By Jenniefer Dkhar
On Friday midnight we will welcome the New Year amidst a mixed baggage of happiness and sorrow, joy and pain, love and loss… after all life is a bundle of beautiful contradictions. One cannot help but reminisce the last two years that had been years of great challenge for humankind across the globe. COVID 19 walked into our lives in ways unexpected. The virus trampled and crushed us underneath its demonic feet. Humankind was and is still left wondering as to what triggered the virus? Where did it originate? Is there a cure? How safe are we? When will it end? These are questions that perhaps are still running in all our minds. The world became a battleground that we humans were trying hard to fight to survive. In this fight, some have lost their lives and some fortunate others have been cured and are learning precious lessons and the meaning of the gift of life.
If truth be told, the two years made life more meaningful and valuable. Isn’t it ironic that though the only sure and certain thing about life is death yet we all fear death? We fear the unknown for what lies beyond, which is far from human knowledge. In spite of the known fact that we are born only to die, we do all we can to stay alive. Why not? As humans we do not live in isolation. We are born to weave a beautiful yarn of relationships. Our parents, our siblings, our grandparents, relatives, friends. These bonds and ties have been made more meaningful with the entrance of COVID 19 into our lives.
At this juncture one would like to go back to the times when humankind became one. Selflessness and fellow feeling was what was exemplified by all. What mattered was to be there for those in need. Across all sections of the society people extended a helping hand in any way they possibly could. Religion, class, caste, rich, poor mattered less and to help was at the fore. While lives were lost and livelihoods suffered what prevailed was humanity and fellow feelings. COVID 19 was indeed a leveler in all respects. It made no discrimination among humankind but devoured all that came in its way. One wondered if that was essentially needed for us humans to realize that in the eyes of God we are one. God has created us with no prejudices and to live in peace and harmony with one another. It is us humans who create barriers and differences among us. The only difference the Creator made was in our biological construct but the roles that we are expected to play once we are born into this world are roles assigned by us humans and the society. Feelings of discrimination, inequality, partiality, unfairness, injustice, greed, lust, envy, hatred, dishonesty, etc., are all man-made. Such negative traits and characteristics are made to crawl into our hearts and minds bringing us so low to the point of ridicule and hurt. We seem to forget that the true purpose of our lives is in giving rather than snatching, plundering and looting. Aren’t we doing that? Don’t we at times become so overpowered by our sense of possessing and owning what we can lay our hands on that we fear no one not even the One above? The I, me, myself at times become so important that it leads us to selfishness, greed, unscrupulousness, crookedness, deceit, and many more.
The world was moving along this path and humanity seemed to have taken a backseat. The pandemic shook us from our trance of inhumanity and the lockdown revived fellow feelings and oneness. That was the need of the hour. We had to come back to who we actually are. The world will thrive if goodness thrives. Here in our state, like in all other nooks and corners across the globe, we bore witness to such humanitarian concerns that were born not out of a hidden ulterior motive but a genuine and sincere concern and love to serve and save lives. This perhaps is the one good example that this pandemic has taught us and one prays and hopes that this nice and exemplary gesture stays on.
Today, we are trying to get back to our normal lives hoping for a better and brighter tomorrow for our children, ourselves and the world. Can we continue to keep the spark of love and compassion burning bright? Can we not recoil to lives of degradation and immorality and continue to help make this world a better place for each one of us? We should be grateful to God Almighty for giving us a chance once more to live in this world. Can we make 2022 a fruitful year and try to be better human beings today and always? With these hopes and aspirations here’s wishing each and every one, “A very happy and glorious new year”.