Coronavirus: What Lies Beyond March 31 or 15th April?
For the first time ever the public transport system
of the second most populated country and the largest democracy of the world,
India, has come to a complete standstill—the biggest railway network of the
world, Indian Railways, has stopped operating since the last two days and
domestic flights of the country going to be curtailed completely, with
exception only to cargo flights, from midnight tonight, that is the 24th
of March, 2020. More than 80 cities covering 30 states/territories of India are
now under total lockdown with more and more states/territories joining all the
time. The fight against the novel Coronavirus, COVID-19, is in full swing—a desperate
preventive drive so that the country does not suffer like Italy or Spain or
Iran or USA or England in the dreaded Stage-3 of the irresistible virus. Most Indian
medical and other experts are saying that Stage-3 is yet to come to India, and
so, there has been an atmosphere of frightening uncertainty, suspense and
morbid anticipation throughout the country. The normal or the usual deadline
adopted for the lock-downs is 31st March, 2020 or in some cases 15th
April, 2020. Nobody yet has an answer as to what is going to happen after that.
Things are not being particularly helped by the
overall world scenario—total infections racing towards the 4 hundred thousand
mark; total deaths surpassing 16500; Italy continuing to suffer with deaths
crossing 6000; the death spree not showing any sign of withdrawing in other
countries of Spain, USA, France, Iran except for perhaps China where no new
deaths are taking place and almost nil infections over the past few days; in
India total infections have crossed 500 and deaths at 10 people with a surge of
infections in the last two days; with the possible introduction of a vaccine at
least one and half years away no one is having any idea about the future course
of the virus. Our Planet Earth is still being gripped by a relentless
uncertainty presenting a most bleak economic scenario in the coming months, and
still with no solution in sight. You can check World Coronavirus Updates...
The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi,
addressed the nation on the evening of 19th March, 2020 appealing to
all citizens to observe a day of ‘Janta
(Public) Curfew’ on Sunday, the 22nd of March, a unique concept that
was first used by the student leaders during the Assam Movement during 1979-85,
and in a way, trying to test the peoples’ resilience to more stringent measures
in the coming days. If effect, this was the beginning of the lock downs with the
State of Maharashtra declaring a lockdown with effect from the previous day to Janta Curfew, that is from 21st
March, Saturday, in four cities. Being perhaps inspired by Italy and Spain the
Prime Minister also asked people to show respect with thanksgivings to ‘Coronavirus
warriors’ meaning all of doctors, health workers, administrators, police,
security forces etc at 5 PM on the same day by clapping hands or clanging metal
plates or blowing conch in the balconies of their respective homes. The measures
really worked wonders preparing the 1.3 billion citizens for the future
challenge. However, as happens with the teeming millions, some people in some
pockets considered it a kind of celebration and observed it by taking out
processions and even bursting firecrackers on the streets, thus negating the
very purpose of the campaign. Anyway, the Prime Minister is going to address
the people again tonight, the 24th of March, 2020, perhaps with new
resolves, new initiatives and newer tactics to combat the never-before
challenge.
And, we the people of India, in complete solidarity
with fellow-citizens of other countries, are ready to make any sacrifice,
sitting at home, so that humanity stops suffering more from the merciless
virus. With the exceptions of some of the idle brains turning to or giving in
to the ‘devil’s workshop’ most of us are doing bravely: suddenly jerked out of
reverie that this is the reality, never-before in our lifetime or in the modern
age, that impels us to continue staying indoors with no access to any outside
activity or events or entertainment; total social distancing even with the few
people we meet in a day, particularly with our dear kith and kin, giving them
the message that we’d do much better being apart; being forced to shed all our
eternal pretensions—the busiest of the busy, the successful of the most
successful professionals, the most celebrated of the celebrities, at the
moment, finding that they have nothing to do except sit at home; the old and
the elderly being given special care and of course, blessed with new television
and the internet so that we can keep in touch with the Planet Earth fraternity.
So then, we stay at home not knowing for how many
days more; follow the guidelines religiously not believing in all the
propaganda or fake news or rumors surging all around us, do everything possible
at our ends to control and prevent the spread of the virus and, pray…pray
continuously for the betterment of the our world…for the ultimate defeat of the
virus…for the eternal spirit of humanity to thrive on…and not to think or ever
panic about what lies ahead… Amen!
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