Question: David Joseph

It is true that the corona has infected us unimaginably. Despite of all the tragic events what can this contribute to us?

Answer: Saji Mathew Kanayankal CST

Any serious events like pandemic, war or natural calamity will have its long-lasting effects in the rhythmic flow of the world. At present the humanity, as a global society is fighting with the corona in various ways and the medical world is at its best to find a solution. To this day, we have lot of discussions and sharing about the post-corona world. Even though nobody can predict it succinctly, it is sure that the world would not be like what it was before! There will be lot of turnovers, especially in the field of economics and politics and it would revise the outlook of the entire frame of being human. As the former Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Sing says: “crisis is a time of opportunity.” In spite of the countless tragic outcomes and all sorts of challenges and hazards, corona crisis also opens new possibilities and opportunitiesto revitalise our vision, attitudes and behaviours.

A New Epistemological Insight of Being Human
Above all, I strongly believe that the human being will have certain internal changes in his/her attitude towards himself and to the society after corona.With different kinds of developments and experiments in nano technology, information technology and genetic engineering, we are on the move towards the ‘post humanism.’ Challenging the totalizing practices and rhetoric of the modernity and it’s all categories, with a new epistemology, post humanism captures the ambivalent conditions of contemporary human beings and offers a new vision that merges both science and technology, separating human from and over the natural world with the dream to make the cyborgs stronger, smarter, faster; in general other than conventional human. Though the terminologies of ‘trans humanism’ or ‘post humanism’ was not very common in the public square, most of its ideologies were booming in the society. Many were influenced by its precepts knowingly or unknowingly. In short, human being is moving with his/her own whims, fantasies, ideologies and all the more with his/her own self-interests forgetting or ignoring the fundamental root and identity. As Pope Francis laments, “we have forgotten that we ourselves are the ‘dust’ of the earth” (LS 2), very fragile and weak creatures on this earth. Though we claim of the various advancement of present technocratic scientific world, in front of such a tinyvirus, we are bewildered and panic and are thrown into the darkness as if a blind man searches the black cat in it. This epidemic is a shock-treatment on the hubris of human rationalism and technocracy. As an individual as well as a community, it is a time to rethinkon ourselves that may create some sort of new epistemological frame on being human,which may facilitate certain new awareness about the place and position of human being on earth.

A New Life Style
Along with this epistemological frame, certainly there will be some kind of enforced behavioural changes, and transformations in the life style, world view and dealings of human persons and community. The different social sciences researches say that ‘the interventions are more effective if they take place during moments of change’ and the experiments underscore that the ‘lock down’ periods of the past led to the introduction of new habits and practices. During this corona time, the practise of ‘work at home’ became very familiar for many people, especially for the techies. Being at home, many multinational companies and corporates learned that it is not necessary to have big office structures for most of their works, for the employees can do many things by ‘being at home’. This phenomenon would teach us a lot to distinguish between urgency, necessity and want in order to make choices in our life. It can be catalyst for the structural changes that may create a new culture, like reducing the number of the employees to be present in the office, the possibilities of remote control jobs and new style of working at home through video conferences etc., This can reduce the flow of traffic in the big cities, carbon emission and many kinds of other extravagances which may become ultimately beneficial to the earth.

Along with the concept of work at home, we also heard about the ‘online learning’. It is reported that many international universities are transitioning their system to online learning and virtual classes.The concepts of studies, especially of higher studies are going to be changed. I hope, instead of going to class rooms every day, new methodology will be introduced so that the learning style of universities would be changed into a new frame. It may create a new virtual education world,which may make drastic changes in the field of education, especially in the concept of teacher-student relationship.

Moreover, being at home, many realised the importance of their family members and their presence. Quarantine was a blessing in disguise, especiallyto the children, who were under stress at most of their time. Apart from a kind of relaxation from the burdens of the study, they became more comfortable with the presence of their parents. Once people realise the value of this familial togetherness, they would focus more on it to deepen the relationship between each other.

A Renewal on the  Rituals and Practises of Religions
Congregational gatherings and rituals are the integral part of its expression and identity of various religions. People are also in need of such external events to fulfil the ‘religious’ rites so as to strengthen their bond with God as well as with the fellow human beings. However, during the corona period, all religions cancelled or remodelled their gatherings, usual worships and festivities. Some sort of the ‘necessary’ practises was avoided or modified. It is noted that the most dramatic result in religion is the ‘exceedingly quick shift of religious services from ‘in-person’ to ‘on line’ worship,’ which is very evident in the Catholic Church. Most churches in the world were closed during the last Holy week and people were asked to be at home, participating in the Eucharist in the ‘livestream’ and asking for ‘spiritual communion.’ During this season, the faithful also were dispensed from the ‘obligation of Sunday Mass.’ It is true that later Pope Francis warned the faithful on the danger of livestream masses. Realising the danger of ‘virtualisation’ Pope Francis warns that the “online Masses and spiritual communion do not represent the Church. This is the Church in a difficult situation that the Lord is allowing, but the ideal of the Church is always with the people and with the sacraments.” However, some of the recent analysis claim that big social gatherings like big multitude for the Eucharistic celebration would not be possible at least for two years! In that case, we will be forced to find some new means to actualise our spiritual needs.

During the pre-corona period, at least some of the clergy were very adamant and obstinate with structural practices of certain rights, rituals and some traditions. It was very difficult to find some exceptions and the faithful were harassed, penalised and chastened on account of ‘obligations.’ They were adamantly focusing on the external dimensions of religious rituals and formalities, forgetting the cultural and social relevance of traditions and rituals. The corona epidemic is also a time to incorporate the situations and new scientific data with the long-established religio-ethical discourse on the rituals, traditions and congregational activities. While cancelling and remodelling most of these practices, the people can realise the ‘temporality’ and ‘socio-cultural impacts’ of it, which would prompt them to rethink on the relevance ritualism. It may help us to focus on the internal value of the various religious rituals and to celebrate them more meaningfully and authentically within the context of one’s life and situation.This also invoke new discussions and debates in the sacramental theology as Johann Pock, the dean of the Faculty of Catholic Theology at the University of Vienna, wrote, “if the Pope could impart a ‘complete indulgence’ to the world via television, ‘why then can’t the bishop… celebrate the Eucharist for his entire diocese, with believers in front of their screens actively participating and making this not just a spiritual, but an actual communion with bread (and wine) at the table?” Such kinds of discussions may lead to a kind of renewal in the church especially on its traditional practices.

Renewed Air and Water
The thought on the post corona-nature reminds me about a cartoon appeared in Hindu on 28th March 2020 by SatwikGade. The Cartoon depicts the picture of the Earth, asking to a virushow to make governments panic about climate change with the answer to ‘affect the rich and powerful.’ Once the virus became active, the world is moved to ‘lock down’ and now we get a lot of reports about the various gleaming pictures of the air and water around the world.

As factories and business entrepreneurs were closed and the transportations are stopped or reduced, the economic activities have stalled and the stock markets have tumbled. Thus, the quality of air is improved in worldwide.According to the report of WHO more than 80% of people in the urban area exposed to contaminated air and around 2 million people die each year from various diseases especially respiratory illnesses caused by polluted air. It is reported that in recent weeks the air is cleaner in India, where we have 21 of the 30 most polluted cities in the world. Delhi, which is infamous for its polluted air, the average concentrations of a common form of particulate matter dropped from 91 micrograms per cubic meter on March 20 to 26 micrograms on March 27. The 71% difference within a week is a very positive change that would keep the atmosphere healthy.

People in residing Punjab says that they could see the snow peaks of Himalaya, a view which has been hindered by air pollution for decades and people from Kathmandu could see the Langtang range, which was not possible because of the smog and pollution. It is also reported that the air quality has improved immensely in the different parts of the world especially in Italy, China and New York,since residents have been staying at home.

Apart from the clean air we have the reports of clean rivers from different parts of the world. After many years, the Ganges and the Yamuna flow with clear water and the Venice canal appears to be running cleaner and clearer than ever before. The corona is a time to achieve the motto of our “SwachBhartAbhiyan’ – the “clean India’ project of our Prime Minister. If we can continue some of the new regulations like prohibiting spitting or throwing waste in the public place or the advice to be clean, it will have tremendous impact in our nation for a clean, beautiful and hygienic India. As many have pointed out these days, “for years we have been running after materialistic things and gains, and the happenings in this lock-down periodtaught us that we should not tinker with nature.”

While reflecting all these positive impacts of this corona epidemic, we should not shun the danger it creates. As lock down continues, there will be a lot of psychological and sociological problems and we have to be ready to address it in various levels. The fall of economy is already predicted and we should learn to regulate it with some means. If the government as well as the NGOs are not vigilant and the land is not properly used, we have to expect poverty, starvation and other similar troubles in the coming future. It is a time to be withdrawn but not to be idle, rather a time to focus more on the future, and to make certain plans as an individualas well as a community to regain the rhythm of our society and nations in the coming days. However, while making a ‘better’ future, we should not repeat the mistakes of yesterday!