To be or not to be? : Looking straight into the eyes of SARS-CoV-2

Dr Aniruddha Babar,

Tetso College, Dimapur,  Nagaland

 

“You will live to see man-made horrors beyond your comprehension.” ~ Nikola Tesla

 

With a bowl full of hot Szechwan Soup, i am sitting at my desk in the middle of the night thinking about the ‘deadly gravitational force’ of a newly discovered Virus that crippled humanity so miserably. Just a moment back I have imagined this Virus to be a Blackholethat suddenly appeared out of nowhere to succumb an entire humanity into its deepest core. I want to be scared of this unknown entity. I want to get restless like everyone else around me. I am trying to understand the fear; i am trying to understand chaos in which the mighty world of mighty men has been trapped. However, what I am seeing is a strange ‘order’ in chaos, a reflection of strange ‘pattern’ in which this universe has been eternally functioning.

 

With a first sip of Soup, first thing that comes to my mind is Michel Foucault's book ‘Discipline and Punish’. The French historian and crazy yet super-geniusphilosopher who in his time was known for tracing the development of Western civilization, particularly in its attitudes towards sexuality, madness, illness and knowledge, studied the plague at the beginning of the 17th century in great detail and believe that the fight against infection is more than just a medical measure. To continue the hypothesis of Prof. Foucault, I believe, that fight against Covid-19 is much more than what we think it is. This demonically complex yet stunningly beautiful, heartless yet compassionate, destructive yet constructive Virus has been on killing spree since past few months. The entire world has become one in the battle against Covid-19 however, the time has also come to open our eyes and understandthat this Covid-19 is truly more than just a disease, more than suffering, more than deaths, more than destructions, more than repenting and redemption.

 

Covid-19 has changed the way we perceive ourselves and the world. World has come closer more than ever as humanity revived in the darkest days the world has been going through. Not only Medical professionals; but also common man and government machineries has courageously been fighting this deadly disease from the front. The journey of Covid-19 which allegedly started taking its baby steps from the exotic meat market from Wuhan has now reached in every corner of the world. There is nota single country which is free from its impact. World is on fire.

 

In this communication with the people of the world, I am not at all going in details as to how they should protect themselves. I want to believe that each one of us is absolutely aware as to what is required to be done to protect ourselves from the ‘Wrath’ of Covid-19. We are absolutely well informed as to why do we need to use sanitizers to wash hands, why should we wear masks, why should we not join gatherings, why should we secure ourselves safely in our homes and why should we follow every order from government authorities unconditionally. I believe we are civilized people and we do understand the gravity of pandemic that we are experiencing in our time.

 

With 12,37,420 infections Covid-19 has taken toll of more than 67,260 human earthlings all over the world, at the same time it has caused complete lockdown of the Earthly affairs. This virus has not only installed fear in our mind but also compelled us to change our life style and ideas about world. We speak about ‘VasudhaivaKutumbakam’, the meaning of this ancient Sanskrit verse which is – ‘World is One Family’, have been finally revealed by Covid-19. This virus has also been instrumental in ‘levelling’the ego of mankind. It has also locked all of us inside our houses which compelled us to introspect and retrospect the life that we have been living so far. This virus locked down Fast Food centres, Restaurants, Hotels, Discotheques, Beer Bars and Red light areas too to make humanity understand the broader meaning of life beyond ‘material aspirations’ and ‘sensual pleasures’. Covid-19 has also made this world so crippled that once powerful countries are now humbled down on their knees. Birds, Animals and insects are rejoicing with happiness. Ozone layer is healing. Pollution has disappeared. Sky has become clearer and brighter. Except mankind, every visible and invisible entity on this Earth Is celebrating this new transformation that Coronavirus has brought on Earth. Can you imagine Blackbucks and Deers roaming freely on the roads? Dolphins jumping and playing at the shores of Mumbai? Mighty DhauladharMountain Range of Himalayas starting to be visible from Jalandhar, Punjab? Gathering of Oliveridley Turtles at Orissa Coast to lay-down their eggs? Birds of all kinds are fearlessly flying in the sky? Can you see that royal flight of Albatross? A wild Pigeon?A poor, innocent parrot? Are you able to listen to the early morning songs of sparrows?

 

Coronavirus has brought serious lessons for us-the humans-the paragon of Animals to learn, to understand and to act. Mankind has become very selfish since the dawn of its kingdom and the price that we are paying in the name of Ebola, H1N1, Plague, Bird Flu, Covid-19 etc, could possibly be a result of our utter disregard to the welfare of Mother Earth and other Earthlings like Animals, Trees, Birds, Fishes, Insects. We thought we are King of the Earth, we believed that the Earth and other Earthlings have been created by almighty for the ‘demonic’ consumption of mankind, but it is not true, we humansare just a necessary part of ecosystem like any other living creature on this planet. However, to understand the complex lessons that Covid19 brought, to be a part of new world, to be an architect of newsocio-ecostructure, and to repent; man must survive its wrath. Man must survive the darker days brought by Coronavirus.

 

People are dying in Covid19 epidemic due to multiple concurrent factors like old age, weak immunity system, presence of concurrent disease in body; however, another major reason behind the deaths is utter ‘ignorance’ about the importance of following necessary safety measures. Government agencies have been shouting from the bottom of their throat to follow their directions but it seems some people are not serious enough to understand the gravity of this unique and unparalleled situation. Sanitary Workers, Doctors, Nurses, Government officials, Police officials, NGOs and concern citizens are working on the front to protect masses from the disease however, it has been observed that in many parts of the country people have utterly disregarded the safety instructions of Government of India which resulted in the sudden rise of infection and consequently the deaths. Whether it is an incident at Markaz ofNizamuddin, Delhi, or stone pelting attacks on Doctors who went to collect Blood Samples for Covid-19 testing in Indore, MP or people jumping regulations imposed under Sec. 144 ofCrPc or unfortunate incidents of Racial discrimination and Xenophobia rising during the darkest hours of Coronavirus all must be dealt with the harshest force of law.Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 secures our tribal people from racial attacks and discrimination. Sec. 269 and 270 of IPC has enough legal powers to book all those who have been accused of violating the law by ‘allegedly’ facilitated/facilitating the spread of this deadly virus. Under Epidemic Disease Act, 1897 a provision to book a person under Sec. 188 of IPC has been made who has been disobeying any regulation or order made under this Act. Moreover, under Disaster Management Act, 2005 from Sec. 51 to 60 various offences and punishments has been prescribed for violating the provisions of the said Act during disaster which include present ‘Covid19’ Pandemic. However, at present I think it is not important to discuss as to how to punish those violators of the law; however, authorities firstneed to search them, identify them, quarantine them, test them and in case found positive with Covid-19 then put them on the best possible medical care. Law will take its own course to deal with alleged violators however; with 3,577 infected people and 83 deaths at present what we need is to put gigantic efforts to stop the Virus to reach the stage of community spreading.

 

While humanity isliving in the shadow of a fear of Corona, there are large numbers of people on the streets of different parts of India. It has been observed that the plight of those people has largely been ignored by elite population in country. Who are those people? They are the same people who serve us food when we are hungry, who built the bungalows and tall skyscrapers where we have quarantined ourselves, they are the ones who work as maids and servants in ourhouses, they are those who polish our shoes-wash our cars, make our furniture, they are the ones who built roads for our luxury cars. They are the ones who give us life. They are the ones who are the crutches of our luxury and necessary foundation of our survival. Why are they being treated like untouchables? When they are in so much of need, writhing in pain, how can we afford to ignore them and their rights to survive and live with dignity like human beings? Do they deserve our apathy just because our sophisticated English speaking educated white collared background thinks they are poor, illiterate, smelly individuals who live on our money? Is it the right way to think about another human being who’s life is as valuable as ours?Time has come to seriously introspect. In time of darkness those who are blessed with abundance are duty bound to help those who are helpless. In this time of Covid-19 many individuals and organizations have been working day and night to keep humanity alive. Hundreds and thousands of people who are living in inhuman conditions on streets without shelter, money, food, water and basic sanitary facilities are scared not of Covid-19 but hunger, thirst and depression.What they need is a hand of help.  ‘Unconditional Service to mankind’ is the basic doctrine of Bible, let us not forget that. No matter what, man must survive, man must live. In this time of chaos we all can be a helping hand of government machinaries which has been fighting this complex battle against a virus. Our fear should not deter us from strengthening the hands of government, organizations and individuals who are fighting or willing to fight this war from front. Also, government should openly support all those who are willing to contribute in the fight against Covid-19, after all, it is not just a responsibility of government but also all of us who are still alive and strong.

 

I am trying to visualize as to how will the future be like? Sooner or later humanity will win over Covid-19 as we have always won over every natural calamity and pandemic in the past. All the questions and conspiracy theories as to the origin of virus will be settled. People will be cured. However, the questions arises as to whether mankind will go back to its old well accustomed life style which was full of ego, materialism, sensual madness, political insanity, power mongering, money mongering,selfishness, lies and arrogance? Will we start polluting environment once again? Will we start once again drilling hole in Ozone layer? Will we start destroying Flora and Fauna? Will we start slaughtering poor birds and animals in the jungles for our lust for meat and manly ego? Will we start cutting trees, stealing soil, poisoning rivers? Will we keep on conducting military drills and nuclear weapon tests? Will countries keep on attacking each other? Will people again start fighting in the name of ‘religion’? Will people be killed in the name of caste, race, colour, and creed? Will faith kill reason? Will humanity survive on the ‘corpse’ of Mother Earth?

 

Human being has a supreme potential to reach higher stages of sensory and psychological developmentthrough natural or artificially accelerated evolution of his consciousness.I hope one day mankind will evolve enough to realize the gravity of mistakes that it has committed since last many years in the sweet name of ‘progress’. However, Material progress and development should not detach man from his own truth and divine destiny. Let us see that industrial and economic development, economic justice, material growth and survival of mankind not to be fuelled by the destruction of our planet. The coronavirus may not, in retrospect, prove to be the tipping point that upends human civilization as we know it, however, it should serve as a warning that we will experience ever more such events in the future if mankind do not obey to the universal laws of nature. The only way to avert such a catastrophe and assure ourselves that Earth will not become an avenger planet is to heed Mother Nature’s warning and cease the further desecration of essential ecosystems.Remember, our creator has always been kind; he has been giving multiple opportunities for us to repent. Let us be kind, humble and walk the path of purity, righteousness and wisdom. Let us see Covid-19 as not just a medical emergency but also an opportunity to take a break, sit silently in solitude and reflect on how our ties with our creator and the Mother Nature that has been broken long back could be renewed, revived and healed. Let us be human, let us fight Covid-19 together and also open up our senses to understand the ‘timeless wisdom’ of the universe that the SARS-COV-2 has brought with it.