The unprecedented onslaught of the second wave of COVID- 19 has indeed caught our countrymen in a limbo. Should lockdowns be imposed or would only the weekend and (now elongated) night curfews suffice, is it wise on the part of the state governments to stall or cancel board examinations, is vaccination really a veritable shield, are the governments doing enough to ramp up medical infrastructure – these and a plethora of other questions and concerns are today milling in the heads of a billion-plus population.
And yes this time around there is another question that is making a lot of us cringe in rage – what and who exactly is responsible for this colossally disastrous second wave? While the election rallies and religious melas have (and rightfully so) been openly blamed, there is actually a lot more in terms of the causes that we as a nation need to now grapple with and hopefully verbalize and internalize.
Therefore, let us get beyond the obvious narratives surrounding the COVID -19 pandemic.
For starters, let us face the fact that the pandemic is not going to be stemmed out anytime soon. Infact a section of scientists grimly forecast its longevity till 2025.
So the pronounced mandate now is simply effective management. Going forward the government should remember that a complete ‘unlock’ of the economy is not prudent till the pandemic substantially fades out from the planet or atleast till there is a visible and sizeable measure of herd immunity.
For the essential services to function, the entertainment events entailing crowds need to remain suspended. It is useless to mourn the breakdown of the economic backbone if we let unnecessary (unnecessary in times of the pandemic) events like fashion shows and music shows happen unabated. After all given the numerous and fairly sophisticated digital options at our disposal today, these things can well happen online. The organizing teams should learn how to garner audiences and publicize these events digitally. Movie halls, weddings, and all forms of large gatherings should also remain suspended till pandemic experts forecast safer times.
In a nutshell, it is not enough to ban non-essential services (essentially all retail outlets, salons, eateries, gymnasiums, sports complexes, educational and coaching institutes) during lockdowns. For lockdowns to NOT happen the government should ban non-essential entertainment during normal times.
If we truly want long-term solutions and want to prevent the outbreak of future pandemics (or atleast neutralize the effects) we also need to go back in time and see what really triggered this pandemic in the first place.
Theories that China is waging a biological war through this very virulent strain (and its subsequent mutations) of coronavirus might hold true but let us never discount the fact that COVID happened because of mankind’s now longstanding antithesis with nature, wild habitats, and animals.
For decades now the fashion, textile, and food industry have been thriving by mercilessly slaughtering and exploiting animals and birds. It is an established fact that a range of viruses are housed in the bodies of birds and animals and when human beings come in contact with these birds and wild animals, the viruses invariably get transmitted to the human race.
Encroachments into wildlife ecosystems through rampant deforestation and transforming open expanses into concrete jungles have been the unfortunate reality of several successive decades now. There is enough scientific analogy to suggest that when an animal is stressed, it sheds viruses at a rapid rate.
A country like ours that has a tradition of worshipping rivers, trees, forests, and animals should have probably understood this better. Conversely, we have all become immune to the idea of the collateral damage of nature for causing it seems like an obvious norm for getting ahead in life.
This notion of collateral damage extends to our social lives too. Our individual interests have drastically negated our social responsibilities. Most people have been too busy chasing corporate targets to spend time with their ageing parents and even spouses. Do think about it---today the higher power has made our ‘perhaps unnecessarily busy lives’ come to a standstill by a mere virus and forced us to stay indoors and care for the people we live with.
Also while we are all traumatized by the pandemic we should pause to understand that some people have suffered much worse in their lifetimes. However, the irony is that they were alone in their grief, as we as a society have become conditioned to ignore people‘s misfortunes and losses that do not impact us.
It is only now that common people are talking openly about the need for shrinks. Ironically, only a couple of years back there were articles (rightly penned) on why people are reluctant to go to shrinks for the fear of being judged. Interestingly, when inquired about our wellbeing, we have to invariably blurt the socially tutored and mandatory- I am fine- when the truth is that many of us are actually crippling under the weight of our heavy hearts.
Let us not overlook the fact that atleast in these bleak times people are honestly being able to admit their feelings of despair and helplessness.
It is an acknowledged belief that everything is energy and that energy cannot be destroyed and it only changes form. There are indeed mystic laws that govern the transformation and movement of energy.
Unfortunately, the last few decades have also seen a surge of heinous crimes by way of barbaric murders, ghastly lynching and brutal rapes. The painful energies released by the hapless victims coupled with the viruses from stressed and tortured animals have been circulating in the universe and it will not be an exaggeration to say that these energies have manifested into the black cloud called COVID -19 that has enveloped the entire planet. This is obviously not the only reason but definitely one (and perhaps a cardinal one) among the seemingly inscrutable reasons that have translated into the pandemic.
Alas, while people are today busy assessing the ramifications of the pandemic from the economic point of view very few people are looking inwards and trying to decode what it is trying to tell us.
Undoubtedly, we need a massive course correction for sure along with a miracle to overcome these sordid times and put them behind for good.
Proyashi Barua is a Guwahati-based content writer and consultant. An alumnus of Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication (SIMC), she has worked for about fifteen years in the communications and media industry including The Times of India, Hindustan Times, and an international foreign trade magazine where she served in the capacity of an assistant editor. An avid reader, movie buff and travel enthusiast, Proyashi loves children and dogs. She also has a keen interest in learning about the probable causes that led to the extinction of some important ancient and medieval civilisations. Astrology, numerology and music are some pastimes that fill her soul.
You can buy her book on Amazon, or Readomania.
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