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 :) !!!!!!!!!!!!