The earliest etymological meaning of the word ‘soul’ relates to spirit within each of us. Spirit is inspiration, vigour, courage, energy….
Today, at one of the worst nightmares of New India, the spirited energy wants to fight back against the virus.
What has fighting back achieved in history…
Fight against terror?
Fight against drugs?
Fight against corruption?
Fight against poverty?
Fight against inequality?
Fight against Covid?
Everything we fought against, perpetuated to newer heights and the reality today is no different.
The mindset of ‘defeating’ something is rooted in arrogance, ego, and self supremacy. In the end everyone loses because history tells us that wars really don’t create peace. They create suffering.
As much as is researched scientifically about the Covid-19, we do know that to survive or control the spread of virus and disease, we
must not encourage large gatherings,
must significantly increase the health infrastructure,
must test, trace, and isolate,
must be responsible towards others and not merely become spreaders,
and we must discover vaccination and prevent the spread.
There is no defeating a virus. There is preventing it.
Contrary to all scientific advise, what did we do in our country…
we encouraged large gatherings - cricket stadiums, rallies, and melas
we ran out of oxygen and beds
metros today have literally slowed down testing
responsibilities were as good as finding Maldives escapes
vaccination - well! thats a whole book in itself
From under a 50 cases reported in WB at the end of March, we stare today at 14000 a day as per government data.
A year ago the nation was under lockdown with cases that were about as many as deaths today. But today when bodies are unable to find Earth to be buried, we play cricket, we celebrate the khumb, and our politicians pride themselves in attracting record breaking crowds in West Bengal.
The ‘ghar me ghus ke marege’ New India, took its ‘power-wins-all’ mindset a bit too far. It lost its soul in its quest for power……
The media lost it by enthralling users into the battles of Modi vs Mamata, and chose a blind eye for the sufferings and spread of the virus.
The EC commission lost it by not checking political motives behind electioneering, and being devoid of all scientific protocols.
The honourable courts lost it by not intervening until the country ran out of Oxygen.
The leadership well !! — if khumb mela were to be an Islamic festival — heads would have rolled and police commissioners would have been blood thirsty by now
No matter who wins WB and other elections to follow, the throne that these leaders will sit on has come at the price of graves that it stands on.
And we the people have been dumbed and numbed to the extent that we shall still be cheering on with the thali in our hands, and blaming everyone else with galis through our glands.
Chetan