By Gervasius Nongkseh
The age old proverb ‘Health is Wealth’ has been proven right once again. At no other time has anyone been so health conscious as now. The Covid-19 has taught us that all that matters is health. It has awakened us to the long lost most important fundamental of being human.
Another important value taught to us the hard way this time is equality. Thomas Jefferson way back in 1776 penned the quotation, “All men are created equal,” as part of the US Declaration of Independence. This basic value has been convoluted carelessly in these past years to suit human interests.
The pandemic has brought everyone on their knees. Why, among the 8.7 + million species on earth are humans the soft target? Strange enough the Covid-19 is not biased. Every country, race, religion, caste, culture, rich and poor, urban and rural, statesmen and common people down the line, educated and uneducated, celebrities and nobodies, developed nations and underdeveloped, you can add any in the list; all are equal before the corona virus. Nevertheless, look how we have differentiated ourselves on these and many other categories.
We are reminded of what Kofi Annan, former secretary general of the United Nations said, “We may have different religions, different languages, different coloured skin, but we all belong to one human race. We all share the same basic values.” But this is easier said than done. It terrifies us to think that after the pandemic we might be back to square one. We are ignoramuses when it comes to learning from history.
There is the ‘Good’, the ‘Bad’ and the ‘Ugly’ of Covid-19. As some would say, the world after a long time took note of the human values such as love, unity, concern for others, brotherhood. It has evoked a sense of one race, one family with a common enemy. Medical workers, volunteers forget self to serve humanity. A sense of fraternity is stimulated among the different communities to help each other. This indicates that there are still so many good people on earth. How beautiful the world would have been if this spirit prevails in good and bad times.
Too long have we been fed only with bad news. This time so many good reports; constructive news got prime news space. We even see TV anchors and debaters brought on the same page to discuss and find solutions to the common enemy. What a difference!
Families who hardly see each other through the year got to spend good quality time with their loved ones. The total lockdown after all has done so much good to numerous families.
In this fast and competitive world Covid-19 has brought life to a stop so that we can look and march forward to achieve our real goals. Yes we have ample time to meditate and reflect about our lives these days, which is otherwise impossible.
However, the ‘BAD’ and the ‘UGLY’ seem to envelope the world at the moment and surpass the ‘GOOD’. The lockdown is not without repercussions. The economic crisis can never be compensated. The fear psychosis and the mental trauma created across the globe is gargantuan. Stigmatization of affected people, a particular religion, people from a particular region are some ugly faces of the virus.The poor were left with nothing to eat and some even died on the streets. Worse still there are some shameless beings who make hay while the sun shines.
The situation flared up partly due to the lack of human cooperation. Social distancing which is much needed to curtail the virus has to be imposed with lathi-charge. On the other hand the pandemic got its publicity mostly from social media which was exploited by illiterates to make a hue and cry and sensationalize things without social responsibility.
There many theories about the origin of the virus. As of now all are in the realm of hypothesis. We cannot zoom at anyone yet without facts backed up by statistical data. Speculations can still do the rounds to satisfy our desires. If the virus is a result of food habits then it is easy to prevent. However, if it is a man-made virus then it must have been created and emerged from some virology labs. If so, then one thing we can be sure of is that human beings are vulnerable and we can just become extinct, if unchecked, with this tiny invisible virus.
We cannot deny the future danger if there is a bio-chemical warfare. We have just experienced a drop in the ocean. There is a big question mark on our human progress in this area. We question ourselves, if it’s worth the cost? Can the world go for a biochemical warfare? The devastating impact we have seen in these few days will provide us all the answers. But we are optimistic. We know there is sunshine beyond the dark clouds. Hope this era of gloom and doom will soon pass away.