe more relaxed. The pollution levels have come down drastically, with people becoming healthier. There are newspaper reports of reduced heart-related and other ailments!

8.       With more animals capturing back their habitats. Like Dolphins coming back to shores in Venice because of non-existing pollution because of boats, turtles coming out in sea shores of Odisha, peackocks roaming around in streets of Mumbai, sea turtles hatching in Thailand etc.. :)

9.       There are people who are selflessly serving food to starving and providing shelter to the needy, how Govt has been providing the materials to the needy at its best. Rising to the occasion are many good Samaritans who are not under lockdown but serving poor in the streets and their areas. Hats off to them.

We all know many of the above have happened because of Coronovirus, 

1.       But the people who have suffered or survive know what they have gone through.

2.       The people who have lost their loved ones, how much pain they are enduring because of not of any of their faults :( . Around the globe more than 1.6 lakhs people have died at the time of writing this article.  

3.       Also there is an increase in domestic violence/ child abuse happening because of continuous locking of people inside their houses under abusive people :(, across the globe It is heartening to hear about it.

4.       The pain of migrant workers is awful. The pain of daily wage workers, homeless, auto drivers, taxi drivers, some of our house staff like cooks, maids, small shopkeepers etc.., who earn their living on a daily basis.

5.       The economic losses to Government, a possible entry to recession, job losses, farmers not able to sell their goods,  -- the impact may be huge.

How we wish all the positives would have happened not because of Coronavirus but because of changed human behavior over a period of time?

How we wish the lessons learnt should not be forgotten at-least in the coming few years?

How we wish the goodness shown continues forever so that world we live becomes a better place at-least for the next generation to come?

The world is small and our lives are much smaller, it is time for us to come out of our cocoon of ego and greatness and see small things in life, values human relations, appreciate and respect nature, love others also who are supposedly not ours,  stick to healthy eating and lifestyle, compassionate with one who do not have what we have as privileges, learn new things to satisfy our soul,  forgive who hurt us and forget bad memories, to live a fulfilled life :) !!!!!!!!!!!!