Thoughts Random : In times of Corona Second Wave - I

Rajendra Kshetri *

Good Morning Manipur,

I am fed up, literally and otherwise, of hearing, listening, reading and talking of/about C19. Not to mention the associated statistical figures of new cases /infected persons/deaths/recovery rates and the Corona induced curfew, lockdown, containment, home isolation, quarantine, vaccination, testing and what not.

The second wave has bombarded our lives, precious lives with the severest crisis that humankind could never ever have imagined. The crisis of Oxygen, shortage of O2. Have we ever imagined, even in our wildest dreams, that people will die one after another, for want of oxygen. This is the reality though, thanks to Corona Second Wave.

So you see , I am fed up with C19 and its associated news. But I can't escape reality. Can I ?

Much as I want to stop thinking and avoid any kind of thoughts, random and astray, creeping in, I failed miserably. I must confess though that this failure on my part makes me happy. Unlike many writers, I don't keep a diary and instead I keep track of my thoughts on my Samsung and posted them on my Time Line. I really don't know how I would have spent these trying times of Corona so confidently.

I crave for your indulgence while reproducing them here on print media. I am doing it lest they are lost, misquoted, plagiarized and more importantly to bring back the Descartes phrase "Cogito, ergo sum" --- "I think, therefore I am " --- in times of Corona pandemic.

1. President Biden said "there is no such thing as Republican or Democrat when it comes to Covid ". This is the USA for you.

There should not be such thing as BJP or Congress when it comes to Covid. This is what one would love to hear here in India. Instead, a certain political party has submitted a charge sheet against the ruling political party here in India. Their politicians. Our Politicians. (30 May 2021).

2. Mass vaccination should precede Mass Covid Testing. What do you say? (29 May 2021).

3. 3 universally accepted mantras to combat Covid-19
i) Wear face mask
ii) Sanitize Hands
iii) Maintain social/physical distance.

To this must/should be added 2 MOST BASIC MANTRAS.
a) DISCIPLINE
b) RESPONSIBILITY

Together these 5 MANTRAS can combat Covid-19 EFFECTIVELY
#StayHome# Practice 5 mantras# StaySafe# (27 May 2021).

4. S: Good evening Sir... don't you think we as citizens, electorate deserve better/extra care from our representatives MLAs/MPs in such trying times of Second Wave ?

T: Of course we certainly deserve and we are getting it from our honourable MLAs and MPs. You see, many of them, if not all , have already started distributing Covid relief materials to people.
S: That's peanuts Sir. They should be doing more than that like giving a lump sum amount of say 5k, 10k to every household in their respective Constituencies to tide over extreme hardships.
T: They will do that not now but only in times of elections. And you people will fall for it happily. So, don't complain, they know you more than you know yourself.
S: Am not complaining Sir. But I certainly and will blame them for not doing enough to save lives.
T: Don't. Don't blame them. They are not, even if you call them dumb politicians, the problem. After all, they are all 'honourable men'. The problem is the dumb people that keep voting for them (25 May 2021).
5. On this day of Buddha Purnima, May 26 ...
What is the difference between "I like you" and " I love you "?
Beautifully Answered by Buddha:
"When you like a flower, you just pluck it.
But when you love a flower, you water it daily ".
One who understands this, understands life. (26 May 2021).

6. Sunderlal Bahuguna, Architect of Chipko Movement is no more. A true environmentalist in every sense of the term whose idea of conserving, protecting Nature is way ahead of his time. May his soul rest in eternal peace. (21 May 2021).

7. Would it be in the same line of thinking if statistical figures of covid-19 deaths and infected persons are not shared on public domain but kept officially with Health Department and other concerned section/department of the Government ? Just wondering. (19 May 2021, to be read in relation to the GOM Health Directorate 's Memorandum dated 18 May 2021 stating that "the ambulance sirens should be silenced now as they are panicking people and increasing social anxiety ".