What lesson has Covid-19 taught us ?

Ph Didar *

The Coronavirus pandemic which has engulfed the entire globe today and is threatening the very survival of humanity on this planet stands before us with many challenges which we are forced to encounter.

Already around 5 lakh people have lost their lives and around one crore people have been reported to be infected. The tragic graph is showing no sign of flattening; instead there is a continuous spiralling upward.

Nobody knows where things will ultimately stop. The economies of most of the country already stand shattered, foreboding even a more serious scenario. The cycle of industrial activity stands baulked rendering a sizable population around the world jobless. We shudder to think of the miseries of the families of those who have lost their livelihood.

Social activities across the entire spectrum of life stand badly affected. Religious gatherings, marriage functions, celebratory events have practically stopped. Even political activities like election rallies, convassing for votes, reaching out to be electorate in various ways seem to be coming to full stop.

People are communicating with one another through video conferencing. But this will not work indefinitely. Normal functioning of all gamuts of life need to be restored at the earliest possible.

Things have taken a more serious turn as far as international activities are concerned. Most of the domestic flights as well as international flights are yet to be brought to normalcy.

International conferences, diplomatic engagements, meeting of leaders of different countries for bilateral and multilateral cooperation for bettering the lot of their people are held in a abeyance for an indefinite period of time.

All this has generated a sense of pessimism all around, an atmosphere of uncertainty every where and an inexplicable and disconcerting gloom all over.

But this is only one side of the picture, the dark side. There is another side of the picture too, the bright side. The pandemic has thrown before us opportunities galore. While the challenges are many, opportunities are very many.

The present undesirable situation has given us time to introspect as to where we have gone wrong and what have been the aberrations on our part. We have to chart out a new course of action, and make amendments wherever necessary.

This unique pestilence has opened up the opportunities for new researches and innovations. Scientific activity in the field of medicine is on its peak to discover treatment for this disease. The situation has generated in us a new health consciousness. New vistas of order and discipline in life are opening up.

People are becoming conscious of their duties to one another. Overcrowding at different places is going to be stopped. Social distancing is being faithfully learnt, which certainly will go a long way in infusing new order and system into our lives.

Wasteful expenditure on various social functions will be avoided. It will pave the way for rejuvenation of our economies, including the national and global economies. Digital revolution is getting intensified. Physical movements will be reduced. Various activities will be performed online.

Thanks to the reduction of overcrowding, environmental degradation will stop. People, nations and the world will develop a new urge for self-reliance, particularly in the economic sphere. Health consciousness will teach us the value of sanitation.

Our village and cities and all public places will now be more neat and clean. The tendency for the world to become one was never witnessed so much before as now. The basic concept of our integrity is now going to become a reality.

The world is now moving towards a greater and greater globalisation. The global epidemic has taught us that we have all common pains and common pleasures; so sharp compartmentalisation of the world into various blocks will end in future.

Let us hope that the post COVID-19 period will witness the emergence of a new world, a better world, a new global dispensation and certainly a far more satisfying new world order. “ The old order change the yielding place to new.”

We should well remember “ If winter comes, can spring be far behind?”

Now pessimism needs to be replaced by optimism and negativism must yield place to positivism.