For someone professionally trained to be a sceptic, who over the years degenerated to be an outright cynic, like other members of his ilk, because of the demand of modern day sensational journalism, it took me many more years after exiting mainstream media to restore some positivity.
Now that I consciously try to look at the brighter side of things, it doesn’t come as a surprise that I can see a lot of positives emerging out of the raging Covid-19 madness. And I am sure this may be occurring, or beginning to occur, to several others like me too.
While the world by and large looks at it as a curse, with most countries bleeding and on their knees, the way humanity has apparently resurrected itself, it might after all turn out to be a blessing in disguise, after paying a heavy price, of course…….thousands of deaths, all pervading fear psychosis, economies in shambles and an unimaginable trail of unemployment in the aftermath.
The world may never be the same again after the pandemic gets over. The rich and powerful nations have realised that they are equally vulnerable to unforeseen calamities (wrath of Nature) as the less powerful and the weak. The realisation has perhaps dawned on them that all countries need to work together.
World bodies, national governments, scientific communities and voluntary organisations are working overtime in close cooperation to collectively grapple with the pandemic of this size and proportions, a show of solidarity perhaps never seen before. How long this feeling lasts, one cannot tell, but the very fact that it has happened for once is by itself a big positive.
Back home, the air is lightest, cleanest and freshest in decades, river Ganga has been remarkably cleansed, something not achieved despite a herculean government effort; people from the plains are delighted to once again get a clear view of snow clad mountains after years, and the revered status of doctors in society has been restored.
Women for once are happy to see their hubbies shackled and confined to four walls of their homes, the men have received a welcome break from their demanding bosses, and parents are happy to see their children helping out in household chores, with bais staying away. Family bonding and togetherness, a luxury till recently, has been the biggest positive. Movies, masti and long lost pastimes are filling in for entertainment, and keeping the Coronavirus blues at bay. A spike in the happiness quotient of families is quite evident.
In these difficult times, the milk of human kindness is visibly overflowing. An ever increasing number of people are coming forward to enquire about the safety and welfare of their lesser privileged brethren, who are being helped out with compassion, rations, other essentials and hygiene and safety kits. Children are also seen taking the initiative and enthusiastically participating in community service.
Local administrations, often the target of public ire over their indifferent and lackadaisical approach to public service, have also risen to the occasion, working round the clock to support the untiring efforts of medical fraternity and law enforcement agencies, and to ensure that public is put to minimum inconvenience despite the extraordinary circumstances.
The sanitation workers, who have been steadfastly opposing the mandatory wearing of hygiene and safety gear, are now seen voluntarily wearing face masks and gloves.
There is an unprecedented nationwide scramble for innovation, with startups, MSMEs and well established big industries, both in the public and private sector, striving to quickly develop Covid-19 testing kits, personal protective equipments (PPEs), low-cost ventilators, etc to meet the shortages in the emergency situation. The highly inadequate health infrastructure in the country is surely going to benefit immensely from these efforts in the long run.
The rich, famous and the powerful have already indicated that the pandemic has forced them to look at life from a different perspective, and if they really mean what they say, it could augur well for the future of the country.
And, even if it is early days and the situation is fluid, the worldwide praise and appreciation which India has received for its initial handling of the Covid-19 outbreak situation, as opposed to its mishandling by many of the advanced countries, has only further raised the prestige of the country in the eyes of the world.
With the world targeting China for the outbreak of the Covid-19 infection, it’s advantage India, for the time being at least!
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