Vincent Kundukulam
One of the quotes that became viral during the Covid-19 season is as follows: ‘It is not the moment to talk about your dreams or projects. In the year 2020, importance is to be given to nothing else than keeping your life safe. Only make sure that you exist. If you keep on at the end of this year, it is sure that you have made some achievement.’ This perspective of Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba.com, seems to be a comforting thought for millions of people. People have become less tensed of being unable to carry on their regular activities. This is an initial reaction human being may have when they encounter the unexpected difficulties.
But the option for in action would be, I think, in a long run, disastrous to human life and society. Everything will be stagnated. Having forced to live in a limited space, people may soon forget the other. A considerable number of people spend a good deal of time to take care of their health. Suggestions are many in the social media about the precautionary measures to be taken against the virus infection.Besides the usual exercises, some are keen to have inhalation and remedial drinks at intervals. What would be the impact of spending too much time for preventive actions? There is a chance that we become self-centered as we think more and more about ourselves. As far as the lockdown-life goes on beyond a limited time, people may be thrown into a feeling of helplessness as they are surrounded by hostile factors of life. As Pierre Bourdieu, the French sociologist, wrote in 1999 regarding the fear of people during the terrific situations, ‘the obsessive care to survive may prevent people from living.’
A group of people more affected due to pandemic are, like in all tragic situations, the poor, the elderly and the sick. They feel entirely abandoned. A video clip made by a man of third age, which is current in the social media, is highly revealing of their distressing isolation. He deplores the laxity of the government in meeting their needs. He says, ‘the government, consisted of mostly aged people, has formulated laws to persecute the elders. They forbid us from getting out of the house and mingling with the society. Though we are above than sixty, most of us continue to work to sustain our families. When the government made order to put us inside, they also should have made plans to ensure us enough water, food and medicine. It would have been better if they had brought in a law to shoot us than detaining us in the houses.’
The aforesaid discourse is a sign of malaise spreading among the different sections of people across the country. The feeling of annoyance exists also among the privileged classes of the society. Those who were altruistic in the beginning of the pandemic are no more so. They have become tired of being generous. Even the professionals, who have permanent income, turn out to be reticent towards charitable projects as the future is uncertain. Given that the Covid-19 or similar type of virus continue to endure for a long period of time should not we think of facing them in a different way than withdrawing from the active life?
I think, the time is high we change our strategy towards epidemics. Preventive care like using of masque and sanitizer is needed and has to be continued. But we must educate people to lead the social life observing rules of healthy contact and mutual protection. An attitudinal change is the need of the hour. I don’t mean that there are miraculous solutions or heroic methods to surpass the crisis. The change is to be made in our cultural consciousness. A new habitus of “being normal in a new way” has to be adopted by the humanity. We have to develop a society collectively practising a mutually caring relationship. When a great number of people try together to nurture a new way of being in the society the epidemic will fail. As said Abdul Kalam, the former President of India, ‘have a dream and the dream will help us realize it.’ Rememberalso the insight of Paulo Coelho, ‘If your mind constantly pushes you towards doing something authentic, then follow it, the whole world will assist you in realizing your will.’
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