- Lessons to be learnt from the lockdown
Life has its own interesting ways of keeping an individual busy. Over the past many decades, technological advancement has given a new meaning to life and has detached people from each other. The hustle-bustle of day-to-day affairs has kept everyone on the edge and leaves little time for self-awareness and being considerate to the needs of your loved ones.
Ironically, the families are now being forced to huddle together by the contagion which has gripped the world in fear. The Covid-19 virus, spreading like wildfire, has taken its toll on each and every corner of the world and has paralyzed the fast paced life on planet earth. With Europe being hit the most severely, scientists around the world are in a race against time to work out a vaccine and treatment for the malign virus.
The continued lockdowns which are underway in order to contain the spread have given rise to a number of predicaments. The daily wagers yearn to return to work and earn their livelihood, in the absence of which their families remain at risk of being hunger-stricken. Mega-corporations similarly are facing losses amounting to billions of dollars globally. The Covid-19 virus surely isn’t racist nor does it discriminate. It goes after the rich and poor alike. Men of colour or otherwise, and in the resultant lockdowns, the virus has caused loss to both the rich and the poor. Though the magnitude of loss may be different.
Coupled with the social distancing, the Covid-19 virus is taking its toll on the mental health of millions around the world as well. While the world cannot agree on any single agenda, a mere virus has united entire humanity in a bid to fight off the virus. Academic years have been cut short, religious gatherings remain banned, Islam’s holiest annual pilgrimage remains in jeopardy and the streets around the world remain empty. The hustling Times Square yearns to see humans filling in.
Let us all hope and continue to pray towards a road to recovery. The journey so far has been troubling, let’s hope that it is over sooner than most expect and predict. Divine intervention is the need of the hour and let us continue to maintain faith that this will all be over soon by the will and grace of the Almighty.
While the active social media continues to add to the miseries of the isolated citizenry by promoting false conspiracy theories and propagandas, it is of supreme importance that we focus on what we are taking away from this global pandemic. How will our outlook towards life change? How do we realize the importance of our loved ones? Above all, how important is it to care for the deserving people around us?
The anxious air needs to be curbed by spreading optimism about the road to recovery and what impact will the pandemic have on us once the veil of isolation is lifted. Will we chose to return to our toxic lifestyles or will this bring about a dramatic change? Would this pandemic make us realize the worth of those around us? The ones we were unable to see, but meet for weeks now with no end to the lockdown in sight for the time being. We should commit to ourselves to continue bonding with our loved ones even once the lockdown is over. The vacuum created over years of social distancing between families had created a void that is now being filled for some. At least those who do not have to worry about three meals a day.
The coronavirus is but divine intervention to establish certain things which we need to focus on. Despite the technological advancements, a virus has brought the entire world to its knees. It has brought upon us a time in which we fear meeting and greeting another. Indeed, the virus intends to teach us a lesson. But the question remains, what are we willing to learn from it?
The best way to spend our time during the lockdown is to focus on how we intend to change ourselves once this is all over. The optimistic approach towards the end of the lockdown has the capacity to become the path to recovery. While the humans continue to find a solution to the pandemic, the earth continues to heal itself with the environmental experts noting improvement in the air quality globally.
Unfortunately, the lockdown has once again also highlighted the religious intolerance prevalent in our country. Despite religious edicts being issued, the general populace remains bent upon offering congregational prayers. Front line police officers working to flatten the curve were physically targeted by the intolerant society for stopping them from congregating in mosques. One must wonder what version of Islam has taught these people this brutal form of intolerance where in the name of Islam, people are resorting to violence and are not even willing to pay heed to the social distancing guidelines being issued for their own benefit.
Perhaps, a focus on education might be made a priority once the long night is over and the sun rises again. The eventual recovery should not only be from the pandemic but also from the ills plaguing our society consistently. The lack of discipline has contributed more to the ensuing pandemic over the past few weeks. Failure to abide by the guidelines endangers thousand around us.
Similarly, our medical infrastructure is not ready to cope with even a fraction of the pandemic cases if it spreads wildly. Maybe calls to revamp the medical sector in the country in the aftermath of the coronavirus would be beneficial in case of any future eventuality of the sort. Political choices, henceforth, should be made on candidates’ educational and medical policies irrespective of all other considerations. The world has ample supply of oil at the moment but without consumption it is worthless. The things which humans continue to fight for have been rendered worthless by this pandemic. If only we were to open our eyes to the reality dawning upon us would we comprehend the need to co-exist.
Let us all hope and continue to pray towards a road to recovery. The journey so far has been troubling, let’s hope that it is over sooner than most expect and predict. Divine intervention is the need of the hour and let us continue to maintain faith that this will all be over soon by the will and grace of the Almighty.
